Planning your visit to the Rural Estate Expand Assistance dogs Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the Park. Please be aware that the Rural Estate includes land for grazing livestock. In line with The Countryside Code our Rural Estate Park Code message to dog walkers is: Please be vigilant when crossing fields where livestock are present by giving them a wide berth. Dogs should be kept on a lead but released if chased. Please ensure you shut all gates behind you. To find out where livestock may be present in Nene Park please contact us ahead of your visit. Getting here Please visit our Find us page for details of the different ways to get to the Rural Estate Parking There is limited parking connected to The Rural Estate. The car park at Splash Lane in the village of Castor has a very uneven compacted stone surface and is prone to flooding. The access road to the car park is a very uneven narrow track with ditches either side. There are no designated accessible parking bays. Ferry Meadows acts as a gateway to the Rural Estate at its eastern end using the Nene Way path. The nearest car park to this access point at Ferry Meadows is the coach car park, which is one of the permanent tarmac car parks with accessible parking bays. Parking charges apply all day, every day. Please visit our Parking page for details of charges. Please be aware that there is a height restriction barrier of 2.1 metres at the entrance and alligator teeth across the exit of Lakeside Road at Ferry Meadows. Oversized vehicles displaying a blue badge are permitted access to Ferry Meadows. For details of how to arrange access please visit our Parking pages or contact us in advance of your visit. Park Code For information on how to enjoy this area of Nene Park, please see our Rural Estate Park Code. We also have a text only version of the Rural Estate Park Code. Nene Park Newsletter - Parklife Our regular newsletter Parklife is available in standard, large print or audio formats. All are freely available in advance of your visit either electronically or by post. Please contact us with details of your requirements.
Getting around the Rural Estate Expand Path gradients and surfaces The Rural Estate is a large rural landscape and the paths are generally grass or mud tracks, which are often uneven, and in parts are narrow, situated alongside the river or dikes and prone to flooding. The path network is made up of Public Footpaths, Bridleways and Permissive Routes linking Nene Park land with the surrounding countryside and villages. Structures such as footbridges, gates, stiles, steps, locks / weirs and railway tracks feature in the Rural Estate path network. There are a few steep sections along the pathways within the Rural Estate notably on the Nene Way north of the River Nene following Long Meadow at Ferry Meadows, and west of Castor Mill. The bridge at Ailsworth Back Dike near Water Newton also has a steep gradient. The walk along the road from Milton Ferry Bridge to Castor also features a significant gradient along with the railway crossing point on Mill Lane. There are two sets of steps at Wansford to access the Nene Valley Railway Station from Nene Park and a set of steps at Lynch Wood that take visitors down to the river. Download a map of the Rural Estate here. For more details of the accessibility of any particular path or area of the Rural Estate please contact us. Seating There are two simple wooden benches in Station Master's Garden. There is a wooden picnic table provided by Castor Parish Council at Splash Lane Car Park. Information Download a map of the Rural Estate here. Ranger assistance Whilst the Rural Estate is patrolled periodically by Nene Park Trust staff and volunteers, there is not a regular staff presence in this area. However, if you require assistance while exploring this area our Rangers are contactable via 07860 308081 from 08:00 – 18:30 March – September and 08:00 – 16:00 October – February. Please note our Ranger team is not available on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Facilities and Services on the Rural Estate Expand Food & drink Station Master's Garden is the perfect place for a picnic on the Rural Estate. See 'Things to do on the Rural Estate' section of this page for more details on Station Master's Garden. When picnicking in the Rural Estate please remember to take all your litter home with you. BBQ’s and fires are not permitted anywhere in the Rural Estate. The villages of Ailsworth and Castor are home to cafés and pubs and the Nene Valley Railway station at Wansford has a café. For more information visit our Where to eat pages. Events Nene Park hosts many events throughout the year covering a range of activities, interests and ages. The events pages contain information about the broad accessibility of an event, which organisation is running the event and the contact details if you have any special requirements or queries regarding the accessibility of a particular event. Neckloop listening devices for use by those with hearing aids or non hearing aid users are available to visitors on Nene Park Trust guided walks and led events to pick up and amplify sound, making it clearer and easier to understand. If you feel this equipment may be of use to you on one of the Trusts events please contact us for more details. Bringing a companion/carer You can bring a companion or carer in for free to help you enjoy a Nene Park Trust event or activity that has an admission charge. Please note that not all events and activities at Nene Park are operated by Nene Park Trust. Enquiries about arrangements for companions/carers should be directed to the specific event/activity organiser. If you require a companion/carer to access a Nene Park Trust event please contact the Education and Activities team to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. If you require a companion/carer to access a course or activity with Nene Park Trust at Nene Outdoors activity centre please contact Nene Outdoors to discuss any additional access requirements and arrange booking. While carer(s) will be allowed entry to the event/activity with you free of charge, they must at all times be in a caring role that is providing support and assistance. It is not acceptable for carers to be participating independently and if this is the case, that person will not be allowed entry as a carer and will be expected to pay in full. Volunteer opportunities Nene Park Trust offers a range of volunteer opportunities. Our volunteer pages contain information about current vacancies and the contact details to discuss any specific access requirements.
Things to do on the Rural Estate Expand Station Master's Garden Station Master's Garden is a small area of land south/ west of Ailsworth, located on the edge of the Nene Valley Railway at the bottom of Station Road. On the west side lies this triangular shaped green space, dotted with apple trees, lime trees, holly and birch. We are creating a community orchard and wildlife haven with a carpet of wildflower colour dotted with varieties of old English apple trees, native spring flowering bulbs and naturalised areas. We are also introducing log piles of various styles and shapes, bird boxes, bug houses. It is an uneven site and has a shallow slope from north to south consisting of long meadow grass into which paths and a picnic lawn are mown through. Public access is through a gap in the hedge next to a field gate. Two basic wooden benches have been installed for visitors to enjoy this quiet area. Download a map of the Rural Estate here to see the location of Station Master's Garden. Fishing Fishing rights in The Rural Estate are operated by Peterborough and District Angling Association with day tickets and annual membership available. For further details and contact information visit our fishing page. Horse riding There are horse routes throughout the Park which are marked on posts with blue horse shoe signs. Horse riding lessons and short breaks for adults and children at the Park are provided by Lynch Farm Riding Ltd. For further details about riding in Nene Park and contact information visit our Ride a horse page Nene Valley Railway The Nene Valley Railway is one of the best known standard gauge steam preservation railways in the country and home to that very special engine, Thomas. The railway runs between Wansford and Peterborough with two stations in Nene Park at Ferry Meadows (Overton) and Orton Mere. Wansford station is situated just outside the eastern boundary of The Rural Estate with access via a bridge and steps from the station to the footpaths in this area. For further details and contact information visit our Nene Valley Railway page
Feedback on your visit to the Rural Estate Expand Nene Park Access Forum Do you have an interest in access at Nene Park? Nene Park Trust holds a twice-yearly access forum to update park users about access improvements and to hear directly from visitors about their experiences of using the Park. We also make contact in between meetings to share information about access related developments including a regular Nene Park Access Forum newsletter. We welcome anyone with an interest or an experience to share. For more details, contact us. Feedback We are always keen to hear visitors’ experiences of the Park to continue to improve our services and you can provide this in a number of ways: Contact us directly Share you feedback with staff at the Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre Provide feedback online through TripAdvisor Join our Access Forum or Volunteers to become more involved in the development of the Park.