Huge London park with one of UK’s best playgrounds welcomes the first herd of deer in years
GREENWICH Park is now home to a herd of eight deer – which is the first time they’ve been in the paddock since 2021.
The huge park with the new residents is also home to one of the UK’s well-known playgrounds, which was built six years ago.
Deer have been reintroduced to Greenwich Park after being relocated to Richmond Park in 2021.
Greenwich Park’s herds of deer were moved four years ago so they were not disturbed during the restoration period.
The animal sighting was put on social media and text along with the video said: “The deer will be settling in over the next few weeks and therefore unlikely to be very visible – give them time and I’m sure you’ll spot them soon!”
One person commented: “Finally! I’ve been waiting for their return, excited to go and see them.”
Another added: “I loved going to the park every week as a child and seeing the deer… I’m now 56 and it’ll be lovely to see them back.”
The return of the deer is one of the final phases in the Royal Parks’ ‘Greenwich Park Revealed’ restoration.
Works have been ongoing since 2021 and are now finishing up. Other additions and works have included the creation of a wildlife pond, tree planting, improved accessibility, new learning trails, and community facilities.
One part of Greenwich that hasn’t been part of the works, because it was built in 2019, is the play area.
It welcomes more than 400,000 visitors every year – and it’s completely free to enter and use.
In 2019, Royal Parks built a natural playground in Greenwich Park for £350,000.
With a long history of playtime in the park going back to the 1940s, the Royal Parks decided to built a modern playground based on its maritime roots.
It has sandpits and water play, as well as natural materials such as logs, rope and bark.
It also has picnic tables and seating as well as a kiosk to buy drinks and snacks.
Lots of parents have praised the updated playground with one writing: “The kids playground is fantastic and has a sandpit too. Lots of parking too if you want to drive , you get maximum 4 hours!”
Another called it the “best playground in London”.
The entire restoration project has been £12million of investment with lots of aspects of the park being updated.
The Grand Ascent has been improved by removing damaged trees and planting new, more resilient ones, as well as creating new meadows.
The project also includes transforming the private Vanbrugh Yard into a new public space with a café, volunteer hub, community garden, and learning space.
Greenwich is known as the place where ‘time began’ as it’s where you’ll find the Meridian Line.
Other attractions in Greenwich include the Great Equatorial Telescope, the Cutty Sark ship, and the National Maritime Museum.
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