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Useful information - The Ranger Centre is open every weekend and during school holidays, providing information about the park, selling gifts and refreshments.
- Access for all - Major routes are wide and way-marked, but the terrain can be variable.
- How to find Nowton Park:
On foot: there are several pedestrian entrances to Nowton Park from Nowton Road, Sicklesmere Road, and Lower Green Road. You can walk from Bury St Edmunds town centre to Nowton Park via Abbey Gardens and Hardwick Heath following the route described in the Parish Link guided walk leaflet (available from the Tourist Information Centre).
By bike: Nowton Park can be reached from the Bury St Edmunds Cycle Path network via the Nowton Estate.
By bus: the circular route B1 stops within 200m of the park entrance on the Nowton Road or Mayfield Terrace. The route passes Hardwick Lane, St Andrews Street South and the Bury St Edmunds Bus Station.
By car: limited parking spaces are available for coaches and cars. View map of Nowton Park
- Facilities include: all-weather pitch; children’s play area (including a wheelchair accessible swing); football pitches; parking; picnic area; and toilets (including a disabled toilet). Bury Leisure Centre (Abbeycroft Leisure) are responsible for taking bookings for the sports facilities. To book a pitch and to obtain fees and charges please phone on 01284 753496.
- Please note: Fishing at Strawberry Pond by permit only. Please contact 01284 757067 or 01284 757088 for further details. For the protection of wildlife, dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. However dogs can be exercised off lead at nearby Hardwick Heath. The nearest public telephone is situated in Sandpiper Road off the Nowton Road on the way back to Bury St Edmunds (a ten minute walk away).
For any further information please contact:
Parks and Landscapes
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU
Phone: 01284 757067 or 01284 757088
Fax: 01284 757066
Email: parks@stedsbc.gov.uk [top]
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Lime Avenue - The Lime Avenue was planted around 1880 to give the estate a sense of grandeur and to provide the house (then Nowton Court) with a vista to the northern boundary. Unusually, it did not mark the main entrance route to the house.
- Common Lime is the tallest broadleaved tree in Britain and was often planted in avenues. Trees here are 120 feet (40m) high.
- Local beekeepers covet placing their hives near lime trees as lime honey has a special flavour.
- In spring the visitor is greeted by the spectacular site of over 100,000 daffodils blooming beneath the trees. These were planted in 1989. The two species planted were King Alfred and Magnificent.
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The bird feeding area - To your left when looking towards the main house from the Lime Avenue, you will see the bird feeding station on the edge of the wood.
- In the winter a variety of woodland birds can be seen including:
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- blue, great and long tailed tits;
- nuthatch;
- great spotted woodpecker;
- blackbird;
- pheasant; and
- jay.
- In this area there is a fine example of a mature larch, the only European conifer that loses its needles in winter. There are also mature beech and oak growing in the nearby pasture.
- Behind this area is part of the original entrance route to the main house. This surfaced track now leads to the walled garden and nursery.
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The walled garden - Today the walled garden is not open to the public. This area is used by Parks and Landcapes and Social Services as workshops and for horticulture. One hundred years ago there would have been a gang of between 20 to 30 gardeners working here.
- The walled garden specialised in growing many different varieties of pears. The careful selection of early and late croppers coupled with the meticulous storage techniques employed by the head gardener guaranteed that home grown pears were on the table throughout the year. Each pear tree was trained against the nursery wall that provided its preferred aspect.
- Also grown were:
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- apples;
- asparagus;
- broccoli;
- brussel sprouts; and
- strawberries.
- Extensive glasshouses, both hot and cold, were used to grow melons, peaches, grapes and cucumbers.
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The school pond
- A dwelling was first recorded here in the late 18th century. It has been extended and modified over the years as the Oakes family prospered. It is now privately run to accommodate overseas students.
- The pond with its island was a feature of the former pleasure grounds that surrounded the house. Today it is home to moorhen, mallard and the occasional grey heron which feeds on the introduced mirror and crucian carp.
- Napoleon’s Tree (the weeping willow on the edge of the pond) was grown from a cutting taken from the Deanery garden at Ely in 1950. The Ely tree is believed to be a cutting from the willow planted by Governor Beaston on St Helena in 1810, which became a great favourite of the exiled Napoleon who often sat beneath it.
