Shaping the Landscape at Standish
The joys of living at Green Walk at Standish is experiencing the changes of the seasons
The 34-acres of mature woodland is bordered by fields and rolling hillside which create a naturalists’ dream.
While some of the ancient trees were planted by Lord Sherborne to create a splendid Victorian arboretum we have been planting new specimens since we acquired the site and they are helping create new and added interest.
Eric Grabham and his landscape team have been on site with us at the Standish pretty much full time since we started redevelopment three years ago and he knows every inch of the extensive grounds.
Eric recalls: “The NHS had basically abandoned the grounds without maintenance for years so most areas became overgrown with brambles and the thickets of shrubs and trees needed pruning and maintenance.
“There are some wonderful specimens here, including the rare Cork Oak Tree, with a number of other species of oak and other veteran trees that were retained
“We wanted to create all year interest and the winter flowering cherries we planted created a wonderful display this year. Those trees will continue to grow & develop along with dozens of other new trees planted
“Green Walk is truly a hidden gem. As you drive up the lane leading to the entrance you catch a glimpse of the development, with new build houses sitting alongside renovated and adapted existing.
“As you turn off the lane and drive towards the heart of the site you would not believe there is a little village up there set in 32 acres.
“I walked around the Westridge this week reviewing jobs to be carried out, I reflected on what a lovely area it is to live. It was an early spring day with sunshine, warm, blue sky, the birds were singing and the trees were awakening after their winter dormancy
“Wildlife is slowly reclaiming parts of the estate; the Monkjac are coming back – shy little deer about the size of an Alsation. Like most deer they like peace and quiet but they’ve been back down and have been nibbling plants at the top of the site. Roe deer are common in the wood beyond the eastern boundary of the site but the little Monkjac is wonderful to see.
“Green Walk is a lovely mix of modern living, where your home is modern & efficient, yet you are in a rural environment and two minutes from a bridle path with access to woods on your doorstep. I have friends who live there who love the mix of being in a rural environment yet just minutes away from the local town & motorway access
“At the start we had half a dozen employees in site every day of the week and we are now seeing the plants that we put in at the start growing and the trees developing – and as always there is a constant list of jobs to attend deal with!
“A lot of us live within 20 minutes of Standish, I can even see the village by the River Severn where I live from site, so for all of us it is personal.
“As an experienced landscaping organisation we can deal with standard new build developments easily but Green Walk is totally different. It is a unique one-off project with unique challenges for us to overcome.
“This is the jewel in the crown for us – an amazing project to work on and we are really proud to leave a new legacy for future generations to enjoy.”