Restoration of Historic Norfolk Park Officially Opened
04 Mar 2008
RPS’ arboricultural works at Old Catton Park, Norwich was royally welcomed as HRH the Duke of Kent officially opened it. After more than two years’ careful tree and woodland restoration work managed by RPS, working with the Trust for the park, the owner, Parklands Consortium and Norfolk County Council, the park was unveiled to the public last October.
RPS provided arboricultural consultancy services to help restore the historic park. Many existing trees within the park are hundreds of years old, and so are a direct legacy of the landscape designed by the eminent landscape architect Humphry Repton and was his first major commission.
More than two centuries of varying use since its initial design in 1788 had taken their toll on the park, with previous agricultural use having affected the soil quality. Soil terravention (a technique pioneered at Kew - using aeration of soil to reduce compaction and improve quality) and mulching was a major part of the remediation work used for tree restoration.
The management plan produced as part of the project will help to ensure that the park remains preserved as a scenic example of some of Repton’s greatest landscape architecture for the foreseeable future.