Werneth Low Country Park

Country Park Rangers’ Annual Report 2010/2011

Werneth Low Country Park Joint Management Committee
Tameside Council and the Hyde War Memorial Trust

Contents

1. Werneth Low – A History
2. Werneth Low – Site Information
3. Vision for Werneth Low Country Park
4. Managing the Country Park
5. Involving the Community
6. Conserving Habitats and Wildlife
7. Providing a Quality Service
8. Planned Developments for 2011/2012
9. How Much Does it Cost?

Appendices:

1. List of staff and Volunteers at Werneth Low Country Park 2010/2011
2. Minor Works Programme 2010
3. Maintenance of Sites Projects October 2010/April 2011

1. Werneth Low – A History

Werneth Low is an area rich in history and interest. The story of this special place begins over 4,000 years in the Bronze Age when the Low was used as an outdoor Cathedral for worship and burials.

Tribal Britons were defeated in a great battle fought on Werneth Low as the Roman occupation of Britain spread north. A Romano-British fort was built which included a system of ditches and earthworks.

Werneth is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as Warnet where it is described as waste, containing woodland three leagues long and two leagues wide and was assessed at 1 Virgate. It was held before 1066, by a free man as a manor, and probably formed part of the Anglo-Saxon Lordship of Longdendale. By 1086 it was held directly by the Earl of Chester.

The manor of Werneth is first recorded as belonging to the Higham family as early as 1330. This family were referred to as freeholders in Werneth by 1445 when a John Higham was listed amongst the knights, gentleman and freeholders of Cheshire.

For the Medieval period the survival of extensive ridge and furrow earthworks, coupled with early field boundaries and farm sites, make the Werneth Low landscape one of the best surviving medieval areas in Greater Manchester.

The best known landmark on Werneth Low is the stone Cenotaph commemorating the 710 lives lost in the Great War 1914 to1919. The majority of those killed were in the Cheshire Regiment in the years 1916 and 1917. The loss of so many from such a small town as Hyde was devastation.

At a council meeting in the Mayor’s Parlour at Hyde Town Hall on 3 March 1920 it was decided to remember those fallen soldiers, sailors and airmen from Hyde by purchasing by public subscription the Lower Higham Farm Estate. The land to be kept open and free for the “health and recreation of the people of Hyde”.

The Hyde War Memorial Committee reported to the townspeople of Hyde “Those who lived through the war will not forget but those who come after us should be reminded of the sacrifices which have been made”

The appeal for public subscriptions raised by the end of May 1920, £14,013 14s. 8d.

The Lower Higham farm and land was purchased for £4,000 and the memorial cenotaph was erected at a cost of £2,000.

The Cenotaph was unveiled on the 25 June 1921 by Mrs Stanley Welch, it is built of Grey Cornish Granite and the total weight is 34 tons. It was designed by Messrs J. Whitehead & Sons of London.

2. Werneth Low – Site Information

Location and Size

Werneth Low Country Park is located 15km (9½ miles) east of the city centre of Manchester on the edge of the Pennines. All the land in the Country Park is in the Borough of Tameside. The town of Hyde, along with the villages of Gee Cross and Newton, are just 2.5km (1½ miles) away to the west.

The Country Park consists of approximately 81 hectares (200 acres) of hilltop and hillside.

Ownership

60 hectares (150 acres) belong to the Hyde War Memorial Trust, including the visitor centre building. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council owns the remaining 21 hectares (50 acres) of land in the park.

Creation of The Country Park 

The Country Park was officially established in 1980 when the Hyde War Memorial Trust and Tameside MBC and the Greater Manchester Council entered into a formal agreement relating to the management of the park. Responsibilities relating to the Greater Manchester County Council were passed on to Tameside MBC in 1986 when the County Council was abolished.

3. Vision for Werneth Low Country Park

The Vision for Werneth Low Country Park is of a place where landscape and nature conservation and informal countryside recreation are in balance. It is a place where natural beauty is enhanced, where wildlife will thrive, and where visitors, regardless of their ability or background, can spend an enjoyable and fulfilling time.

Overall Aims

The overall management aims are:

1. To manage the Country Park in a way that sustains and improves the quality and variety of its wildlife and landscape, and where recreation activity is in harmony with this. 
2. To facilitate access for all, irrespective of ability or background.
3. To manage the Country Park for its cultural and historic importance.
4. To engender an understanding of the various aspects of the Country Park through programmes of lifelong learning.
5. To provide a high quality service to visitors, involving them in decision making about how the Country Park is run.
6. To maintain a safe and health environment, befitting the Country Park.

4. Managing the Country Park

The Country Park is formally managed by the Werneth Low Country Park Joint Management Committee. The Committee is made up of trustees of the Hyde War Memorial Trust and elected members of Tameside MBC. The Committee meets three times a year and the Country Park Ranger is employed in the service of the Joint Committee.

The management of the Country Park is linked to the Tameside Community Strategy 2003 – 2013 in particular to the “Attractive Borough” section which states “ we want Tameside to be an attractive and environmentally friendly place to live, work and visit.” This is achieved at Werneth Low by maintaining the Park to the very highest standards, completing repairs quickly and frequently patrolling. We also consult annually our visitors and local community on a wide range of matters including the maintenance and general appearance of the Park.

Maintenance of sites programmes are linked directly to conserving and maintaining local distinctiveness and spirit of place.

