Bamford & Norden October 2018

DENEHURST PARK
This summer’s amazing
transformations
Over the past two years Denehurst Park has been transformed from an unused park into a
place for local residents and visitors alike to enjoy; new infrastructure and a whole host of
landscaping works have truly turned the park around.
Since last summer, new features such as the already popular stumpery have been added.
Located opposite Denehurst House, it’s an impressive feature displaying the intricate nature
of tree roots and logs. Not often seen in parks, the Victorian style feature is must see for all
park visitors as they walk around the formal areas of the old Turner Family Estate.
The Denehurst stumpery is quite similar to a rockery but made from parts of a dead tree
instead; this can take the form of whole stumps, logs, driftwood, pieces of bark or even
worked timber such as railway sleepers. The tree stumps have been arranged upside-down
and on their sides to show off their impressive root structure.
Rochdale Borough Council collected the stumps and logs over a number of months and
carefully arranged them to form the new feature; rocks can also be seen scattered around the
stumpery to further complement its natural look. A gravel path runs through the stumpery to
allow people to walk around the feature safely and view the stumps and plants on show.
Bark chips have been added to keep weeds at bay and to ensure the beds hold and retain their
moisture in hot weather, keeping the plants looking green all summer long.
Just before Christmas, students from Redwood Secondary Special School were invited to plant
a variety of woodland plants around the first stage of stumpery. The children planted ferns,
foxgloves, hostas, hellebore, primrose, epimedium and native English bluebells, which are
ideal in the stumperies shaded environment. Mosses and lichens will also be encouraged to
grow around the stumps and rocks to create a truly unique look.
The second stage of the stumpery was planted by our weekly volunteer group adding even
more colour to the park; lungwort, Solomon’s seal, Japanese anemone, Astilbe and hart’s
tongue fern are to name just a few of the unique flora that have recently been planted.
The stumpery provides a perfect habitat for several different types of wildlife and has been known
to host small mammals, toads, stag beetles and numerous insects, very much like bug hotels.
Weekly volunteer sessions are held each Wednesday from 10am-12pm
during the spring and summer months. If you’re interested in helping
out in the park, please get in touch.
Email: friendsofdenehurstpark@outlook.com
or Michael Buczman, Denehurst Park Project Development Officer
on michael.buczman@rochdale.gov.uk.
Website: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/sites/friends-of-denehurst-park
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