Description: The fact that Staunton Country Park is situated very close to the less-than-desirable housing estate of Leigh Park probably explains why it took me so long to get round to visiting it. Having looked at the website and had recommendations from people who had been there, I decided that I should give it the benefit of the doubt and go and have a look round. Located on Middle Park Way just off the B2149, it is a listed Regency landscaped parkland and forest covering over a thousand acres.
I arrived just after midday on a gloriously sunny Saturday in April. I knew that part of the park was situated south of the road and another area north of the road, and I decided to start on the south side. A tree-lined path led past the car park on the left, and a few yards further down a path to the left went to the shop. Here there are plants for sale outside along with tables and chairs where you can sit and have a drink or an ice-cream. The shop also sells some attractive gifts and a few bars of chocolate. After a quick look round I went back to the main path. Veering off the right, it led to the Visitor Centre where people were queueing for tickets to the area where there are farm animals and gardens. I hadn’t yet decided whether or not I wanted to go into the paying area, so I went back and crossed the road to see what was on offer in the area to the north which is free of charge.
Once again there was a tree-lined path; other paths turned off on either side but weren’t always clearly signposted. I followed the first one to the right that led to the coach house which is being restored. A photo shoot was taking place there so I headed back to the main path. A signpost indicated three different trails, but I knew there was a lake somewhere and thought it would make for interesting photographs. I couldn’t, however, find any signs for it, so I asked a young couple who told me I should head back and take the first path to the right. It was then easy to reach an area where there were a few benches and a wide grassy slope that led to the lake. After admiring the view for a few minutes, I decided it would be worth going back to the Visitor Centre and paying to have a look round the gardens.
The full price for adults is £7.25 but there are concessions, family tickets and discounts for children. It is also possible to become a member of the park which is worthwhile for anyone who makes regular visits. When you pay you are given a sticker to wear, and you proceed through an area where there are plans of the park. By this time I was a little peckish and decided to find the café. I passed an enclosure where there were llamas, and two noisy peacocks were running around freely. Families were sitting on the grass enjoying the sunshine, and the outdoor tables and chairs at the café were full.
The café serves soup, jacket potatoes and sandwiches as well as cakes and traybakes. Children can have a small sandwich, a fruit juice and three other items from the children’s range for around £3.50. I didn’t want a full meal so I had a cappuccino, some Kettle chips and a scrumptious piece of flapjack with cranberry and chocolate chip topping for £4.75. It wasn’t difficult to find somewhere to sit inside because so many people were making the most of the sunshine.
On my way back towards the walled garden I stopped to have a look at a folly. Inside there were a few round cushions in a circle on the floor, looking as though they were waiting for children to come and sit down to listen to a story. Below one of the windows was a life-size photograph of a large bookcase whose shelves were filled with old books. On one wall was a noticeboard where half a dozen photos gave information about particularly interesting things to be seen in the park at that time. I presume these are kept up to date.
Just beyond the walled garden was a decorated wooden shed so I went to see what it was. It turned out to be the approach to the Naturalist’s Garden. Along one side was a display showing various animal tracks with information about how to recognise them. Beyond the shed was a lookout with a view over a small pond. There didn’t seem to be anything of note to see at that time, but there were plenty of informative notices on the walls to show the various species of birds and other wildlife to keep a lookout for. On my way back to the garden I passed a sign to a maze, but I decided to leave that for a future visit.
The garden wasn’t at its best as it was only April, but there were some delightful flowers in the herbaceous borders as well as white magnolia blooms hanging down from the branches of a tree just the other side of one wall. After taking some photos, I went to find the entrance to the hothouse. As soon as I walked through the door, my glasses steamed up to the extent that the lenses were white, and the same happened to my camera lens. It was extremely hot and humid inside, and I heard one or two people say they were going out again because they couldn’t stand the temperature. The sound of tropical birds was very noticeable, but it turned out to be nothing more than sounds; no real birds were there. There was a wealth of plants but not a huge amount of colour. A recent addition is a small butterfly house, but it was too early in the year for there to be many butterflies. There were plenty of cocoons in the hatchery, so it could make for a much more interesting visit in the summer. A small greenhouse area was somewhat cooler and contained one or two young fig trees as well as a few flowering plants. Finally, there was a large, circular area containing a lily pond, but unfortunately there were no lilies to be seen, just a few fish in the water.
It was a relief to go out into the fresh air again and take more photos of the flowers in the herbaceous border. I made my way back to the visitor centre which is where the exit is, presumably in the hope that visitors will buy something from the gift shop before leaving. There is a prominent notice saying that every penny you spend will be used to improve and maintain the park.
Had I had more time, I could have spent longer at Staunton. I would definitely like to go back one day and have a walk around the lake or follow one of the trails in the area to the north of the road. On the south side, there is also the maze to explore, and anyone with children would be likely to spend more time looking at the animals, which include sheep, donkey, chickens and alpacas. It is possible to buy bags of food for the animals but these are rationed to prevent overfeeding, and when I was buying my ticket at around 1pm they had already sold out for that day. For children there are also play areas near the café, both indoors and out.
I did feel that some of the signs were confusing. For example, on entering the north side there is a sign for the café which is actually on the south side, and I couldn’t find a signpost indicating the path to the lake. I thought it would make more sense to have the café in the non-paying area, but when I came home and looked on the website I found that there was a café at the coach house; it must have been round the far side. Toilets were hard to find; there were a couple of portaloos outside the coach house, one of which was for the disabled. I found a disabled toilet near the café, but I wasn’t able to locate any others on the south side; I’m sure there must have been some somewhere.
To get to Staunton Country Park, I travelled by train to Havant from where both the number 20 and 21 Stagecoach buses go past the park. Both services actually run to and from Portsmouth, but the train should reduce the journey time. I would recommend Staunton as a good day out in fine weather for families, especially as there is a choice of two areas, one completely free of charge with pleasant walks and a lake, the other with animals and formal gardens.
Close