This lovely park is Paul's area of the world more than mine but I had a lovely day here today. The first mention of Dunham's deer park was in 1353. The deer at Dunham Massey Park today are fallow deer and are quite tame around visitors. People were strolling around amongst the deer. The deer park is to the south of the Hall.
Dunham Massey Park is owned by the National Trust. The park is largely wooded and has a Hall, a mill, lakes and gardens too.
The trees there are of particular significance as many are very old, some being over 300 years old.
Interestingly, the park runs along the straight old Roman road from Chester to the York , both major Roman garrison forts. But this was hundreds of years before the de Mascey family developed Dunham Massey. There were 3 Massey castles in the south of the district hundreds of years ago.
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Comments
Janis
The link here is for the otter sanctuary and I took photos of more recent pet tombstones but you get the idea.
https://wizzley.com/otter-haven-or-he...
Hamon de Mascy took the land at the Norman invasion I believe, hence the name Dunham Massey.
Oh well you may be don't know about The pet cemetery at The Otter Sanctuary Whaley Bridge and also at Wythenshawe Hall
You are right to see the significance of Dunham's proximity to the Roman road, for it remains a major artery even today, though the original road is deeply buried neath the modern surface. It aims straight at the ford at Stretford [Street Ford] and thence on to the Roman fort at Manchester. The Dunham locals would have used the Roman road to send goods to either Chester or Manchester markets. The estate would have developed where it was because of the road. As an estate Dunham Massey antedates the Normans, who dispossessed a Saxon than of it during the reign of William the Conqueror.
I suspect, like me, you enjoy taking interesting photographs to share. It is interesting to see views of Dunham Massey because, many moons ago I wrote a book Animal Graves and Memorials which featured local dogs "Poor Cato," "Poor Tipler" and "Poor Turpin," 18th century dogs buried in the grounds.
I have added a Christmas events link for those who are interested or able to visit Dunham Massey over the festive period.
When we were in Norway the locals warned us of driving the mountains at night, as collisions with an elk in the dark are often fatal, but elk are far larger and heavier than fallow deer are. There are warning signs on some English roads about the presence of deer running across the road.
I haven't heard of it in England though. I have heard comments in American films about cars colliding with deer but I haven't encountered it here before.
Colliding with a deer has been fatal for drivers in some instances. But only tractors operated by National Trust workers can get into the park, so both humans and deer are safe.
Oh my goodness. That sounds dangerous. These are all securely in an enclosed park and there are no cars driving around. It is all gated but I can imagine colliding with a deer whilst driving would be startling.
Thanks for your photo comment.