Romney Warren Country Park
| Romney Warren Country Park | |
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Visitor Centre
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 Romney Warren Country Park shown within Kent
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| OS grid | TQ780654 |
| Coordinates | 50°59′47″N 0°57′32″E / 50.9965°N 0.959°ECoordinates: 50°59′47″N 0°57′32″E / 50.9965°N 0.959°E |
| Area | 11 hectares (27 acres) |
| Created | 1995 |
| Operated by | Kent County Council, |
| Open | 7 days a week, dawn until dusk |
| Website | www |
Romney Warren Country Park is near New Romney, in Kent, England. A former farm converted into a landscaped park and open-space area. This park is set on 11 hectares (27.181 acres (110,000 m2)) of converted farm land. A newly designated Local Nature Reserve harbours unspoiled dune grassland, willow scrub and ponds rich in wildlife.
The history of Romney Warren begins over two thousand years ago, when sand dunes were formed along the coast. As new sand dunes were formed, sea retreated. Plants then recolonised, the former sand dunes to make a unique plant life environment.
Later, the reclaimed land of the Romney Marshes was used for grazing large numbers of sheep for many centuries. These wool fleeces paid for the large churches in the villages across the marshes.
In 1931 to 1945, sand and gravel was extracted from the land within the country park. These later were made into wildlife ponds. Later the land was then used as a transport depot.
The Romney Warren Project was then established in 1995 with the aims of promoting awareness of the Romney Marsh as an historic landscape while providing training and employment for disabled and unemployed people. It is a partnership between Shepway District Council, Romney Warren Charitable Trust, Nelson Park Gardens (local care home) and Shepway Volunteer Centre, Romney Marsh Countryside Project and Kent Wildlife Trust.
The main visitor centre was designed by the Baker-Brown McKay Partnership. The techniques and materials used mean the building has a life span of at least 100 years. The foundations are steel gabions filled with cobblestones from Lydd, these have been handpicked and filled. The main framework of the building is made of larch, from the West Country. This part was built first so that the roof could be added next, and so a cover was provided for the straw during the next building process. 350 straw bales were placed to form the walls, held together with chestnut poles. Even the roof has been designed with wildlife in mind, as it is covered in sedum as a green roof. The roof covers the building's entire footprint, replacing the habitat which would have otherwise been lost. The building was 'Highly Commended' at the 2003 Kent Design Awards.
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Wikipedia