Local Wildlife Site

Both Maryon Park and Maryon Wilson Park are part of the former estate of the Maryon Wilson family, who presented it to the public in 1890. Maryon Park and Gilbert’s Pit are former sandpits, the source of sand used as floor covering in the days before carpets became common. They are both separate from Maryon Wilson Park, which lies to the south. There is an animal park in Maryon Wilson Park, home to ducks, geese, chickens, a pig and deer. The railway passes through the northern edge of the site via a couple of railway tunnels. A path leads steeply up from near the level crossing in Charlton Lane to pass above the western tunnel and provides fine views from the top. A path branches off part way up into Gilbert’s Pit, a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. This extremely valuable geological site reveals a sequence of sediments dating from approximately 55 million years ago (the Lower Tertiary Sequence), with an information board providing details near the base of the cliff. Maryon Wilson Park and Gilbert’s Pit were declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2005. There are free tours of the animal enclosures at Maryon Wilson Park available. Both parks are freely accessible, and the Green Chain and Capital Ring walks pass through the site.