Woolston Park covers 56 acres and was officially opened in 1977. It was created from neglected farmland to provide a refuge for people and wildlife amongst the rapidly expanding local community.
The park's paths are mostly paved and are accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs, although the final few metres leading to the cache are not.
The cache is a 0.35 litre Lock & Lock container. As it is only a small container the cache can only hold small swaps. When replacing the cache, please bear in mind that children may be looking for it - do not put it where it cannot be reached!
Spittle Brook forms the backbone of the park; its steep banks are the result of engineering works carried out to reduce the threat of flooding to local housing.
Thousands of tonnes of soil were bulldozed and shaped to create the park. The wildfowl pond was excavated and trees planted to form the woodlands we see today. Stands of willow provide a link with the area's agricultural past, when vegetables were grown on the peaty soils of Woolston Moss. Farmers carried their produce to market in wicker baskets made from willow grown on the wetter parts of the farm, with many areas along Spittle Brook being used as willow beds.
The park is a haven for wildlife, home to many interesting creatures and plants. There are three main habitat types on the park – wetland, woodland and grassland.
Spittle Brook, the wildfowl pond and the fenced wildlife pond, along with seasonal wet areas, form the main wetland areas.
Spittle Brook is home to small mammals such as the endangered water vole. Kingfishers can sometimes be seen, darting along the brook or perching on a branch. The secretive little grebe is an occasional winter visitor. Celandines offer a first sign of spring, brightening up the muddy banks. Late spring sees the arrival of sedge warblers from Africa. Listen out for their ratchety call in the reeds.
The wildfowl pond is home to a breeding pair of swans, mallards and moorhens. This pond is interesting because it is slowly drying out. It demonstrates succession – a natural process whereby the pond slowly silts up and is taken over by reeds and eventually tree species.
The wildlife pond was created in 1997 to provide a habitat for dragonflies and amphibians and has established well. Look out for dragonflies emerging from beneath the pond surface on a warm summer day. To protect this important habitat the pond area is closed when not in use by the Rangers or organised groups. Please help by keeping dogs out of the water.
The woodlands provide food and shelter for many creatures and give us a stunning show of colour in the autumn. Among the woodland birds, look out for bullfinch or the blue flash of the jay as it searches for acorns.
Take the path through Meadow Wood or visit the hazel coppice. This area, close to the Community Garden is managed to produce long, straight poles for craftwork and to benefit wildlife.
Some grass is kept short for sport and informal games but in many areas of the park the grass is allowed to grow long. This encourages many plants to flourish and benefits insects and small mammals. Improvements are regularly made to these areas by the planting of more flowers and adjusting how often they are cut. Annual highlights are the summer cornfield, which is planted near the wildlife pond and the wildflower meadow, close to Meadow Wood, which attracts many butterflies.
Getting There
By car: A free car park is available off Somerset Way. The coordinates are listed below.
By bus: The cache can be reached easily by bus from Warrington (bus no.4 or 104); these buses stop on Green Lane - ask for Woolston High School. It can also be reached from either Warrington (bus no. 3 or 100) or Manchester (Shudehill Interchange or Trafford Centre, on the no. 100 bus); these buses stop on Manchester Road.
FTF honours go to deejay44 on 25/10/2008 at 2.35pm.
