We warmly welcome you to enjoy a walk through the beautiful Deer Park at Powis Estates.
A deer park has existed here since medieval times, and today the park is home to a thriving herd of red and fallow deer, continuing a long-established tradition within the landscape.
Access to the Deer Park is via the Lower Park gate at the end of Park Lane in Welshpool. Dogs are not permitted in the Deer Park at any time.
The Lower Park itself is open to the public through a partnership between Welshpool Town Council and Powis Estates. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the Lower Park; however, visitors are asked to be mindful that this is agricultural land where livestock often graze.
For those wishing to take a longer walk and enjoy the wider setting, we recommend the Welshpool Deer Park and Montgomery Canal Circular Walk. This route offers far-reaching views across the parkland, skirts the lower grounds of Powis Castle , and follows the Montgomery Canal into Welshpool.
From Welshpool, the walk continues down Park Lane, through the Lower Park gates and onwards to the Deer Park gates. To ensure the deer remain undisturbed and protect their welfare, dogs are not permitted in the deer park at any time.
Within the Deer Park, you may see both red deer and fallow deer. They are often found in the early morning light on the banks below the Castle or quietly concealed along the tree line. Deer are wild animals and can be unpredictable; it is therefore essential to keep a respectful distance at all times, both for your own safety and for theirs, and to remain on the permissive driveway. Benches along the route provide ideal places to pause and quietly observe the landscape.
After passing the Castle, simply follow the exit drive out of the parkland, passing Stable Pond on the left, onto Red Lane. Turn left out of the gates and continue to the junction of Red Lane and the A458, where you’ll find a kissing gate immediately on the right, leading onto the Montgomery Canal towpath. With a little patience, you may spot a kingfisher or other aquatic birds. The walk then returns to Welshpool, where a variety of cafés and places to enjoy refreshments await.
This is a tranquil walk, with a steady incline during the first half and a gentle, level return. Allow approximately two hours, though you may wish to linger for longer in the Deer Park or visit the National Trust’s Powis Castle Courtyard Café.
The wider estate and parkland around Powis Castle is owned by Powis Estates. Visitors are welcome to enjoy this historic landscape, however we kindly ask that you keep only to the designated permissive route through the Deer Park to help protect the parkland and its wildlife.
To find out more about other walks on the Estate, visit https://www.powis.org.uk/walking-trails-on-the-estate-powis-estates/
Image: © Dave Evans