Attingham’s Deer Park was created in 1798 as part of Thomas, 2nd Lord Berwick’s grand improvements to the Mansion and grounds. The deer have held a special place in Attingham's heart ever since. Following on from Thomas, the deer herd are now carefully managed by the National Trust.
Attingham is home to around 130 fallow deer, which are descendants of the original herd introduced by the 2nd Lord Berwick.
Once in the Deer Park, you are in their territory. Visitors may see the fallow deer rushing from cover to cover, peacefully grazing, or tending to their young. However, the deer are wild and can therefore be quite elusive.
The ranger team keep a close eye on the herd throughout the year. From inspections and condition checks to grassland management, our team carefully manage the herd to conserve it for future generations.
All of the woodland management we provide in the Deer Park helps care for their habitat, while the deer manage the grassland in return. We take biosecurity seriously, which means we take steps to prevent diseases being brought into the park.
An important part of maintaining a healthy herd is to manage its size. Deer are naturally very fertile and, without any predators, can grow to such a size that they cause harm to themselves and their environment. We maintain the herd by humanely culling a proportion of it.
As a visitor, you can help conserve the Deer Park by keeping to the paths, giving deer their space, and keeping your dog on a lead at all times.
April-May
Bucks start to cast their antlers from April to May, beginning with older bucks and proceeding to the youngest deer (prickets), you may see the deer dropping or ‘casting’ last year’s antlers to the ground. Casting their antlers allows them to grow back larger each year.
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