Castlefields Canal & River Park Association

Castlefields Canal & River Park Association is one of our It's Your Neighbourhood community groups, caring for Castlefields and the River Marden for over two decades. 

Here is a brief introduction to CARP and an update on their latest projects by their Chair, Denis Robinson:

Castlefields Canal and River Park Association (CARP) is a local registered charity, established in 2001. Its aims are to preserve, protect, develop and improve the environment of the River Marden Valley. We work with landowners, local authorities, other community groups and individuals to achieve these aims. In the longer term we would like to include incorporation of areas downstream from Castlefields as a country park (i.e. the River Marden Valley).

We have working parties held on one Sunday every month, where volunteers carry out maintenance/improvement tasks in the park.

Every year we enter Its Your Neighbourhood (IYN) and consistently achieve Level 5 Outstanding.

In 2022 the public voted Castlefields their "Favourite Park" in a Fields in Trust survey.

Tree of the Year 2022.
 

Willow Arbor.
Highlights of the last year include receiving a CTC Community Award. The magnificent Beech Tree on the mound was awarded Tree of the Year by Calne in Bloom.

We installed a Willow Arbor and seat to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.

The forecasting stone.

A stone weather forecasting station has been erected at the park entrance, so now visitors will have CARP's unique interpretation of the local weather conditions.

Thanks to Denis for his update. You can discover more about Castlefields by downloading the fascinating CARP leaflet, which includes an illustrated map.



Thanks to Mo Norrington, our Chair at Calne in Bloom, for the following photos of recent work and the wonderful flowers at Castlefields.

Work on the new weather forecasting station.

Splitting snowdrop clumps for replanting.

Splitting snowdrop clumps for replanting.

New blooms, in the form of a circle of Crocus bulbs.

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