Green Flags flying at Stover Country Park and Grand Western Canal Country Park

Stover Country Park and the Grand Western Canal Country Park are celebrating being officially named among the best parks in the country after receiving this year’s Green Flag Award.

Devon County Council’s two parks are among a record-breaking 2,250 sites in the UK to achieve the award, which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Meeting the standards for accreditation is testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff and volunteers so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy the parks.

What makes the achievement all the more impressive is that Stover Country Park has now received the Green Flag award for the past 22 years in a row, while the Grand Western Canal Country Park has notched up 17 consecutive years.

Stover Country Park is currently in the final year of its Restoring Stover Park project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Highways. The aim of the project is to conserve the important historic landscape of the Grade II Listed Stover Park and Garden, while benefiting the wildlife and visiting public.

Work has been completed on the Stover Centre extension with new public toilets, the new Community Workshop, and the Grade II Listed Gatehouse heritage conservation repairs. Stover Lake has also been successfully dredged with 14,000m3 of silt removed, and a section of the historic Serpentine Lake has been re-created. The extensive activity plan of community engagement continues to be delivered with a programme of activities for under-represented groups.

This autumn will see the completion of car park improvements, the creation of two new walking routes along the Serpentine Lake and through neighbouring woodland owned by Sibelco Minerals, the introduction of new information boards, leaflets, signage, a digital app, as well as new education resources for visiting school groups.

This year’s Green Flag judge commented: ‘I loved this park and wish I lived closer. It is a great example of a Green Flag Country Park, full of surprises that provided a memorable and stimulating walk.

For the Grand Western Canal Country Park, the Green Flag follows on from the recent success when it was presented with the five-star ‘Pride in Parks’ award from the Royal Horticultural Society’s Southwest in Bloom.

The Canal Ranger Service is always looking to improve facilities along the canal. Earlier this year, more than 1,300 metres of the towpath on the edge of Tiverton was resurfaced using over 400 tonnes of crushed limestone from the local quarry at Westleigh.

The waterway is kept clear and available for angling and boating, clearing large trees that fell during winter storms, spot dredging shallow spots, and weed clearing for four days per week during the spring and summer months.

Rangers also continue to lead a programme of events including bat walks, healthy walks and the ever-popular Wild Wednesday events during the school holidays. During term time they lead visits by schools and youth groups where young people learn more about their local environment during minibeast hunts and pond-dipping sessions.