Dear Wayne, I am sorry that you have visited the Park and missed the magic of the 160 acres or parkland and formal estate gardens, 2.6 kms of shoreline and Grade II* listed Upton House. The grass areas support a huge range of wildflowers (not always recognisable) and wildlife and are an important part of the local ecosystem. Now that the better weather is here mowing has been completed, it was not possible to do this earlier in the year due to the extreme wet weather – mowing in such wet conditions would cause damage and indeed bogged down the mower (a little larger and heavier than used on your own lawn) more than once when tried on the front lawn of the House. Some areas are still left long to support wildlife such as bees. If the grasses are too long for you (many other dogs and dog walkers enjoy them), or other park users cause you concern and you can’t find anywhere in the 160 areas of grounds to throw a ball, then there is always the dog play pen and dog training areas available for you. If you have concerns about dog mess please raise this with a member of the team when you are on site and we can tackle the problem. Regarding you other complaints about BCP Council I would suggest that you raise this with your local Councillor or direct with the Council via the BCP Council website.

Dear Angie, I am sorry that the café had to close earlier than advertised when you visited. This was due to circumstances beyond their control and is not something that happens on a regular basis and in this case it was not possible to give prior notice of the closure. If you visit again we would be happy to welcome you to the Tea Rooms and give you a free coffee.

Thank you for raising your concerns about dogs off leads. There are signs which most dog walkers are very good at following, however this is not always the case. If you see this happening again when you visit the Park please let a member of staff know and we can speak to the dog owners concerned.

The fields that you are referring to are probably the Suitable Alternative Natural Green (SANG) Spaces. These are areas that are aimed at protecting an SPA or Special Protection Area. An SPA is part of a European-wide network of sites of international importance for nature conservation established under the European Community Wild Birds and Habitat directives. As well as the SANG areas Upton Country Park has 160 acres of park and woodland, 2.6km of shoreline, 32 acres of formal garden, six types of natural habitat, new Welcome Centre, Tea Rooms, art gallery, Walled Garden, Bird Hide, stepping stones, play trail, dog training area and 2,000 years of history… Upton Country Park has it all! Marvel at the grandeur of our Grade II* listed Georgian Mansion House and enjoy the rich diversity of wildlife along the shoreline. Allow the children to blow off steam at Spurrier’s Play Park or with a ball game on the front lawn. Join in with regular activities and events – or simply find a quiet spot to admire the amazing horticulture and beautiful botanical Walled Garden. I hope that during your next visit you find the time to enjoy the rest of the Park.

We think our parking charges represent good value for money at £3.50 for two hours and £6.50 for all day for example. Any money from parking is also an important source of income to keep Upton Country Park FREE to enjoy for all of our visitors, and also maintain and conserve the Park and House and support the many events that we put on through the year. A season parking ticket is also available for £45 that allows parking for an entire year. Upton Country Park has 160 acres of park and woodland, 2.6km of shoreline, 32 acres of formal garden, 6 types of natural habitat, new Welcome Centre, Tea Rooms, art gallery, Walled Garden, Bird Hide, stepping stones, play trail, dog training area and 2,000 years of history… Upton Country Park has it all! Marvel at the grandeur of our Grade II* listed Georgian Mansion House and enjoy the rich diversity of wildlife along the shoreline. Allow the children to blow off steam at Spurrier’s Play Park or with a ball game on the front lawn. Join in with regular activities and events – or simply find a quiet spot to admire the amazing horticulture and beautiful botanical Walled Garden.