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The folly - The idea of a folly (an elaborate building or ornament with no purpose) was popular with the Victorian gentry.
- The Oakes family followed suit with the archway and font, located along the western edge of the school pond amongst yew trees. The archway was brought here from St Mary’s Church in 1831. The font is believed to have originated from St Peter’s Church in Nowton village.
- It was fashionable at the time to commemorate family pets and along this path it is possible to find the headstone from the grave of Tip, “faithful dog and true companion”, who died in 1889.
- There are many plants around the pond that were part of the original formal gardens. Look out for the shade-loving foam flower (Tiarella) flowering in May and winter sweet (Chimonanthus) flowering in January.
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The maze - The Maze was planted in 1992 with the help of members of the public. It was designed in the shape of a stylised oak tree to commemorate the Oakes family, former owners of the estate.
- There are 2500 hornbeam trees that make up over two miles of hedging, maintained at a height of around two metres. Hornbeam is similar to beech and keeps its leaves through the winter.
- The centre of the maze is marked by a fastigiate oak (with upright branches), and the route to the centre is cleverly disguised.
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The totem pole - The totem pole stands 35.4 feet (10.8m) tall near the centre of the North American region of the arboretum.
- It is carved from a western red cedar that was one of the original Victorian plantings. This is the species traditionally favoured by Native Americans for their totem poles.
- This tree was storm damaged and dying. Rather than removing it, it was decided to have it carved in the style of a west coast totem pole.
- The designs are a mixture of classic features and representations of local history. From top to bottom they are: Wailing Man, Raven, Grizzly Bear of the Sea, White Wolf with St Edmund’s Head and Eagle.
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The arboretum - The arboretum is a thirty acre section of the park where new trees are being introduced from all over the world including:
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- Eucalyptus from Australia;
- Paperbark maple from China; and
- Kentucky coffee tree from North America.
- The panda was carved in 1998. It was placed in the China region along with its food plant bamboo and to add to the vision of this geographical area.
- Further east a dragon overlooks the south-east Asian regions of the arboretum. The dragon was carved from a cedar tree that was growing in the park but was struck by lightning.
- In this area you will find a fine example of the evergreen oak. Its leaves look like small holly leaves without the spikes.
- Next to the Australasian region are two large Cedar of Lebanon trees. These trees are characterised by their large horizontal branches, upright cones and needle-like leaves arranged in rosettes.
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The meadow pond - The meadow pond is rich in aquatic life. The scarce great crested newt breeds here and spends much of its time feeding in the nearby meadows and woods.
- During the summer dragonflies can be seen hunting over the water and meadows.
- In the surrounding pasture sheep grazing is continued as a traditional form of land management because of its great benefits for wildlife. The grass becomes rich in invertebrate life and in turn these millions of bugs feed a whole community of animals.
- The owls and kestrels have plenty of shrews and mice to feed on, and the sparrowhawk chases the wood pigeon. The brown hare and grey partridge can sometimes be seen out on the meadow.
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The wildflower meadow - The wildflower meadow was sown in 1990 with a mix that included:
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- Yellow Rattle;
- Wild Carrot;
- St John's Wort; and
- Spiny Rest Harrow
- These plants could be found in meadows all over Suffolk before the extensive use of herbicides.
- This meadow and other species rich meadows in the park are not cut until the flowers have had time to set seed.
- The introduction of wildflowers, like birdsfoot trefoil, has boosted the numbers of butterflies recorded in the park. The common blue has been particularly successful.
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Events and activities - The Nowton Park Country Fair is held annually, on the third Sunday in June. The 2009 fair will be on Sunday 21 June, 11am to 5pm. Admission is free and car parking is £4 per car. This is a fun packed day out for everyone with many attractions, stalls, catering stands and children’s rides.
- If you would like to receive the quarterly park ranger event leaflet, or if you would like to book any of the activities, please contact Parks Section on 01284 757067 or 01284 757088. View more information on the Park Ranger events and activities.
- Alternatively leaflets can be obtained from the Ranger Centre or the Tourist Information Centre, where you will also find leaflets on local walks in the area.
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