PARKING charges do not appear to have deterred visitors to a county beauty spot.

The measures were introduced at Queenswood County Park, off the A49 near Leominster, when the management of the site was taken over by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and New Leaf earlier this year.

But more than 2,000 visitors attended the launch of the park's Gruffalo Trail, when larger than life characters were revealed to crowds.

Each Gruffalo character – fox, mouse, owl, snake and the Gruffalo were carved and painted by chainsaw sculptor Steve Elsby who created the original Queenswood sculpture trail.

There was also music workshops from Beat Bang Bong, mask making and the creation of a large scale art piece coordinated by Priormade.

Out in the woods, WildPlay helped with building dens, making stick men, creating Gruffalo paw prints and generally getting messy while those wanting a quiet space enjoyed story-telling with Carol Grahame.

The Gruffalo himself was there to welcome visitors while many people enjoyed meeting the donkeys and owls from Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue.

There were also practical craft demonstrations and a chance to build a nest box to take home.

It is hoped the trail will stay in place for several years and more Gruffalo-themed events are planned for the future.

The trail, funded by Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, is less than 1.5km long so is manageable for little legs and is also suitable for pushchairs and buggies.