Stover Country Park is an area of woodland park north of

Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge, Teignbridge District of Devon, England. Its population was 24,029 in 2011, and was estimated at 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in ...

in the parish of

Teigngrace Teigngrace is a civil parish centred on a hamlet that lies about two miles north of the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. According to the 2001 census, its population was 235, compared to 190 a century earlier. The western boundary of the pa ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, within the former grounds of Stover House. The reserve is in size, and is managed by

Devon County Council Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. The council is based at Devon County Hall in the city of Exeter. The area administered by the county council is termed the non-metropolitan county, which is ...

History

The park is a small part of the originally 80,000-acre estate of James Templer, who built Stover House (now occupied by Stover School) with his fortune made building

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes more involve ...

s. He also significantly landscaped the area, including building the lake which is now at the centre of the park, and covers around , fed from the Ventiford Brook. The

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respons ...

purchased the site in the 1930s, but by 1972 it was considered surplus to requirements and entered into negotiation with Newton Abbot Rural Council to sell the land as a recreational area. In 1979, a sale was completed to

of 114 acres to make the council's third country park. The council used grants to provide a year's temporary employment to 14 people in making the site suitable for a country park by clearing overgrown areas, building bridges, and making pathways. In 1980, the council planned a £100k alternative technology centre on the site to showcase energy from sun, wind, and water. The park was designated a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

(SSSI) in 1984 by the Nature Conservancy Council (now

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...

) due to its rare dragonfly species and invertebrates, and was added to the register of Historic Parks and Gardens in 1995. It was then declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2001.

Features

The park has a number of special features including an aerial walkway, the original Stover gatehouse, a poetry trail, and interpretation centre.

Interpretation centre

The interpretation centre opened in 2000, and has displays about the wildlife within the park, including interactive displays and remote cameras, and classroom facilities for groups.

Aerial walkway

Opened in 2003, the walkway is raised above the ground and follows a route through the woodland's lower canopy. This allows a closer view of the mature oak trees, as well as lakes and ponds below. it also features interpretation boards and children's poems and art carved in to the rails.

Poetry trail

There is a trail dedicated to former Poet Laureate

Ted Hughes Edward James Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He wa ...

, featuring his poems etched in granite posts around the site, and all relating the natural world, some of which are illustrated by

Raymond Briggs Raymond Redvers Briggs (18 January 1934 – 9 August 2022) was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist and author. Achieving critical and popular success among adults and children, he is best known in Britain for his 1978 story ...

. The trail was installed in 2006.

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, 50.565, -3.647, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Country parks in the United Kingdom Parks in the United Kingdom