Stansted Park

30/10/2026

Wherever possible and most importantly safe to do so I will leave dead trees standing as a habitat for many things and potential nesting sites for Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Marsh T**s.
However, as this Scots Pine was next to a road it had to come down and carry on its work as a habitat on the woodland floor.
The cause of its demise was most likely the fungus you can see next to the stump on the right and in more detail in the close-up picture. This is Dyer's Mazegill (Phaeolus schweinitzii) which causes brown rot in conifer trees and can kill them or render them liable to stem failure. We must remember though that fungi are essential in the cycle of life in a forest and often coexist in a symbiotic relationship with trees so the first sign of fungus on a tree isn't necessarily the time to start up the chainsaw.
As its name suggests these fungi can be used as a natural dying agent producing green, brown, gold and yellow colours.
Michael Prior - Head Forester

28/10/2026

Looking for something spooky to do this half term? We have the last few tickets remaining for our 6pm sessions of Halloween Under the House, starting tonight until the 31st October (6:30pm slots now all fully booked!). See what lurks under the stairs of the historic Mansion's South Undercroft, a series of vaulted cellars not usually open to the public. After the Undercroft experience you can enjoy a FREE hot drink in the Crypt - both areas are part of the original House that survived the devastating fire of 1900 ....are they haunted? We'll leave you to decide...

We suggest this event is suitable for ages 8+ with parental discretion advised. Tickets are £7.50 per person and include a free hot drink of tea, coffee or hot chocolate! Soft drinks and w**e also available to purchase
www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/halloween-under-the-house

28/10/2026

We are now at the stage where the deer netting can be attached to the line wires, three of which are installed between the strainer assemblies at very high tension. On the outward facing side of the deer netting we attach rabbit wire with the bottom turned out into the field to deter burrowing underneath. Once the area to be planted is completely fenced it will be essential to check it regularly in the early weeks to look for any problems. Deer soon get used to new fencing and avoid them but badgers, which are creatures of habit, will often dig under a fence so they can use their well-used route between their setts and their favourite feeding grounds. If this happens we will install badger gates which allow a badger through but are too heavy for rabbits to push under.
Michael Prior - Head Forester

27/10/2026

LAST FEW TICKETS REMAINING!! Join us for a spine-tingling experience at Stansted House starting tomorrow - 28th to 31st October! Each ticket includes a hot chocolate, tea or coffee in the Crypt afterwards, one of the few parts of the House which survived the devastating fire of 1900 (and may or may not be haunted....) Don't miss the chance to see what lurks within the misty Maze and the vaulted South Undercroft of the Mansion this Halloween......Are you brave enough?

Stansted After Dark
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm or 8:30pm
Stansted After Dark invites you to journey through the misty maze with Torchlight Mysteries and find out what lurks around each corner, before venturing into the haunted undercrofts of Stansted House, where darkness and history intertw**e in 'Halloween under the House'. (Please note this is a combination ticket that includes the 'Halloween Under the House' experience)
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/stansted-after-dark
Halloween Under The House
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
6pm or 6:30pm
Experience the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the South Undercroft of Stansted House. Not usually open to the public, the South Undercroft is a series of vaulted cellars in the basement of the Mansion. Pass through the archways into dark and scary passageways and tunnels... once used for storage, these cellars are now home to a horrifying range of beings, all with evil intent! Each sessions lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/halloween-under-the-house

Join us for a spine-tingling experience at Stansted House next week from 28th to 31st October! Each ticket includes a hot chocolate, tea or coffee in the Crypt afterwards, one of the few parts of the House which survived the devastating fire of 1900. With some sessions already sold out, don't miss the chance to see what lurks within the misty Maze and the vaulted cellars of the Mansion this Halloween.....Are you brave enough?

Stansted After Dark
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm or 8:30pm
Stansted After Dark invites you to journey through the misty maze with Torchlight Mysteries and find out what lurks around each corner, before venturing into the haunted undercrofts of Stansted House, where darkness and history intertw**e in 'Halloween under the House'. (Please note this is a combination ticket that includes the 'Halloween Under the House' experience)
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/stansted-after-dark

Halloween Under The House
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
6pm or 6:30pm
Experience the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the South Undercroft of Stansted House. Not usually open to the public, the South Undercroft is a series of vaulted cellars in the basement of the Mansion. Pass through the archways into dark and scary passageways and tunnels... once used for storage, these cellars are now home to a horrifying range of beings, all with evil intent! Each sessions lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/halloween-under-the-house

25/10/2026

Our annual Armistice Talk is coming up on Thursday 5th November 2026 and this year we are joined by Major General James Cowan CBE DSO, who is CEO of The HALO Trust. Starting at 7pm (doors from 6:30pm) his talk ''On the Frontline: Life as a Soldier and Humanitarian', will last approximately 40 minutes followed by a question and answer session. There will be refreshments on arrival and the chance to speak with James after the Q&A.

