Hannah Gray Goes behind the scenes at this popular Peterborough park:

LIVING in or near Peterborough, chances are you've been to Ferry Meadows at some point in your life.

The park is a big part of many people's leisure time, whether it is for a gentle walk or more vigorous exercise such as going for a run.

It is also used for a wide range of other activities, including kite flying, car rallies and company picnics.

Nene Park Trust, which runs the park, estimates that Ferry Meadows attracts something in the region of half a million visitors a year.

The park is at the heart of around 2,000 acres of land owned and managed by the trust, which also includes agricultural land, two golf courses, which are run by Nene Valley Golf Services, a rowing course, a nature reserve, Orton Mere and a small area at Woodston Reach, which is set aside for wildlife.

More on Ferry Meadows:
History of Ferry Meadows

Ferry Meadows: A year in the life

More information: peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ferrymeadows.
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In charge of maintaining all this are seven rangers, six estate workers and six office workers.

There are also seasonal workers who operate the car parks and carry out vital tasks such as litter picking.

To tend the parks requires a budget of more than £1 million a year.

As the trust does not receive any external funding, some of this money comes from the ground rents from businesses on Nene Park land and some from agricultural tenants.

The biggest part, however, comes from an endowment.

Initially this was in the form of properties which were given to the trust by the Peterborough Development Corporation, and included local centres such as the Bretton Centre.

These properties have now been sold and the money from the sale of these centres has been invested to provide for the long-term maintenance of the park.

This need for income is part of the reason why the trust charges £3.20 for car parking at Ferry Meadows at the weekends and Bank Holidays, and is one of the few ways that visitors contribute to the running of the park. The peak season at Ferry Meadows runs from Easter to October, but of course this is very much linked to the British summer.

"We're so weather dependent. People like using the countryside when it's sunny and warm," visitor services officer, Chris Park said.

With 500,000 visitors to Ferry Meadows every year, it is unfortunately inevitable that there will be some human impact on the site.

Steve Wickens (34), who has been a ranger there for 10 years, said problems he sees include unauthorised campers tearing down litter bins to use them for fire wood and damage to the play equipment and graffiti.

However, Chris said he feels the trust gets off quite lightly in terms of damage and vandalism.

"Although we're a country park we're right on the urban fringe. Compared to some country parks that are in this sort of setting, we do fare quite well. Some places are plagued by vandalism," he said.

The trust has a policy of clearing up any vandalism as soon as it happens, and Chris believes this in turn partly helps to prevent further damage.

"I think it creates this feeling it's cared for and it's well used.