Resident beauty

The great houses and stately homes are all very well in their way, but the real joy of our visit to Dunham Massey was the deer park. The first recorded mention of the park that surrounds the house dates back to 1353, when both the park and the mill were documented. It is the only surviving medieval park in the area and, for hundreds of years, it has been home to a herd of fallow deer.

Beautiful creatures wander the lawns and woodland completely unconcerned by the human observers and their delight in being so close to wildlife. Granted, the wildlife is no longer entirely wild, knowing that the feeders that are provided to ensure the health of the birds will also provide rich pickings for squirrels and opportunistic rabbits.