Nene Park is a country park in the city of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to t ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. Opened in 1978, it occupies a site approximately three and a half miles long, from slightly west of Castor to the centre of Peterborough. The Park has three lakes, one of which has a watersports centre which provides sailing, kayaking and windsurfing classes. Another lake has a pedalo and rowing boat for hire shop, and the third lake contains moorings for boats and has access to the

River Nene The River Nene ( or : see below) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in Northamptonshire.OS Explorer Map sheet 223, Northampton & Market Harborough, Brixworth & Pitsford Water. The river is about long, about of w ...

. Nene Park also has three children's play areas, located in different points of the Park and a small miniature railway. The main entrance to the Park is served by the

Nene Valley Railway The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is in length. There are stations at each terminus, and three stops en route: Orton Mere, ...

station at

Ferry Meadows Nene Park is a country park in the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. Opened in 1978, it occupies a site approximately three and a half miles long, from slightly west of Castor to the centre of Peterborough. The Park ha ...

, from which all the Park's main attractions can be accessed. The eastern end of the Park is also served by

Orton Mere Nene Park is a country park in the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. Opened in 1978, it occupies a site approximately three and a half miles long, from slightly west of Castor to the centre of Peterborough. The Park ha ...

and Peterborough Nene Valley stations. The Park was conceived as part of the town’s 1968 expansion masterplan. Originally within the control of the

Peterborough Development Corporation The Peterborough Development Corporation was established in February 1968, as a national government initiative, following the city's designation as a third-wave New Town in July 1967. It was based in the Gilbert Scott designed Peterscourt in th ...

, the management of the Park was transferred to the Nene Park Trust, a company limited by guarantee with charitable status in 1988 under the auspices of the New Town Community Related Assets transfer arrangements. An endowment of properties provides sufficient income to cover running costs, along with that generated by the Park's tenancies and operations. The Nene Park Trust is tasked, "to provide for the recreation of the public by the provision of a park for the benefit of the inhabitants of Peterborough and visitors with the object of improving the conditions of life for such persons." The Park combines a balance of commercial attractions and informal and formal recreational pursuits appropriate to the quiet enjoyment of the countryside in addition to farmed land and nature areas. From a total of 2,535 acres (1,026 ha) within the Trust's management control, 658 acres (267 ha) are dedicated to Ferry Meadows country park, 259 acres (105 ha) for two 18 hole golf courses and 82 acres (33 ha) for organised recreation such as horse riding, rowing, watersports and trout fishing; the remaining 1,535 acres (621 ha) are in private ownership with managed pathways and informal areas. The landscape of the Park is varied, providing a range of natural habitats, informal areas and visitor attractions, including woodland, flood plain meadow and arable fields. In addition local schools make extensive use of the Park for educational field study, students also can gain hands on landscape management experience. Within this area there is also a visitor centre, public house, two hotels, sculpture collection, plant nursery and garden centre which add to the broad appeal of the Park and its inclusion in the life of the city. There is also a major steam railway run by enthusiasts that is some eight miles (13 km) long.

Ferry Meadows

The Ferry Bridge, Peterborough - geograph

Ferry Meadows is a

country park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised cou ...

and recreation area that occupies a large portion of the Nene Park, which stretches for six miles (10 km) along the banks of the

. It is managed by the Nene Park Trust. The area is often used by people for activities such as pleasant walks, picnics and barbecues,

coarse fishing In Britain and Ireland, coarse fishing (, ) refers to angling for rough fish, which are fish species traditionally considered undesirable as a food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids — most particularly salmon, trout and ...

bird watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

and at the watersports centre, dinghy and board sailing are available. Additionally it has a miniature railway, occasional pony rides, sculptures and two cafés. One café is called Lakeside Kitchen & Bar, which is located next to the Nene Outdoors Watersports and Activities Centre. It serves traditional home-made food. The other café, called Ferry Meadows Café, is located at the southwesterly tip of Overton Lake. Here, a range of both hot and cold beverages and comestibles are served. Both venues are owned by Nene Park Trust and managed by Raj Regmi.Ferry Meadows also includes a group camping site (tents) and a year-round touring caravan Caravan Club site.Caravan Club: Ferry Meadows
/ref> Ferry Meadows is one of the major destinations and attractions signposted on the

Green Wheel Peterborough Green Wheel The Peterborough Millennium Green Wheel is an network of cycleways, footpaths and bridleways. Designed as part of a sustainable transport system for the city, it was created as part of a Millennium project around Peterbo ...

cycle route.

Orton Mere

Orton Mere is the name of a Mere and its surrounding area. There are several moorings nearby for boats navigating the

. The area also gives its name to the nearby

Orton Mere railway station Orton Mere is a station on the Nene Valley Railway and is situated between Ferry Meadows and Peterborough Nene Valley, adjacent to the River Nene. Orton Mere provides access to the eastern end of the Nene Park. At Orton Mere, the Nene Vall ...

on the

References

Summary Information Return of Aims, Activities and Achievements
The Charity Commission for England and Wales, 10 July 2006 {{coord, 52, 33, 55, N, 0, 19, 30, W, region:GB_dim:5000, display=title Country parks in Cambridgeshire Tourist attractions in Cambridgeshire 1978 establishments in England Geography of Peterborough Nature reserves in Cambridgeshire Meadows in Cambridgeshire

Ferry Meadows

Orton Mere

See also

References