Medina Riverside Park

The council’s Parks and Countryside section manages the Medina Riverside Park, a pretty nature reserve and picnic site adjacent to the western bank of the Medina, at the southern end of the Newport-Cowes cycle track.

The site is managed as a meadow with some woodland at the northern end, next to the Newport Rowing Club.

With funding from SEEDA, some works have been carried out to improve this little oasis in the heart of industrial Newport.

PICNIC BENCHES
Following a particularly wet winter, it was noticed that certain parts of the park had poor drainage, including around the new picnic benches adjacent to the car park. Also, there has been some erosion of the paths around the new bridge. Therefore some groundwork was carried out, as follows:

Picnic area. About 15cm of topsoil was removed, a permeable membrane was laid and gravel and a dressing of stone placed upon it. This has served not only to improve the drainage but has also provided a dry surface for park users to walk on when accessing the picnic benches, giving year-round accessibility.

Improving surface around picnic benches

The new surface around picnic benches

Paths. The erosion was partly due to the depletion of the shuttering holding the path’s surface in place. The shuttering was replaced and some 10cm diameter stakes were put into the ground to hold the shuttering in place. The paths were then built up and potholes filled, giving a much more even surface for park users.

Picture showing pond/path before improvement work

Shuttering by pond and improved paths

TREE WORK AND HEDGELAYING
Significant tree work has been undertaken to open this area out. In addition to the removal of oppressive conifers, two hedges have been laid. The hedgelaying was undertaken by rangers from the council’s Parks and Countryside Section and volunteers from the Green Gym. The hedgelaying involved training, coppicing, hedgelaying and tree planting.


Countryside Ranger laying the hedge	The laid hedges

An oak post and cleft rail fence has been erected at the site. This work was carried out by rangers from the council’s Parks and Countryside Section and volunteers from Sandown High School. Whilst working on the hedge and the new fence, the volunteers and rangers received lots of positive feedback from passers by and regular park users, such as dog walkers.	Erecting the post and rail fence
INTERPRETATION and PUBLIC ART The commissioned artist has been working on his imaginative concepts based on sea level rise around the world and, more specifically, at the park and estuary. The installation will consist of: a figure, 4 x stone plinths with enamelled tops which will also act as bollards, and 5 other stone sculptures. The artist has created the centrepiece sculpture out of Ciment fondue This figure will soon be installed at the Medina Riverside Park.		Sculpture prior to installation

Other works are to be made out of the Portland stone and enamel. In addition to the sculpture, new signage branding the park will raise its profile. It is hoped that the brand ‘Medina Riverside Park’ will give this piece of amenity land an identity and, along with the other improvements, will encourage use of the park. The new signs are supplemented by brown signs pointing the way to the picnic site. There are also two new dog bins at the site.

The sculpture, information about the management of the park (ie meadow management) plus details of the site’s archaeology will be incorporated into a new interpretation board once the sculpture is installed.

VOLUNTEERS
On 21 March 2007, a river warden introductory event was held at the Riverside Centre by the Footprint Trust in association with the Estuaries Project. The event was well attended; the room was filled to capacity (16 persons plus organisers).

The Estuaries Officer outlined the purpose of the Estuaries Project and then Ray Harrington-Vail of the Footprint Trust talked in detail about the role of the proposed river wardens. At the end of the evening all attendees gave their contact details and expressions of interest. A training event will be held on 29 September 2007.

Ray Harrington-Vail talks about the role of river wardens

Delegates at the river warden introductory event

ARCHAEOLOGY
An Historic Environment Audit has been completed by the County Archaeology Service. The extensive audit includes palaeoecological data, geophysical surveys and radio carbon dating. Geophysical surveying will be carried out which will allow a wider area to be covered and will produce more useful data than that which could be gained from the dendorchronological survey.

The results of the Historic Environment Audit will be publicised in a leaflet and a series of talks/walks to be presented in the summer, including at the Medina Riverside Park picnic event scheduled for 21 June 2007.

BIRD SURVEYS
The bird surveys have been carried out by Medina Valley Centre. A review of bird survey data from the last ten years has also been carried out.

MEDINA GREENWAY
The Medina Greenway on the eastern side of the river has undergone some considerable improvements. The path has been diverted and, as part of that work, a new hedge has been planted.

Some practical work on the route has been carried out including non-slip surfacing to the bridges’ surfaces and additional ramping to enable multi-user access.

Planting trees along the Green Way

Isle of Wight Council Logo
County Hall, High Street
Newport, Isle Of Wight.
PO30 1UD
Tel. 01983 821000

Home	Living	Visiting	Learning	Working	Your Council	Online	My Profile