QEII Daniel Park is an area of informal recreational open space next to the primary school and is for everyone’s use and enjoyment. The name includes QEII because the park has Queen Elizabeth II Fields in Trust status (a legacy of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee), which means it has been dedicated to the people of Whitchurch for use as a public park in perpetuity.
The park is looked after by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and a team of conservation volunteers called The Friends of Daniel Park. Anyone interested in the long-term welfare of the park or able to offer specialist conservation management skills is always welcome to join the Friends to help with maintenance of tree copses, shrub thickets, meadow areas and the community orchard. Maintenance usually takes place in the autumn, winter and early spring. No previous experience is necessary, and tools and instruction are provided by the Friends.
The orchard contains a mix of 33 eating, cooking and cider apples and also a walnut tree. The fruit from the trees is available to anyone in the community of Whitchurch, and people are encouraged not to pick more than they need for themselves or their family so there’s plenty for all. Apples are best picked when they are ripe, and each tree’s fruit will ripen at a different time over several weeks in late summer/early autumn. To tell whether or not an apple is ready for picking, gently lift and twist it. If it comes off in your hand, it’s ripe. If it doesn’t, it’s not!
The meadow areas are home to many species of wildflower, grasses, fungi, insects, mammals and birds, and are particularly popular with field voles which, in turn, attract predators such as kestrels and owls. In the early spring, thousands of cowslips produce a beautiful yellow display, and are then followed during the spring, summer and autumn by flowers such as ox-eye daisy, buttercups and vetches of various types, mallow, birdsfoot trefoil, red campion, yellow rattle, and the very sweetly named common mouse-ear. If you’ve ever wondered what’s creating the lovely honey smell in the summer, it’s a yellow flower called lady’s bedstraw. Historically, flowers in the bedstraw family were used to stuff mattresses.
The BMX track, skate park and kickabout area offer an energetic alternative to strolling around the park and admiring the flowers and trees. Picnic tables and benches offer a chance to sit and admire the view or have a chat with friends and family.
See our Facebook page for more information and for news about maintenance sessions.