Black Park facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Buckinghamshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 15.3 hectares |
| Notification | 1990 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Black Park is a large country park located in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England. It's managed by Buckinghamshire Council. The park covers about 250 hectares (that's like 618 football fields!). A special part of the park, covering 15.7 hectares, is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its important wildlife. Another larger area, 66 hectares, is a Local Nature Reserve.
Contents
Discovering Black Park's Wildlife
Black Park is home to many different plants and animals. The SSSI part of the park has rare types of land, like heath and alder carr (a type of wet woodland). It also has mixed and pine forests, plus areas of grassy land.
Amazing Insects and Animals
You can find a variety of creatures here! For example, there's a special insect called the Roesel's bush cricket, which is quite rare in the UK. The park also has eighteen different kinds of butterflies. If you look up, you might spot birds like hobbies and nightjars flying around. On the ground, you could see snakes and lizards.
Black Park: A Star on Screen
Black Park is right next to Pinewood Film Studios. This means it's been a popular spot for filming movies and TV shows!
Famous Films Shot Here
The woods and lake in Black Park were often used in the old Hammer Horror movies from the 1950s to the 1970s. In these films, Black Park often pretended to be Transylvania! Some of these movies include The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966).
Many other famous films have used the park too. These include the James Bond movie Goldfinger, where it was used for a night car chase, and Casino Royale. You might also recognize it from several Carry On movies, Fahrenheit 451, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Bugsy Malone, and even the Harry Potter film series! More recently, it's been seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Jurassic World: Dominion.
TV Shows Filmed at Black Park
The park and its lake have also appeared in many TV shows. For example, it was used a lot for the Doctor Who story Full Circle. It was also used in another Doctor Who episode called The Visitation. In 1974, it even stood in for a planet called Retha in an episode of Space 1999.
Fun Activities at Black Park
Black Park is a great place for outdoor activities. It has wide open spaces and well-kept paths.
Walking and Running
Many people enjoy walking their dogs or simply taking a stroll here. If you like to run, you'll find lots of runners in the park. There's even a free Parkrun event every Saturday morning, which is part of a big network of runs across the country.
Go Ape and Cycling
In 2010, a 'Go Ape' activity center opened in the park. Here, you can climb high into the trees on ropes and zip lines! Park staff are always there to supervise. The Go Ape team also offers bike rentals, so you can explore the park on two wheels. They even have "Go Ape Nets" for younger visitors to climb safely in the treetops.
Mountain Biking and Fishing
If you're into mountain biking, Black Park is a fantastic spot. It has a mix of thick woods, open areas, and challenging trails that make for exciting rides.
The lake is also open for fishing during certain times of the year. You can buy day tickets or annual permits to fish there.
Black Park During Wartime
Black Park played a role in both World War One and World War Two.
Canadian Forestry Regiment
During both wars, soldiers from the Canadian Forestry Regiment worked in the park. They helped to manage the forest and harvest wood. This wood was used for building trenches in France during World War One or for creating airfields for the Royal Flying Corps during World War Two. Even today, you can still see the straight lines of trees they planted.
Sadly, one of these Canadian soldiers died in a road accident nearby and is buried at St Margaret's Church in Iver Heath. Since 2007, a local Scout group has placed poppies on his grave to remember him.
Wartime Incidents and Storage
The fields near the park and Pinewood Studios saw some wartime action. A World War One fighter plane crashed there on its way to France. In World War Two, a V2 rocket also fell very close to that same spot.
The park was also used to hide military supplies among the trees, keeping them safe from enemy planes. Nearby Langley Park was used for this purpose too.
Black Park's Ancient History
The park is important for understanding the Earth's past. It's the place where a special layer of sand and gravel, called the Black Park Gravel Member, was first identified. This layer dates back to the Anglian ice age, which was about 450,000 years ago!
