Yesterday we walked in soft and gentle rain at Biddulph Grange Country Park. The country park is next door to the National Trust's Biddulph Grange Gardens and was originally part of the same estate.
It is 35 hectares of landscaped views and natural features designed by Victorian industrialists James Bateman and Robert Heath.
There are both original and newly laid out paths through both meadow and woodland leading to the lake and it's boathouse built in 1903.
A Hydro-electric scheme begun in 1904 was reinstated in 2000 and provides sustainable power for local use.
We walked as far as the lake, you can see the boathouse in the distance and the rain on the lake.
Back at the visitor centre we spotted the Wallaby. There are ten in all and they are part of the Where's Wallaby trail around the towns and beauty spots of the Staffordshire Moorlands. Why wallabies? There is a story to tell.
At the time of the second world war five Bennett's wallabies escaped into the wild from a zoo at Roaches Hall run by a man called Henry Courtney Brocklehurst. Sadly he lost his life in Burma during the war. The wallabies bred and at one time as many as fifty were counted on and around the Roaches.
There are now wallabies at the Peak Wildlife Park who are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year. Hence ten wallabies. They have joined with Outside, Wild in Art and the Staffordshire Moorlands Council to commission ten artists to work with ten community groups to create the wallabies.
The Wallaby above is called Berry B painted by Clare Ash and the Biddulph Youth and Community Zone.
Above a Wallaby and Joey taken at Peak Wildlife Park in February this year.
The exhibition runs from 18th July to 5th September so we have plenty of time to seek out the other nine over the summer.
I've just googled it and found out that the wallabies increased in quite a large number. They continued into the 21st century but have since died out for various reasons.
ReplyDeleteJ.
Thank you, Yes, the wild ones descended from the escapees seem to have died out on the Roaches and Moorlands but there have been sightings of Wallabies in other areas of the country. It's fascinating isn't it?:)
DeleteHa! The wallabies have landed! A fitting way to tell the story of the great escape, who would have thought it! The painted fox looks great. I look forward to seeing the others. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you CK, yes wallabies are here. I'm looking forward to finding some of them over the next few weeks, I loved the fox too:)
DeleteWhat a lovely country park to walk in and I love the wallaby there. Great idea to have 10 of them to seek. I remember reading about wallabies around the Roaches years ago. If they weren't doing any harm it is a shame they have disappeared there. Great photo of the mother wallaby and joey at Peak Wildlife Park.
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline, it is a lovely park, one we don't visit often as we always go to the gardens instead. Paul knows it well as he used to take students there on field work. I think the wallabies just died out naturally which is a shame. The wallabies at the Peak Wildlife park are very friendly and well looked after:)
DeleteI live in Tasmania, and we have many, many Bennet's Wallabies living in our 20 acres. They are very endearing animals, and love to sit with their tummies in the sun on the rate occasions the sun actually shines here!
ReplyDeleteThank you Denise how wonderful to have them live along side you, I love the ones we see at the wildlife park and they do seem to bask in the sunshine:)
DeleteI loved reading the tale of the wallabies. X
ReplyDeleteThank you Jules, it is a good story and the wallabies survived in that region for quite some time until the last one disappeared:)
DeleteA lovely walk around Biddulph Grange Country Park for you yesterday. I'm sure the gentle rain was quite welcome. The wallaby art creations will be fun to look for over the next few weeks. In Birmingham city centre they are doing something similar with the bull. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beverley, we did have a lovely walk and it was nice to find the first wallaby. I think I saw on the local news about the bulls and also hares at Weston Park all great fun to find:)
DeleteI've heard of Biddulph Grange, but never went there whilst in UK. Of course I love the wallabies & must at some time when I've got more time/inclination (still can't get my head around Windows 11 at times) post a recent photo I have of one on Phillip Island where you can also see penguins at dusk and also have to take care on the roads to miss the Cape Barren geese. Thanks for sharing, take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan, I'd love to see your photos of both wallabies and penguins on Philip Island, is that named after Captain Philip, former governor of NSW? I remember learning about him when we were researching a Matthew Flinders gallery at the museum I worked at. I hope you can get to grips with Windows 11, I have it now as my old laptop was too old to upgrade from windows 10:)
DeleteHow interesting to read about the Wallabies and how they came to your corner of the world. The photo of the rain on the lake is so atmospheric. We could do with some rain here just now.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lorrie, it is a fascinating story and it must have been wonderful to actually spot one whilst out walking. We had torrential rain here yesterday, not good as we are having a new roof on the house and work had to be abandoned:)
DeleteHow very smart of them to restore the hydroelectric. Such a simple way to make electricity, yet so seldom used.
ReplyDeleteThe wallabies are charming! Great storybook, Rosie.
Thank you Granny Sue, yes good about the hydroelectricity, the wallabies are going to be popular during the school holidays:)
DeleteWhat a lovely lush place to walk on a hot day. Love the wallabies:) B x
ReplyDeleteThank you B, yes it was a lovely walk after all the heat, the wallabies will be popular through the summer:)
DeleteHello Rosie, I absolutely love the rain and rain photos as well! Your photos are gorgeous and captivating! Thank you so much for sharing your walk. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, I'm glad you have enjoyed the photos of our walk:)
DeleteThese photos look so peaceful and like a place that I would love to explore! I saw my first wallaby years ago when I visited Australia and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing every. This makes me want to go back. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Alex, glad to have brought back memories of your visit to Australia:)
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