Biography
James Cowan is one of only a few leaders to have worked in both the defence and aid sectors. From a military family, he joined The Black Watch after Oxford. His early military career took him to Berlin, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Hong Kong. He led the military planning for the 1999 liberation of Kosovo.

The youngest lieutenant colonel in the Army, he was assistant to the Chief of the General Staff from before 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq. He commanded The Black Watch during the battle for Fallujah, served later in Basra, commanded Task Force Helmand, led the military Olympics security operation and commanded the 3rd Division, the UK’s warfighting formation.

Since 2015 he has led The HALO Trust, the world’s largest organisation clearing landmines, IEDs and other weapons. HALO has 10,000 staff in 30 countries. He has led HALO through some of the most significant crises of recent years in Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Gaza.

Tickets available at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/armistice-talk-with-major-general-ret%E2%80%99d-james-m-cowan-cbe-dso

24/10/2026

Join us for a spine-tingling experience at Stansted House next week from 28th to 31st October! Each ticket includes a hot chocolate, tea or coffee in the Crypt afterwards, one of the few parts of the House which survived the devastating fire of 1900. With some sessions already sold out, don't miss the chance to see what lurks within the misty Maze and the vaulted cellars of the Mansion this Halloween.....Are you brave enough?

Stansted After Dark
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm or 8:30pm
Stansted After Dark invites you to journey through the misty maze with Torchlight Mysteries and find out what lurks around each corner, before venturing into the haunted undercrofts of Stansted House, where darkness and history intertw**e in 'Halloween under the House'. (Please note this is a combination ticket that includes the 'Halloween Under the House' experience)
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/stansted-after-dark

Halloween Under The House
Wednesday 28th to Saturday 31st October
6pm or 6:30pm
Experience the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the South Undercroft of Stansted House. Not usually open to the public, the South Undercroft is a series of vaulted cellars in the basement of the Mansion. Pass through the archways into dark and scary passageways and tunnels... once used for storage, these cellars are now home to a horrifying range of beings, all with evil intent! Each sessions lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Tickets at www.stanstedpark.co.uk/events/halloween-under-the-house

23/10/2026

This fallen ash tree trunk was almost completely covered in Turkey Tail Fungus when I came across it in the edge of an area of chestnut coppice that I was surveying for harvesting recently. Also known as Banded Bracket this fungus assists in the recycling of wood back into the forest ecosystem. It can be found in a variety of contrasting colours including browns, greys, purples and greenish hues and is very beautiful especially in certain light conditions. When areas of coppice are cut our contractors are always mindful to preserve important habitats such fallen trees and branches and avoid felling the poles onto them if possible. Similarly, the forwarder driver extracting the produce will avoid such features and find routes around them.
Michael Prior - Head Forester

21/10/2026

Autumn sunshine streams through the canopy of an area of mixed tree species in the north-east of the forest. This is an area being converted to continuous cover forestry using natural seeding for restocking as a percentage of timber trees are removed over an extended time. The area at present comprises of some huge Douglas fir, beech, birch, yew, lime and some oak.
Stands of trees like this show that productive forestry can be beautiful as well as supporting a varied assemblage of wildlife and is one of my favourite areas of the forest.
Michael Prior - Head Forester

16/10/2026

TREE OF THE MONTH
Having watched the worthy winner of Tree of the Year for 2026 on the news, the Wych Elm in County Down, I thought my tree of the month for October should be one of our old veterans as well. This is a picture taken earlier in the year of a magnificent English Oak in the East Park which is possibly part of the original 18th century landscape plantings. Certainly, the woodland it is in now was open parkland with scattered trees in the 1785 plan of the park. Whenever work is done in this wood, we open up a bit more around it to ensure it has plenty of light and is not overtopped by vigorous competitors. With its huge spreading crown and massive lower branches spreading out into the surrounding woodland it is a humbling tree to stand next to and a very special one with many creatures reliant on it, long may it grace the estate.
Michael Prior - Head Forester

14/10/2026

Castle Field Plantation part 4
We are now driving in the intermediate stakes between the straining posts. These are 9' cleft chestnut stakes driven in so at least 2'6" is in the ground. These are spaced 6m metres apart. Between these are 6' cleft chestnut stakes driven in so 2' is in the ground. The next task will be to add struts to the straining posts to form the strongest anchor point possible for when the high tensile line wires are strained from them that will support the netting. The most important part of of these types of fences are the strainer assemblies. If these are not rock solid a poor-quality slack fence will be the result.
Michael Prior - Head Forester