A Simple Pleasure, Well Enjoyed

Tucking into afternoon tea at Poulton Hall Garden

Last month, Wirral Wildlife were fortunate enough to be offered Poulton Hall Parkland and Walled Garden for a fund and awareness raising event. Entrance to the wildflower meadow area required you to pass through a passage way of hedges excellently laid by Wirral Countryside Volunteers. The Countryside Volunteers were offering ‘have a go at hedge laying’ mock up on a fresh upright willow branch hedge, to be cut and laid between hedging stakes. Several guests relished the opportunity to pick up a billhook and slice part way through the willow stem and weave the stem to build a hedge.

Have a go at hedge laying

Along the mown path through the meadow you pass Scirard’s pillar where the inscription says in Latin “Scirard de Launcelyn flourished here in the year 1093”. Entering over the ha-ha you leave the wild area and enter the formal gardens in front of the hall. Continuing on through the shady garden you were able to check out the creatures that live in the shady pond with a bit of pond dipping, progressing through the fragrant rose garden where you could take in the perfume. At the end of the rose garden you were met by a witch who guided you into a wardrobe, from where you come out into the world of Narnia, the enchanted walled garden.

In the walled garden, there are so many features to take in, from triffids, to the smoking Jabberwock, to the Singing Rose. Every half an hour the chimes of the carillon bells play a different piece of music, and the end of the recital heralds the story teller to commence a tale. There were volunteer marshals to guide you around the one-way Covid secure system which also made sure you have a chance to see everything.

Being National Meadow Day there were tours of the meadow and hedgerow by Dr Hilary Ash. The meadow here was potato field until 1993 before being converted to a wildflower meadow. After many years of work, it was looking colourful with the yellow and red of buttercup and sorrel flowers, interspersed with the pink spikes of marsh orchids and blue saucers of meadow cranesbill. Above fluttered meadow brown butterflies. It now looks like a proper Cheshire hay meadow, a habitat that has been almost completely destroyed in the last 70 years. Hopefully it will become more species-rich over time, naturally or with some human help.

Is it a bird?

Scirard was asked what the feature behind the Dalek was? A guest thought it was an art feature. Scirard simply replied it was the top of a cut monkey puzzle tree (see photo above). It shows you how this garden puts you in the world of imagination and fantasy.

Despite the pouring rain in the morning the weather brightened for our guests. If it had been a little wet we were prepared with space in the conservatory and under gazebos. Seventy cream teas were consumed!

If Wirral Wildlife were afforded this opportunity again, they would jump at the chance, not only is it a fund and awareness raising event; it is also a chance of a social where members and friends can meet each other in a convivial and relaxing setting. It provided a wonderful occasion to reconnect with friends as for many it was the first time had actually seen their friends in 18 months.

Many thanks to our supportive hosts, to the 20 plus volunteers involved in running the event and to our friends at New Ferry Village Hall who lent the tables and robust market style gazebos.