Manor Farm Park

The Green Flag Awarded Manor Farm Park. Eye, Peterborough.

In 2022 for the 10^th consecutive year Manor Farm Park Eye was awarded the prestigious Green Flag award.

Introduction to Manor Farm Park and the Eye Open Space Group and its achievements.

The majority of the 3.15 acre site at the rear of Eye Community Centre was overgrown and boggy and required extensive work before it could be used for any activities.

In Feb 2010 Eye Open Space Group was the first organisation in the East of England to secure lottery grant funding through the Community Spaces Programme. After 18 months of planning for the improvements and applying for the grant the amount of £100,000 was awarded, with further applications being approved for £10,000 in 2011 and £20,000 in 2012.

In 2022 the Eye Open Space applied for and was granted a further £28,000 from Viridor Peterborough for a 30 Mtr Zip Wire. This brings the total of grants obtained for the park by the Open Space Group to £158,000

Peterborough City Council and their partner Aragon Direct Services maintain the site and have also installed a table tennis table, 5 items of outdoor gym equipment and improved the skate park and children’s play area, including an Autism Communications Board.

Site History

The field that makes up the park was used for grazing for many years and until the line was closed in the 1960’s the Midland and Great Northern railway ran along the bottom of the field. Screened by trees and shrubs the Eye bypass now follows the line of the old track.

The Community Centre opened in 1986 and the skate park was opened in 2000. Over £12,000 was raised to purchase a 35 seat Youth Shelter which opened in 2008.

After 18 months of planning by the Eye Open Space Group the Lottery awarded £100,000 in 2010 for a range of improvements and the park was transformed by the addition of the picnic area, new litter bins, a circular path, new drainage, woodland and wildflower meadow.

Some of the oldest trees in the park are over 100 years old and to compliment them the re-planted hedgerow and newly planted woodland adds over 2,000 native trees and plants. Over 9000 bulbs were added to the site in 2010/11 for wonderful spring colour.

In Sep 2012 the Open Space Group succeeded in its application for a further £20,000 Lottery Grant to continue its improvements and the introduction of a wildlife pond and bat boxes.

Planting has continued over the last 10 years including wildflower plants, hedgerows, a community orchard and 3 new tree corridors have been planted along with a number of infills around the park, species are 12 Oaks, 8 Small leaf Limes and 4 Field Maples, close monitoring and watering was needed during early summer 2022 due to the heatwave.

Families and many Community Groups from Eye came to Manor Farm Park for the start of a Lantern Parade through Eye Village, ‘Peterborough Presents’ are working in Eye for 2 years to promote arts and culture. Performers used the park for the initial entertainment then the parade progressed through the park into Bath Rd Linear Park and along the High Street ending at the Church, some 400 joined the parade with another 600 lining the route throughout the evening

Eye Open Space Group members worked with Peterborough Presents over the previous 6 months on the parade design organisation and workshops, and will continue during 2023 for future events

Activities, news and events for the park are in the Bi monthly Eyescan village magazine and on 2 village Facebook pages.

Appendix 1

Eye Open Space Group £130,000 Lottery Grant Improvements

The previous grants have funded the following at the 3.15 Acre's Eye Open Space Site at the rear of Eye Community Centre

1 - After consulting with Eye residents and working in partnership with Peterborough City Council the area has been transformed with completion of the following.

• New Picnic Area with 2 Solar Lights
• Grass area has had new drainage and been levelled and re seeded
• A new perimeter path around the site
• New Native species Woodland and a Wildflower Meadow
• Re planting of Hedgerow
• Woodland path and Adventure trim trail
• New Litter and dog waste bins around the site

The trim trail and picnic area have been a very big success with many children and families using them. Dog walkers are really pleased with the circular walk created and the additional bins has seen a significantly reduction in litter and dog waste.

2 - Planted a New Native Woodland 1/3 of Acre – 1,000 trees, 9,500 bulbs, 600 woodland plants

3 - Planted a Hedgerow of 1,000 trees

4 - Planted a New Wildflower Meadow of a ¼ of an Acre – planted with 40 species of Wildflowers and 10 Meadow grasses.

Contact Information

Dale McKean

Chairman Eye Open Space Group