Ongoing Projects on Chances Park

Volunteers from the Friends Group

Anyone who can spare the odd hour please contact Joanne Hindmarsh on 01228 531105, mobile 07580516165 or email Joanneh@carlisle.gov.uk.

Chances Park Nature Trail

In July Newlaith’s School once again helped to launch our new Nature Trail, they where all given one of our new leaflets – were they take a rubbing at each post exploring and learning which tree is which where to find insects, butterflies, owls, bats and many different species of birds in there natural environments as you can see great fun was had more pictures in Gallery.

More Nature Trail photos in our gallery, click here.

Youth Muga

Work is due to start at the end of October and hopefully by the end of the year it will be in place, funders include:

• Heritage Lottery
• Carlisle City Council
• Cumbria Waste Management
• Cumbria Community Foundation
• Cumbria Police BCU Fund
• Morton Neighbourhood Forum

View the Youth Muga gallery, click here.

Veteran Oak

One of our turkey oaks over 300 years old had a root fungus and had to go as it was dangerous, but after being on the park for so long it was felt by all concerned that it wasn’t to leave the Park. At this time we were lucky enough to get play builders grant and we also planning a nature trail, we considered our options would the tree make a spider in the new adventure play area? Brought in a sculptor who thought it would make a better Octopus! So that’s what it has turned into octopus or Squid the sculptor Stan Healey also built the Nautilus Captain Nemo Ship! A full day was spent removing the tree with the help of lifting gear to carry the ten ton structure! Finally arrived at new location! Then the children from Newlaiths School helped with the official opening of the adventure play area all with nautical theme and zip line!

More Veteran Oak photos in our gallery, click here.

Chances Park Video

Tuesday 30th November 2010
To keep you up-to-date with the changes that happened during the restoration of Chances Park, we have compiled a video to walk you through and demonstrate the continued hard work and effort that was involved.

Click here to download the video

Grand Reopening Chance’s Park

Saturday 22nd May 2010
The event went very well, with beautiful weather on the day. The official opening was carried out at 12.30pm by the High Sheriff of Cumbria, Mr. James Carr. The Chance Sisters Ruther and Mary were in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the park being used for what their late father had intended. The day had a very garden party feel to it with Music from St Stephen’s Silver band and the Esk Valley Jazz Band. Carlisle Heroes Cheerleaders and Carlisle Taekwondo School provided demonstrations on the lawn of the Manor. Further into the park was a large Solway Crafts Marquee along with a marquee housing groups who operate out of Morton Manor, these included Cumbria Orchid Society, Carlisle & District Floral Art & Carlisle Bonsai Group. Many local charity groups had stalls on the park, from Cumbria Air Ambulance to World Owl Trust, based at Muncaster Castle. Barnardos Children’s Centre and Carlisle City Councils Face2face Team provided arts and crafts and play for the younger members of the community, helped by Daffy Dill children’s entertainer who spent the day making animals from balloons. Feedback from local residents has been very good and we look forward to putting on more events like this in the future. We have footfall monitors at the gates of Dunmail Drive and Wigton road which recorded 3500 people entering the Park on the day of the opening. This figure does not include people entering the park from Stonegarth & Park Road areas.

Grant from The Cumbria Biodiversity Partnership

A grant from The Cumbria Biodiversity Partnership Small Projects Fund was secured by the Friends of Chances Park to erect and monitor bird and bat boxes on Chances Park, Carlisle in 2009 for a period of four years and thereafter if found necessary. Members of The Greystoke Forest Ringing Group were involved from the onset of the project and were ably assisted by the children’s After School group at Morton Community Centre. The timber selected for the boxes was Larch (larix decidua) This coniferous wood is the very best for lasting qualities and was purchased from Rose Bank Sawmill, Dalston. www.rosebanksawmill.co.uk Thirty six boxes (22 bird and 14 bat) were cut to shape, drilled and taken in flat-pack form ready for assembly on site. Two workshops were originally arranged to enlist the help of the children from the Community Centres after school group.

Workshop 1

2 members of the Greystoke Forest Ringing Group gave a brief introduction on the benefits of using bird and bat boxes, species of birds most likely to utilize the boxes within the park area and demonstrating the assembly of a bird and bat box. The children were then eager to ‘get on with it’. All boxes were screwed together rather than nailed making a more secure fixing. Finished boxes were then left on site until the remainder were assembled. As some of the children found it very difficult to use the proper equipment, it was decided to make the remainder of boxes up off site and store at the centre until they were ready for putting up.

Workshop 2

On March 30th 2009 36 boxes were put up around the park. All bird boxes were faced north, this being a more sheltered position and facing away from the direct heat of the sun. The bird boxes were numbered 1 to 22. The bat boxes remained unnumbered for the present. The children arrived for the after school club at approx. 16.00 hrs and when a brief talk took place prior to taking them round and selecting a numbered box for each of the children. This was to be their personal box which they could monitor throughout the project. Simple but effective recording forms were to be produced for each child to complete when box monitoring took place, giving a complete data set for each numbered box. The children were really excited when choosing their own box and we look forward to our first visit and box checking.

Bird ringing

All the nestlings at each individual box will be ringed with a unique numbered metal ring for future identification. Bird ringing within the UK is undertaken by fully trained and qualified volunteers licensed by and working on behalf of The British Trust for Ornithology. 2009 is the 100 anniversary of the Trust. More details as to why birds are ringed etc.and much more information can be found on their web site www.bto.org. Please have a look to widen your knowledge and see the amazing work which the BTO are involved with.

Bird Box design

This is our traditional design of front access nesting boxes and the ones used for this project. Note the lid sits on top of the back of the box thus making it more waterproof. All boxes are screwed together rather than nailed thus allowing the wood to be pulled together making the boxes even more secure and weatherproof. Galvanized screws being used for assembly and fixing to trees. For access to the box, the front pivots inward at the top (note overlap of timber at bottom) allowing easy access to ring nestlings and for cleaning purposes when all young have fledged. Boxes should be cleaned out for hygiene purposes after use (where possible) as birds will roost in them throughout the winter months.

First checking of boxes

The boxes were put up on 30th March 2009 and arrangements were made for first checking on 20th May 2009. The children were quite excited and were eager to see what was in their specific numbered boxes. Seven boxes were occupied (31.8%) which was an excellent return for the first year. We also had a Pipistrelle Bat fly out of bird box no.22 when checking for occupancy. None of the Bat boxes were checked. Updates of ringing etc to follow after next visit. Ready for action, well nearly all!

Sod Cutting

Sisters Ruth and Mary Chance cut the first sods to mark the start of a £1.18million restoration of the historic local park, gifted to the city by their father, a former Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Robert Chance, in 1944. Carlisle’s prominent Chance family gave Chance’s Park to the city in 1944, but the landscaped gardens and parkland around the Morton Manor date back to the early 1800s. The parkland forms the grounds to the Grade II listed Morton Manor House and a number of features from the original layout remain including the ha-ha and many veteran trees.