Autumns days bring new opening times for Castle Park

Date issued: 4 September 2018

As the evenings draw in, visitors to Castle Park are being urged to take note of changes to the park’s opening times.

The gates of Castle Park open at 7.30am every day and are closed to the public around dusk every evening. Now, to more closely coincide with the official hours of ‘civil twilight’ in the UK, the Park Rangers’ Team will be locking the park gates up to 30-minutes earlier than in previous years for around eight weeks of the year.

The changes, designed to ensure the park is secured before darkness falls, are a trial only and will take place between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019 with any impact carefully monitored before a long-term decision is made.

Cllr Tina Bourne, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, said: “It makes sense to ensure the park’s closure times align as closely as possible to dusk as it falls throughout the seasons.

“We believe these small changes will help make the park a safer space for all and supports the work of Better Colchester – the council’s strategic programme to make Colchester an even better place to live, work in and visit. However, this is a trial only and we are keen to hear from anyone who might be unfavourably affected by the changes.”

The new times which will be implemented from this month are*:

	Opening	Closing	Formerly
1 September – 14 September	7.30 am	8.00 pm	No change
15 September – 30 September	7.30 am	7.00 pm	7.30 pm
1 October – 14 October	7.30 am	6.30 pm	7.00 pm
15 October – 31 October	7.30 am	6.00 pm	No change
1 November – 31 December	7.30 am	5.00 pm	No change
1 January – 29 February	7.30 am	5.00 pm	No change
1 March – 14 March	7.30 am	6.00 pm	No change
15 March – 31 March	7.30 am	6.30 pm	7.00 pm
1 April – 14 April	7.30 am	8.00 pm	No change
15 April – 30 April	7.30 am	8.30 pm	8.00 pm
1 May – 14 August	7.30 am	9.00 pm	9.00 pm
15 August – 31 August	7.30 am	8.30 pm	9.00 pm

Castle Park, which spans some 60 acres, is listed Grade II in the English Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Importance. The jewel in the crown of Colchester 's Parks and Open Spaces, it holds Green Flag Award status – a national accolade that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities. Castle Park has also received the much-coveted Green Heritage Site Accreditation for the management of its historic features. 

The Park is maintained by a team of Rangers and supported by volunteers who work together to enhance wildlife habitat and encourage and preserve flora and fauna. The Park Rangers seek to ensure a healthy, safe and secure experience for park users and provide a well maintained and clean park.

For more information visit: www.colchester.gov.uk

*Some parts of the park may be closed to the public during events.