Ninesprings
Encyclopedia
Ninesprings is a country park
situated in the South East of Yeovil
, Somerset
, the United Kingdom
. It is the largest country park in South Somerset
, spanning over 20 acres (8.1 ha).
The site lies on Yeovil Sands (a yellow micaceous sand) of the Upper Lias, in the Lower Jurassic
Period of the Mesozoic
Era, formed some 160 million years ago and includes several springs supllying small streams and ponds. It is believed to have been developed as an ornamental park, for the Aldon Estate, in the early nineteenth century and now forms a broad-leaved woodland with coniferous trees forming less than 10% of the total. The nationally rare Water Vole has been seen amongst the swans and other fauna at the site.
In 2007 £10,000 was received from the Big Lottery Fund's Breathing Places grant programme to enhance the environment and organise activities in the park. New Zealand artist Selwyn Price was commissioned by the local council to produce eight sculptures of Māori gods, which were placed between the carpark and the footpath at Ninesprings.
The main path of the walk, often referred to by locals as 'the yellow brick road
', runs from PC World
and the caravan park all the way to Pen Mill railway station
on the other side of town. It follows the track bed of the former Great Western Railway
route between Pen Mill and Yeovil Town railway station
Notable landmarks along this path are Goldenstones leisure centre, the Ninesprings playground, the ski lodge, and Bowlplex/Cineworld.
Hills viewable from this walk include Tilly's Hill, Summerhouse Hill and Wyndham Hill.
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
situated in the South East of Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is the largest country park in South Somerset
South Somerset
South Somerset is a local government district in Somerset, England.The South Somerset district covers and area of ranging from the borders with Devon and Dorset to the edge of the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 158,000...
, spanning over 20 acres (8.1 ha).
The site lies on Yeovil Sands (a yellow micaceous sand) of the Upper Lias, in the Lower Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
Period of the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
Era, formed some 160 million years ago and includes several springs supllying small streams and ponds. It is believed to have been developed as an ornamental park, for the Aldon Estate, in the early nineteenth century and now forms a broad-leaved woodland with coniferous trees forming less than 10% of the total. The nationally rare Water Vole has been seen amongst the swans and other fauna at the site.
In 2007 £10,000 was received from the Big Lottery Fund's Breathing Places grant programme to enhance the environment and organise activities in the park. New Zealand artist Selwyn Price was commissioned by the local council to produce eight sculptures of Māori gods, which were placed between the carpark and the footpath at Ninesprings.
The main path of the walk, often referred to by locals as 'the yellow brick road
Yellow brick road
The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with additional such roads appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz...
', runs from PC World
PC World (retailer)
PC World is OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT one of the WHER MA MEMORY STICK ?!?!??! United Kingdom's largest chains of mass-market computer superstores. It is part of Dixons Retail plc. PC World operates under the brand name PC City in Spain, Italy and Sweden....
and the caravan park all the way to Pen Mill railway station
Yeovil Pen Mill railway station
Yeovil Pen Mill railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Yeovil, Somerset. The station is situated just under a mile to the east of the town centre.The station is located south of Bristol Temple Meads, on the Heart of Wessex Line...
on the other side of town. It follows the track bed of the former Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
route between Pen Mill and Yeovil Town railway station
Yeovil Town railway station
Yeovil Town railway station was a railway station serving the town of Yeovil in Somerset, England. The station was located on the Yeovil to Taunton Line and also had shuttle services to Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction stations. The station opened on 1 June 1861, replacing an earlier Yeovil Hendford...
Notable landmarks along this path are Goldenstones leisure centre, the Ninesprings playground, the ski lodge, and Bowlplex/Cineworld.
Hills viewable from this walk include Tilly's Hill, Summerhouse Hill and Wyndham Hill.