Drovers Way is surrounded by miles of community forest, private, ancient woodland and acres of mixed farmland, so local wildlife abounds.

We are delighted to have retained the Gold Award in the David Bellamy Conservation Scheme, for another year. The Assessors comments that "I was impressed on my first visit when the Park was just open but even more impressed with the continuing efforts being made to keep Conservation a top priority on this Park".

Our 50 plus nest boxes have all been upgraded and some moved to better "human viewing" positions due to the efforts of a local British Trust for Ornithology volunteer team. They have also installed several owl boxes and Specialist Tree Creeper boxes . We often hear the owls and when we are lucky they choose to nest within our boundaries.

Through the winter months they set mist nets and log all the birdlife coming onto the Park. The data collected over the last 10 years makes very interesting reading and their reports are freely available for anyone who wishes to see.

We have two willow domes which are great places for a shady sit on a hot day. With their wooden benches inside,they are a perfect vantage point to sit and survey the site.

The lesser spotted Woodpecker is back to sampling the delights of the many bird feeders around the Park. The smaller birds seem not to be intimidated by his presence; with Tits and Finches providing a colourful display for those owners here throughout the winter months.

Our owners are encouraged to set up feeding stations, to enable all to enjoy the wide variety of feathered visitors.

The family's ten-acre park is based on a farm which has been in Chris Brown's family since 1952 when his father, Norman, began a poultry rearing business, moving later into pig breeding. They decided to open a holiday park in 2010, and after gaining planning consent began work using almost exclusively re-cycled and locally sourced building materials.

A main feature of the park is its fishing lake which acts as a magnet for a variety of animals and birds, including kingfishers - plus aquatic species including fresh water mussels and dragonflies.

The lake is kept well stocked to keep the coarse fishermen happy!

The couple have also planted hundreds of indigenous trees and shrubs to grow alongside the many mature specimens and ancient hedgerows around the grounds.

These and the woodland areas, David Bellamy's assessors found, provide a vast range of habitats for species such as deer and badgers, and nesting areas for birds including woodpeckers and owls. Bird boxes have also been set up around the park and many are now in use.

Award assessors also noted the park's proliferation of wild flowers with high pollen-bearing blooms which attract a wide range of butterflies, including both common and less familiar types. Pictures and literature to identify the native flora and fauna is available for all, after a project to catalogue throughout the entire year of 2023, when every species found was photographed and catalogued, resulting in an extensive folder of identification.

Chris and Helen also aim to keep the carbon footprint of Drovers Way as low as possible, and use low-energy lighting around the park, and a reed bed to naturally filtrate and purify waste water.