Capstone Farm Country Park
Encyclopedia
Capstone Farm Country Park is in Chatham, Kent, Medway
, in Kent
, England. A former farm converted into a landscaped park and open-space area.
This park is set on 114 hectares (281.694 acres (1,139,976.2 m²)) of converted farm land, on the North Downs
, near Walderslade
. It is within the Kent Downs
, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
and Walderslade. The valley has been used by human use since the Neolithic
period, according to the various archeological finds in the area.
There were originally four large farms in the Walderslade and surrounding areas, including Walderslade Farm, Settingdon Farm, Shawstead Farm and Gibralter Farm (the last two farms still exist). Shawstead Farm (and probably others nearby) were associated with the clearance of local woodland, in 1765 in order to help supply Chatham Dockyard
with oak
for the building of wooden sailing ships, launched at Chatham. Most of the larger and more valuable oak trees would have existed in the richer soil of the valley bottoms (Walderslade, Shawstead etc.) where the farms were typically located.
Much of the current park boundaries used to belong to the farm of Shawstead Manor. The ruins of Upper Shawstead Farm are still within the boundary of the Park.
In 1376, Robert Belknapp was forced to give the manor to the Prior
and Convent
of Rochester to King Edward III, in attonement for certain misdemeanours.
The land then remained in the ownership of the church, latterly the Church Commissioners
in Canterbury
, until 1928. During this time the
land was rented out to local farmers, including the Crittendens, but the woodlands were managed by the Church Commissioners.
In the 16th century, a Beacon was erected on the site for military warning and use for cavalry maneuvers.
In 1928, Chatham Council bought the land but it continued to be leased to a local farmer until 1984 when it was opened as a Country Park for Medway Council.
Part of the site continues to be farmed by the Wills family (local farmers) who took on the agricultural tenancy in 1951.
In 1985, the council stopped using the Shawstead landfill site (which has been in use since 1937), this has made more land for the country park, to the west of the park, mainly newly planted woodlands.
In 1984, a section of land (covering an area of 7.8 hectares (19.27 acres (77,983 m²)) ) was sold to create the riding school. Matthews Riding School occupies severals paddocks and equine livery buildings.
Visitors to the park, near Gillingham
, can experience ancient woodlands. Including
The woodlands are managed in the traditional way, by coppicing
by the park rangers.
The park also has large green meadows (including the Events Field) and the 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) freshwater lake.
At Capstone, a number of rarely sighted species of wildlife can be seen around the site. Including great spotted woodpecker
s, blackcap
s, and willow warblers, within the woods. Yellowhammer
s in the hedges and in the meadows, skylarks
.
Many butterfly specious can also be found in the park, including speckled wood
, gatekeeper
and brimstone
, seen around the orchard and meadows.
Over the lake, many species of dragonflies and damselflies can be seen.
Other facilities at Capstone include a childrens play area, public and disabled toilets, refreshments (from a cafe overlooking the lake), picnic area, cycling paths, a visitor centre, fishing (a day ticket is required), an education room, a horse riding trail and a reptile garden (mainly a rock and scrub area).
The Events field is used for various outdoor acitivies including Kite flying "Kites over Capstone", Cancer Research Race for Life
The park has a very active volunteer group, who along with the Park rangers, coppice within the woods, maintain the trails and complete many other essential works.
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England. A former farm converted into a landscaped park and open-space area.
This park is set on 114 hectares (281.694 acres (1,139,976.2 m²)) of converted farm land, on the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, near Walderslade
Walderslade
Walderslade is a large suburb to the south of Chatham, Kent, England, encompassing almost all the ME5 postcode district ....
. It is within the Kent Downs
Kent Downs
Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent, England . They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover...
, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
History
The park is set within Capstone valley, between HempsteadHempstead
Hempstead may refer to:PlacesIn England:*Hempstead, Essex*Hempstead, Kent*Hempstead, near Holt, Norfolk*Hempstead, near Stalham, Norfolk*Hemel Hempstead, HertfordshireIn the United States:*Hempstead County, Arkansas...
and Walderslade. The valley has been used by human use since the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period, according to the various archeological finds in the area.
There were originally four large farms in the Walderslade and surrounding areas, including Walderslade Farm, Settingdon Farm, Shawstead Farm and Gibralter Farm (the last two farms still exist). Shawstead Farm (and probably others nearby) were associated with the clearance of local woodland, in 1765 in order to help supply Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
with oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
for the building of wooden sailing ships, launched at Chatham. Most of the larger and more valuable oak trees would have existed in the richer soil of the valley bottoms (Walderslade, Shawstead etc.) where the farms were typically located.
Much of the current park boundaries used to belong to the farm of Shawstead Manor. The ruins of Upper Shawstead Farm are still within the boundary of the Park.
