Trip back to days of Henry VIII

May 6 2008 By Cath Lillington

VISITORS to Sutton Park felt they had travelled back in time when they came face to face with its former owner, Henry VIII.

Scores of people were regaled with tales of olde England by the bearded king impersonator, whose day job involves looking after the park.

He then enlisted their help to find him deer in his royal chase across the park's 2,400 acres.

The park's long history began in the 1520s after Sutton Coldfield and its hunting grounds came into the possession of the Tudor King.

In 1528 John Harman, a Sutton native who became Bishop of Exeter, persuaded the King to grant a charter placing the administration of the town in the control of a warden and society.

The charter also allowed the bishop to enclose a section of the chase as a park for the benefit of the inhabitants.

Today, Sutton Park is included in English Heritage's list of historic gardens and the former royal deer park has retained many ancient features including prehistoric mounds and a Roman road.

During yesterday's event people also got to make wooden deer, pomanders, go on history walks and play a game of Nine Men's Morris - similar to draughts and noughts and crosses.

Richard Lodge, head of parks, said: "Sutton Park is one of our most captivating historic landscapes.

"Tudor Day is a fantastic opportunity to discover the park's history, in a direct and exciting way."

* For information about events in Birmingham's parks, visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/parks.