22 plans drawn up to rediscover Plymouth’s countryside park

Restoring the riverside amphitheatre and rediscovering Saltram’s lost gardens are some of the ideas that could become part of a countryside park on the edge of Plymouth.

Some 22 interlinked projects have been drawn up that will help bring the Countryside Park to life and will incorporate the National Trust-owned Saltram estate as well as Hardwick Wood, privately-owned land and the former landfill site at Chelson Meadow. The projects include:

• Restoring the amphitheatre which was built in the 1740s. The remains of the structure can be seen from the Plym and look like an arcade carved into rock
• More boat access along the river including at the amphitheatre – water-based recreation such as canoeing and rowing could also be encouraged
• Creating new entrances, including re-establishing Stag Lodge as the main entrance for walkers and cyclists
• Building a green bridge over the A38 – for people and wildlife, but not cars, following the line of the historic carriage drive from Hardwick
• Landscaping and planting under the A38 carriageways at Marsh Mills to transform the area
• Restore ‘Happy Valley’ – a historic belt of ornamental planting
• Dramatically transform and landscape Chelson Meadow landfill site
• Improve the Ride with picnic areas and a natural play area
• Car parking in different parts of the countryside park to reduce the pressure on parking at Saltram
• Big up the bats! Bats to be the flagship species, with at least 10 of the 17 of the country’s bat species living within the park’s boundaries.

There will be a display at the Saltram Estate in the restaurant from Thursday, November 4 to Sunday, November 7. And you can give your views on these proposals between now and Friday, November 26. For more details visit the Saltram Countryside Park Master Plan.

(image: atmosphere: this is Saltram House in Plympton Some rights reserved by Ouf-Ouf’s World)

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