Greenwich Park’s Deer in Richmond for another Christmas?

 

The leaves are beginning to turn, and chestnuts are lining the paths in Greenwich Park. But something is missing. Unusually, there is no hum of activity coming from “the wilderness” in Greenwich Park. One thing is missing from behind the bushes in the flower garden, a herd of fallow and red deer. 

 

These majestic animals contribute to Greenwich Park's unique history, making it the oldest of the Royal parks to contain deer. It is believed that Greenwich owes its individual attribute to Henry VIII, who increased the number of deer due to his love of hunting. 

 

Due to the amount of land accessible to the deer decreasing, they now spend their days in the deer enclosure known as “the wilderness”. Or at least they did, until 2021 when in preparation for building works to take place, the deer were relocated to another one of London’s 8 Royal parks, Richmond Park. Richmond Park currently has by far the largest deer population of the London parks, with almost 650 residents in the whole park. This makes it the perfect place for the deer to “widen their gene pool”. 

 

This move was carried out in anticipation of construction, due to take place in “Vanbrugh Yard”. The Park described plans to “convert Vanbrugh Lodge into a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, with a glasshouse/ Sun lounge for volunteers and community groups, and a community orchard”.  The park also proposed plans to develop a new learning space in “the wilderness”, consisting of energy-efficient and intelligent design, a new pond, natural play features, supervised nature trails and the restoration of acid grassland. 

In a statement released by The Royal Parks, they report that the Greenwich Park team has worked closely with a specialist deer vet, to ensure that the welfare of the deer was paramount at every stage of the relocation. The herd that has been relocated will remain in Richmond Park, helping to diversify the herd's bloodline. The park has revealed that they plan to introduce a new herd once the construction has finished. 

 

So, what does this mean to the visitors of the park? 

 

With winter celebrations fast approaching, it is undeniable that these festive friends will be missed. One resident reminisced on “Cold but lovely afternoons spent with family, silently trying to catch a glimpse of the deer in the park”. Since the 1500s, the deer have played a part in Greenwich Park’s attractiveness and contributed to its unique charm. It is safe to say that they have been missed the over the last two years and will be welcomed back with open arms, once construction is over.