Exploring the park life in the centre of the city

Over the past couple of years, Campbell Park has become a special place for me. It’s somewhere I visit to press ‘pause’ on everything and escape into the green landscape, to take a deep breath and re-centre, with only the park’s wildlife and a steaming hot cup of coffee for company. It’s one of my favourite things, writes Sammy Jones…

I’m far from the only one, of course. The park is favoured by dog walkers, by cyclists, runners, strollers and sportspeople in training, and many more doing the same as I do – replacing stress with nature. It is used as a cut through for workers making their commute on foot, and later in the day, early birds are replaced by those who want a lunchtime stroll, and families soaking in the beauty of the park.

When it’s warm enough, seeking out a quiet corner with a page-turner is a favourite pastime for some visitors.
You might think you know the park, but a newly launched interactive trail will tell you so much more.

“From the ambitious ideas of the 1970s to today’s modern urban park, this trail brings the story of Campbell Park to life,” said Sarah Griffiths, Outdoor Learning and Interpretation Manager at The Parks Trust, “The central park has been a key part of the development of Milton Keynes and it’s great to be able to share stories from behind the scenes.”

Before its creation, like so much of the bustling metropolis that we now call home, the area was farmland.
Famously named after the first chair of the Development Corporation, Lord Campbell, building work began in 1975, but it would take until 1984 to welcome its first visitors. Its 100 acres makes it the largest 20th century formal urban park in the UK.

Those who use it know how special it is, and its significance is proven by its status as an area of special interest.

“It is a grade II listed park due to its design, rarity for its time, and for the role it played in a developing new town,” Sarah told me, “It is now a designed landscape, where there are clear zones for different purposes and experiences. In addition to the event’s plateaus and the amphitheatre, there are formal city gardens with wandering paths and ponds, the informal woodland ridge, the cricket pitch with the pavilion, and the hay meadow at the bottom of the Belvedere.”

The Belvedere – the viewing mound at the top of the park – was created from spoil from the shopping centre!
“And the view from the top is fantastic. You can see the whole park, the line of poplars that mark the canal, Willen Lake, and beyond to the Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire countryside. I attended the summer solstice last year at the Belvedere and definitely recommend coming here early one morning to see the sun rise.”

Sarah also has fond memories of the park from her childhood: “I grew up here in the 1980s and 90s and I have amazing memories of zipping down the steep slopes of the Belvedere when it snowed, trying not to take out any of the 100s of other people who were there.

“The annual fireworks were also such a huge event – people from miles around took to the streets to get as near to Campbell Park as they could to see the display. It was exciting to be part of it. They were magical experiences and helped create a sense of MK.”

The top of the Belvedere is home to the Light Pyramid, which is lit for significant occasions, but many of you will remember its predecessor the crow’s nest beacon which was removed following an altercation with lightning!
That beacon is now resident with us, here in the Museum grounds.

The park is rich in wildlife with foxes, badgers and hedgehogs all favouring the space.

Take a seat in one of the Park’s many designated areas and be still, and you’ll connect with the busy park life that surrounds you. Seldom a visit goes by when we don’t stop and watch the resident green woodpeckers seeking out snacks from the ground where they could so easily go unchecked, perfectly camouflaged.

Occasionally, we’ll be thrilled by a sighting of an equally elusive Jay, or a group of Fieldfare, and the sight of a Red Kite swooping on prey or soaring high above the park isn’t unusual.

Sometimes we are the ones being monitored, by one of the park’s inquisitive grey squirrel population – although they always keep their distance!
This new trail has been created in partnership with Living Archive, and allows you to watch, listen to and read interviews with some of the people responsible for the park’s design, and those who maintain the space today.

And what a lot there is to maintain; the meadows are mown and the cuttings removed annually to keep the nutrients down and allow the wildflowers to thrive. It’s a big job, but worth it.

We spent hours sitting among those flowers when the sun shone last year, and the butterfly population was tremendous.
Then there are the formal gardens which have been present since the 1980s, and the Milton Keynes Rose – a piece of park life since 2013, it was created by the artist Gordon Young and serves as a monument for commemoration and celebration.

In 2017, when Milton Keynes marked its 50th birthday, The Duke of Cambridge, HRH Prince William visited the space.
The park has added support when it comes to maintenance – a herd of sheep, which can number as many as 160, ‘mob graze’ the area twice annually. A baa-rilliant idea, right?

The park’s landscaping means that getting ‘off the beaten track’ and into one of the quieter spaces is a breeze, and the changing seasons ensure there is always something new to see.

Not all park residents are local though – non-native tree species include the marvellous Monkey Puzzle, Dawn Redwood, Tibetan Cherry and Black Locus, just some of the varieties present from around the world.

When it comes to the arts, Campbell Park is richer than most too, housing a wide variety of public art, including the living art piece, Circle Dance, found next to the canal.

Take a peek at those original park plans and you’ll see that two golf courses were proposed. While they didn’t materialise, the cricket pitch – with the wicket constructed to the same specification as Lords and Edgbaston international cricket pitches – has welcomed pedigree players including Shane Warne, Darren Gough and the Waugh brothers.

Artists who have performed in the park and the amphitheatre include McFly, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Craig David and Jools Holland, and the biennial MK International Festival makes great use of the space – it returns this summer.

While the new city of Milton Keynes continues to build and itself be built on, Campbell Park won’t be lost to development – that aforementioned Grade II listing assures as much.

“The council-owned land that surrounds the park was always due to be developed at some point. Developments started a while ago with the Marina and will continue in phases through the next decade or so,” Sarah said, “The park is surprisingly quiet for a city park on an average day, partly because we have so much green space in Milton Keynes so people can walk to their local parks. It will be great to have more local communities using it as the residential areas grow.”

To access the trail content, scan the QR codes on the A3 trail boards located around the park. Learn more by tapping to theparkstrust.com/our-work/heritage/campbell-park-trail/

Milton Keynes Museum is one of the best interactive museums, a perfect outing for all ages, staffed by friendly volunteers, and highly recommended by visitors on TripAdvisor. This feature was written by Milton Keynes Museum. Find out more about forthcoming events and see our opening times at: miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk