TO reach the Dunham Massey estate run by the National Trust follow the signs for Manchester Airport, along the M56.

Look out for a brown sign at Junction 7 and which indicates Dunham Massey. The park (a fee is charged for parking) is open every day but the house and gardens are open between April and October each day, except Fridays.

Dunham Massey is first mentioned in 1323 but the present house dates to 1732. The history of the estate is long and distinguished and a member of the family was Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554), who was Queen of England for a few days before being executed on the orders of Mary Tudor.

A walk though the estate passes the River Bollin and the Bridgewater Canal and is a wonderful place to explore wildlife. Fallow deer have been present in the grounds for centuries and this is one of the best places in Britain to study this delightful creature.

Most experts think that fallow deer are not native to Britain. Some think the Romans brought them in from Europe whilst others think the Normans introduced them. There were large scale introductions during the 18th and 19th centuries because fallow deer, with their huge palmated antlers of the stags and their spotted skins, look very attractive.

Unlike the slightly larger native red deer, the fallow is a more gentle creature. Even then the stags are in rut during the autumn they do not charge at people.

Records show that in 1844 there were around 500 fallow deer on the Dunham Massey park and the present population is around 300. Visitors are encouraged to get close to the animals, which makes for good photographs, but not to feed them.

Over the next few weeks the Dunham Deer will be seen at their best.

I always make a point of visiting Dunham Massey if I am collecting or delivering friends to and from Manchester Airport. It adds less than four miles to the journey.