Deer have been a part of Bridwell Park for the past 19 years. Visitors to the charming country house, located in Uffculme, Devon, will be greeted by the sight of fallow and red deer roaming free around the spacious grounds.
The herd at Bridwell Park is the result of estate owner Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s purchase of 35 “in fawn” (pregnant) fallow deer to live on the land, back in 2000. He bought the female (does) from Powderham Castle in Exeter – the home of the Earl of Devon.
They were bought from a pure herd that dates back more than 400 years, where no new blood has been introduced. The parkland at Bridwell Park was landscaped in around 1780 and is listed Grade II, but it wasn’t originally designed to contain deer.
Mixed herd
When Lord Mountbatten bought the estate in 1997, he found the previous owner had built a security fence that encircled the 130 acres of land around the house. By making a few modifications, he was able to introduce deer into the park in the spring of 2000.
After buying the “in fawn” (pregnant) fallow does from the Powderham Castle herd, he bought a Hungarian buck, a male fallow deer, from Houghton Hall in Norfolk. This created a new strain of fallow deer at Bridwell Park.
Then, in 2009, he began looking into a new idea to introduce red deer to Bridwell Park too. In 2011, he bought 40 hinds (female red deer) and one stag (male red deer). They joined the existing herd of fallow deer and it now numbers around 300 animals of both species.
Fallow deer
The two species are very different in appearance, with the red deer being twice the size of the fallow, which is a medium-sized deer. A full-grown buck can be up to 0.94 metres tall at his shoulder and can weigh up to 93kg. An adult doe is up to 0.91 metres tall and weighs between 35kg and 56kg.
They have different variations of coat, including the most common colour of tan and fawn with white spots on their flanks; a paler combination, with a caramel-coloured horseshoe shape on their rump; a darker chocolate-coloured variety, known as melanistic; and a white and sandy-coloured strain.
The fallow deer has the longest tail of all British species. Its antlers become full-sized when the deer reach three to four years old. They have elongated faces and large ears. When alarmed, they communicate by giving a short barking sound.
Red deer
The red deer is the largest land mammal in Britain. A fully-grown stag can weigh up to 190kg and stands up 1.37 metres tall at their shoulder. The hind weighs up to 120kg and can stand up to 1.22 metres tall.
During the summer months, they are a distinctive rust-red colour, while their winter coat is brown. The most distinguishing feature of the stag is the antlers, which are branched. As the stags mature, the antlers grow and branch out further, so they end up looking quite spectacular.
The hoof prints of the red deer are unmistakably large – the front hoof of a mature stag can measure 9cm in length! Visitors to Bridwell Park will easily distinguish between the two species, due to the massive difference in their size, although they all live happily side-by-side.
Visiting Bridwell Park
Visitors will see the wild deer at close proximity, as the two driveways leading to the country house pass through the deer park, from both the west and the south. This gives a spectacular view of the beautiful parkland and its wildlife as you arrive.
There is a large lawn outside the conservatory, that offers magnificent views over the deer park to the hills in the distance – a popular spot for party guests to enjoy an afternoon tea, breakfast, canapés, a luxury picnic hamper or drinks.
A wildlife haven with the most breathtaking vistas, Bridwell Park is a romantic setting that assures a wedding day to remember. Please contact us for further information.