In 1376, Robert Belknapp was forced to give the manor to the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
and Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of Rochester to King Edward III, in attonement for certain misdemeanours.
The land then remained in the ownership of the church, latterly the Church Commissioners
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, until 1928. During this time the
land was rented out to local farmers, including the Crittendens, but the woodlands were managed by the Church Commissioners.
In the 16th century, a Beacon was erected on the site for military warning and use for cavalry maneuvers.
In 1928, Chatham Council bought the land but it continued to be leased to a local farmer until 1984 when it was opened as a Country Park for Medway Council.
Part of the site continues to be farmed by the Wills family (local farmers) who took on the agricultural tenancy in 1951.
In 1985, the council stopped using the Shawstead landfill site (which has been in use since 1937), this has made more land for the country park, to the west of the park, mainly newly planted woodlands.
In 1984, a section of land (covering an area of 7.8 hectares (19.27 acres (77,983 m²)) ) was sold to create the riding school. Matthews Riding School occupies severals paddocks and equine livery buildings.
Facilities
It is owned and maintained by Medway Council.Visitors to the park, near Gillingham
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
, can experience ancient woodlands. Including
- Drow Hill Wood - which is the largest woodland block at 1.4 hectares (3.459 acres (13,998.1 m²)) of mainly sweet chestnutSweet ChestnutCastanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
coppice, - Maze Wood (also known as Capstone Wood) covers 1.9 hectares(4.695 acres (19,000 m²)) of sweet chestnutSweet ChestnutCastanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
coppice, - Round Glade Wood - which covers an area of 1.2 hectares (2.965 acres (11,998.9 m²)) of chestnuts and oak,
- Orchid Wood - an area of 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres (14,973.4 m²))of ancient oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and ash (Fraxinus) woodland, - Millenium Wood - which covers an area of 0.6 hectares(1.483 acres (6,001.5 m²)) this woodland block was planted in 2 phases in 1997 and 2000 and contains mixed native species including ash (Fraxinus) silver birchSilver BirchBetula pendula is a widespread European birch, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey and the Caucasus...
, blackthornBlackthornPrunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, spindleEuonymusEuonymus , often called spindle or spindle tree, is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. It comprises about 170–180 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees...
and beechBeechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, - Tangle Wood 0.5 hectares(1.235 acres (4,997.9 m²)) of hazel woodland,
- Boundary Wood a narrow woodland belt of 0.5 hectares(1.235 acres (4,997.9 m²)) dominated by ash (Fraxinus) coppices on the park's southern boundary.
The woodlands are managed in the traditional way, by coppicing
Coppicing
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
by the park rangers.
The park also has large green meadows (including the Events Field) and the 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) freshwater lake.
At Capstone, a number of rarely sighted species of wildlife can be seen around the site. Including great spotted woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
s, blackcap
Blackcap
The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa...
s, and willow warblers, within the woods. Yellowhammer
Yellowhammer
The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter....
s in the hedges and in the meadows, skylarks
Skylarks
Skylarks is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox and Nancy Burne.-Partial cast:* Jimmy Nervo - Jimmy Doakes* Teddy Knox - Teddy Cook* Nancy Burne - Marion Hicks* Queenie Leonard - Maggie Hicks...
.
Many butterfly specious can also be found in the park, including speckled wood
Speckled Wood
The Speckled Wood is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland throughout much of the Palearctic ecozone.In North Europe, Central Europe , Asia Minor, Syria, Russia and Central Asia where subspecies P. a. tircis occurs it is brown with pale yellow or cream spots and darker upperwing...
, gatekeeper
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper or gatekeeping may refer to:* Gatekeeper , a professional boxer who is considered a test for aspiring boxers* Gatekeeping , a person or organization who manages or constrains a flow of knowledge...
and brimstone
Gonepteryx
Gonepteryx is a genus of butterfly in the Pieridae family. They live in Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. They are commonly known as brimstones for the bright yellow color of the wings of most species.-Species:It contains the following species:...
, seen around the orchard and meadows.
Over the lake, many species of dragonflies and damselflies can be seen.
Other facilities at Capstone include a childrens play area, public and disabled toilets, refreshments (from a cafe overlooking the lake), picnic area, cycling paths, a visitor centre, fishing (a day ticket is required), an education room, a horse riding trail and a reptile garden (mainly a rock and scrub area).
The Events field is used for various outdoor acitivies including Kite flying "Kites over Capstone", Cancer Research Race for Life
Race for Life
Race for Life is a series of fundraising events organised by the British charity, Cancer Research UK. They involve running, jogging or walking a 5-kilometre course and raising sponsorship for doing so. The money raised is donated to the charity to fund cancer research and campaigns...
The park has a very active volunteer group, who along with the Park rangers, coppice within the woods, maintain the trails and complete many other essential works.