This is part of our ongoing work with the National Heritage Lottery Fund to build upon the long-term aspiration of the Friends of Pishiobury Park and the local community to be actively involved in discovering more about the site’s heritage.
The sculpture, created from the trunk of an oak tree removed from a roadside for safety reasons, is around 9 feet long and took three weeks to carve. It is modelled on the English Longhorn which is perfectly suited to help us manage the grassland with their docile nature and ability to eat a much wider range of plants than modern commercial cattle. Breeds identical to these have grazed this and other parks across the country, since at least the 1750’s and probably before.
Eric Buckmaster, East Herts Council’s Executive Member For Wellbeing was at Pishiobury Park when the sculpture was put into position, he said:
“Pishiobury Park features many hand carved sculptures including badgers and squirrels. This new sculpture, together with the smaller cow that has been in the picnic area for many years, are part of our commitment to provide natural play environments and it is wonderful to welcome this new addition for children to enjoy and explore.
“There is a great deal of work undertaken at Pishiobury Park to encourage wildlife to thrive in natural habitats. The park is grazed by traditional breeds of cattle to encourage a more species rich spread of grasses and wildflowers and prevent the need for heavy machinery, so it is quite fitting that inside the picnic area we now have hand carved sculptures of cattle for children and other residents to enjoy.”
Visitors who would like to find out more about our grazing can read the guidance document on our Pishiobury Park webpage: www.eastherts.gov.uk/pishiobury-park
Other improvements that have been carried out across the winter months include more fencing around protected trees, the introduction of woodchips onto heavy footfall areas to prevent them becoming muddy when the ground becomes wet, new seating on popular walking routes and installation of boardwalks to improve access and protect the wildlife beneath.
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