IT is a haven for wildlife and a sanctuary away from the hubbub of every day life and now the award-winning Castle Park in Colchester is celebrating its 125th birthday.

To mark the birthday, a ceremony has been held to plant a tree outside the castle to add to the many glorious trees in the parkland.

Colchester mayor Gerard Oxford said the park is a centrepiece of the town.

He said: “It’s the perfect place for concerts, charity events and for mums to take their children to have a play.

“It’s a beautiful environment right in the middle of town where you can go and relax and have a cup of tea.

“For us Colcestrians it is an important part of the town and it is loved by so many.”

The park became part of the grounds of Hollytrees in 1892 and opened to the public.

A ceremony to mark the occasion included the Lord Mayor of London, Sir David Evans, and Colchester mayor Wilson Marriage.

The event was attended by 12 other mayors from nearby towns who all planted trees behind the castle to form the Mayors’ Walk.

Since then the park has become a key part of life in Colchester and the brilliance of it has been recognised with plenty of accolades.

The park was among five Colchester attractions awarded the 2017 TripAdvisor certificate of excellence and picked up Britain’s Best Park award in 2009.The park’s historical features and high levels of maintenance were behind the impressive victory It has also won a Green Flag Award for the past 15 consecutive years which recognises well-maintained parks.