Click Here to view a Virtual Tour of Elmhurst Park 
 

One of the Towns most enjoyable attractions and an area of immense community pride and appeal, Elmhurst Park is often referred to as the jewel in the crown of Woodbridge. Elmhurst is invitingly located a short walk from both the main shopping Thoroughfare and the River Deben and is renowned for its floral colour, mature planting, high standards of maintenance, diverse events programme (insert link) and wide community appeal.

This award winning park covers nearly two hectares and is attractively enclosed within boundary walls. The Park can be accessed from four entrances all suitable for wheelchairs and is equipped with level footpaths throughout.

Park History

The Park was gifted to the Town by Lord Woodbridge in 1935 and was originally part of a larger garden extending down to Marsh areas bordering the River Deben. The gardens belonged to the property called Elmhurst that overlooks the Park and originally contained fruit, vegetable and flower gardens, stables, a coachman’s house and a gardener’s cottage. The formal gardens to the house were once separated from the main part of the garden by a ‘ha-ha’, the top part of which is still visible beside the “long border” footpath.

Features

Elmhurst is home to two sundials, the first a traditional horizontal sundial and the second an unusual equatorial sundial, donated to the Park in 1988. The public shelter was built to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.




The Maritime theme flagpole and Napoleonic cannon helps link local history into the fabric of the Park with the Town owing much to it’s close proximity to the River Deben and its use as a Garrison town in the Napoleonic era.



The Green Flag that can be seen flying from the flag pole is a recognition of achieving a standard of excellence in maintenance, management, community involvement, accessibility, conservation and sustainability. The Green Flag is awarded on an annual basis and is the recognised benchmark for Park’s quality.  We are delighted to have achieved this for a eighth consecutive year in 2009 by the Keep Britain Tidy Group and are still the only Town Council in the Country to receive this award. 

 CLICK HERE to view the "Mystery Shopper Assessment" recently carried out by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Green Flag Award.

Floral Displays, Borders and Trees

Floral displays have long been a major visitor attraction and make up a part of the Town’s annual Anglia in Bloom competition entry of which the Town has a long proud history of success.  Woodbridge Town Council in partnership with Woodbridge in Bloom runs an annual "Design a Bed" competition with local schools.  The winning design is then planted in the Circular flowerbed in the Park.

The park is home to more than 40 different tree species. The most impressive, and perhaps the outstanding feature of the Park, is the ancient Copper Beech tree, estimated to be more that 200 years old and of outstanding shape and character.

Conservation

The Park’s management views conservation as being an essential part of a balanced environment and therefore manage areas for this purpose. A variety of bird and bat nesting boxes, mammal and insect shelters and habitats have been created to support our wildlife population. Areas are managed to allow wildflowers and plants of value to wildlife to flourish.

Amenities

The Park’s facilities include a children’s play area, public performance area, seats and benches, conveniences and open grass areas suited to small informal games.

Concerts and Events

In 1998, a bandstand was officially opened and acts as a centrepiece to our free events programme that takes place during the summer months. Each year a diverse range of concerts and events takes place, ranging from children’s fun days to live bands and singing groups.  Click Here for events taking place during 2010.

Community Involvement

The Park and its users benefit greatly from the input of numerous volunteer groups who assist and utilise the Park and it’s facilities.

Nature Watch Diary

Compiled by Jillian MacGuire in 2007 from observations made by the park keepers, the general public and her own records.  Click Here

January - June 2008.  Click Here
July - September 2008.  Click Here
October - December 2008.  Click Here 
January - April 2009.  Click Here  

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