Recommendations on the redevelopment of Castlewellan Arboretum and Annesley Garden (CAAG) Compiled by Outdoor Recreation NI for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council on behalf of Castlewellan Arboretum Advisory Board (CAAB) March 2016 Table of Contents 1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Outdoor Recreation NI .............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Context of report ....................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Castlewellan Arboretum Advisory Board (CAAB) ...................................................... 4 1.3.1 Terms of Reference ........................................................................................... 4 1.4 Content of report ...................................................................................................... 5 2 Strategic recommendations ............................................................................................. 6 2.1 Summary of strategic recommendations .................................................................. 6 2.2 Membership/ role of CAAB moving forward beyond March 2016 ......................... 11 2.2.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 11 2.3 CAAG as a tourist attraction .................................................................................... 11 2.3.1 Garden tourism in relation to CAAG ................................................................ 13 2.3.2 Comparative Analysis ...................................................................................... 15 2.3.3 Recommendation ............................................................................................ 17 2.4 Name ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 18 2.5 CAAG Boundary ....................................................................................................... 19 2.5.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 19 2.6 Access for visitors to CAAG ...................................................................................... 23 2.6.1 Current provision ............................................................................................. 23 2.6.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 28 2.7 New entrance and exit from main road to access CAAG ........................................ 29 2.7.1 Discussion of Option 1 ..................................................................................... 29 2.7.2 Discussion of Access Option 2 ......................................................................... 37 2.7.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 41 2.8 Car parking............................................................................................................... 41 2.8.1 Discussion of Option 1 ..................................................................................... 42 2.8.2 Discussion of Option 2 ..................................................................................... 46 2.8.3 Car parking – income generation .................................................................... 49 2.8.4 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 50 2.8.5 Visitor Information .......................................................................................... 53 2.8.6 Income generation .......................................................................................... 54 2.9 Entrance to Annesley Garden .................................................................................. 54 2.9.1 Discussion of entrance to Annesley Garden Option 1 ..................................... 54 2.9.2 Discussion of entrance to Annesley Garden Option 2 ..................................... 56 2.9.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 59 2.10 Visitor services for CAAG ..................................................................................... 59 2.10.1 Visitor services building ................................................................................... 61 2.10.2 Visitor services building – Option 1 ................................................................. 61 2.10.3 Visitor Services Building – Option 2 ................................................................. 62 2.10.4 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 63 2.10.5 Café .................................................................................................................. 64 2.10.6 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 69 2.11 Bothy Yard – other visitor services ...................................................................... 69 2.11.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 69 2.12 Bothy Yard – Horticulture staff ............................................................................ 70 2.12.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 70 2.13 Development of a Co. Down Garden Trail and Festival....................................... 75 2.13.1 Co. Down Garden Trail..................................................................................... 77 2.13.2 Garden Festival ................................................................................................ 78 2.13.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 79 2.14 Tree/ woody plant survey.................................................................................... 80 2.14.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 80 2.15 Forestry infill of historic parkland ....................................................................... 80 2.15.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 81 2.16 Castlewellan Castle .............................................................................................. 81 2.16.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 82 2.17 Satellite for other Botanic Garden(s) .................................................................. 82 2.18 Management of Castlewellan Demesne ............................................................. 82 2.18.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 83 2.19 Staff Structure for CAAG ...................................................................................... 83 2.19.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 83 2.20 Friends of Castlewellan Arboretum and Annesley Garden ................................. 86 2.20.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 86 2.21 Education and learning ........................................................................................ 87 2.21.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 87 2.22 Preservation and recording of specimens ........................................................... 88 2.22.1 Propagation project ......................................................................................... 88 2.22.2 Collation of records – Castlewellan Heritage Tree Collection ......................... 89 2.22.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 90 2.23 Tree disease ......................................................................................................... 91 2.23.1 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 92 3 Site specific Issues........................................................................................................... 93 3.1 Summary of specific recommendations .................................................................. 93 3.2 The Lower Pleasure Ground/ Autumn Wood .......................................................... 94 3.3 The Castle Lawn ....................................................................................................... 96 3.3.1 Inclusion within CAAG ..................................................................................... 96 3.3.2 Telegraph poles ............................................................................................... 96 3.3.3 Lakeshore Car Park .......................................................................................... 97 3.3.4 Recommendations for Castle Lawn ................................................................. 98 3.4 Harrison Vista