2009/2010 Highlights

• Annual programme of grass cutting footpaths, picnic sites, cenotaph area, car parks and areas around the visitor centre completed during April to October.
• The Hyde War Memorial Trust funded a range of maintenance projects such as installing new access to Heyworths Meadow, replacing roofing over the Visitor Centre toilets, repainting the iron railings around the Cenotaph War Memorial and the purchase of new stone for 2 dry stone walling training weekends where 55 metres of new wall was built.
• Completed Minor Works Programme of replacing gates, stiles and bench seating.
• 352 hours spent patrolling the Country Park.
• Revised and updated Werneth Low Country Park Management Plan 2008 – 2013.

5. Involving the Community

From the very beginning community involvement in Werneth Low Country Park has been vital. It was community action in 1920 that secured the purchase of the site,
many years later it is community action today which continues to play such an important part in the Parks development.

The Volunteer Rangers Service, now in its 23rd year, is a way local people are actively involved in the day to day management of the Park. The volunteer’s duties include litter picking, patrolling, help with public events and school visits, assisting visitors, maintaining sites. They play an important role and will continue to contribute in a positive way to the overall well being of the area.

Our summer and winter public events are great occasions. On them people meet each other, learn about their local environment and develop an understanding of it. All of which are helpful in building strong, supportive communities.

Our public events are also excellent ways for people to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

2010/2011 Highlights

• We welcomed 4,690 people to the Lower Higham Visitor Centre.
• During the period of this report 8 school groups visited the Country Park working on a variety of subjects such as geography, habitats, local history and environmental art.
• The Volunteer Ranger Service completed in total 2,630 work hours.
• Using an electronic counter on the footpath from Lower Higham to the Cenotaph the total number of visitors recorded from April 2010 to March 2011 was 66,371. At the footpath near Quarry Car Park the total number recorded for the same period was 55,414.
• During the year the Country Park Ranger Service organized 16 events at which 571 people attended.

6. Conserving Habitats and Wildlife

In January 2010 Werneth Low Country Park, in partnership with Natural England, began a new management agreement for wildlife nature conservation. This new Environmental Stewardship agreement covers the years 2010 to 2020 and it has five primary objectives:

• Wildlife conservation
• Maintenance and enhancement of landscape quality and character
• Natural resource protection
• Protection of the historic environment; and
• Promotion of public access and understanding of the countryside

Environmental Stewardship – Higher Level agreements are only suitable for land that is of “significant environmental interest” so to receive this agreement is confirmation that past management of Country Park land has been correct.

The agreement is divided into annual works and capital projects and during the period of this report all items in both categories have been completed meaning the Country Park is fully compliant.

Werneth Low Country Park has wildlife nature conservation as a corner stone and a guiding principle at the heart of its day to day management and longer term development.

2010/2011 Highlights

• Environmental Stewardship agreement 1st year compliant securing £7,809 of grant income.
• Implemented all wildlife nature conservation items from the Werneth Low Country Park Management Plan 2009 – 2014.
• Maintained all Sites of Biological importance and undertook removal of non-native invasive weeds from adjoining areas.

7. Providing a Quality Service

During the period of this report, for a seventh consecutive year, we achieved a prestigious Green Flag Award confirming the high standards of service the public can expect at the Country Park. Working in close partnership with visitors, the local community and directly related organisations and groups will ensure high quality and appropriate services. Information from monitoring and evaluation will guide future development as will the implementation of the Country Park Management Plan 2009 – 2014 and the Tameside Countryside Strategy 2009 - 2019. It is through these ways Country Park services will continue to be customer responsive and continually improved.

8. Planned Developments 2011/2012

• Submit application for Green Flag Award subject to review.
• Implement year 3.of the Werneth Low Country Park Management Plan 2009/2014.
• Complete Year 2 of the Environmental Stewardship Agreement.
• Complete the 2011/2012 Maintenance of Sites Programme.
• Complete the 2011/2012 Wildlife Nature Conservation Programme.

9. How Much Does it Cost?

It costs £75,000 a year to look after Werneth Low Country Park. This works out at about 46p a year for each person over the age of 18 who lives in Tameside. The costs are for:

• Maintaining the Country Park.
• Delivering educational programmes.
• Organising public event programmes.
• Promoting the Country Park locally and regionally.
• Delivering visitor services including the Visitor Centre.
• Staff Salaries.
• Operational costs.

Appendix 1 - List of Staff and Volunteers at Werneth Low Country Park 2010 -2011

• Carl Baron – Service Unit Manager Countryside Service
• David Cannon – Werneth Low Country Park Ranger
• Mark Bruniges – Country Park Information Officer

Country Park Voluntary Ranger Service

• Anita Allen
• Alan Bamforth
• Norman Bamforth
• Colin Bates
• Dorothy Hollingworth
• John Jones
• Mike Kelly
• Linda Mellor
• Rob Nicholls
• Ross Pape
• Hazel Shepherdson
• Sam Simpson
• Alan Wilson

Appendix 2 - Minor Works Programme 2010

Appendix 3 - Maintenance of Sites Programme October 2010 – March 2011 

Completed Projects:

Contact Us

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Werneth Low Country Park Lower Higham Visitor Centr Higham Lane Gee Cross Hyde SK14 5LR  View local map
0161 368 6667