Voka Park

The exact date of the establishment of the park, situated on the high Baltic cliff, is unknown, but it is likely that a park-like grove was established here already in the late 18th century, when the owner of Voka Manor was the Englishwoman Elisabeth Choudleigh. The park that has survived to this day was largely developed in the 19th century, when the manor belonged to the Wilcken family. The park extends between the heart of the manor and the Voka River, bordered to the north by the coastal cliff and to the south by today's Metsapargi Street.

It is known that the naturalist and land surveyor Alexander Theodor von Middendorff provided advice on the design of the park, bringing seedlings of species from his expeditions to Siberia and the Far East. For example, the widely spread dog rose in the park and around Voka is likely his contribution.

It is an English-style park with a woodland atmosphere, lacking a regular and strict layout. The park has a moderate species richness, with nearly 40 different tree and shrub species, about half of which are foreign species. Common tree species include maples, oaks, ashes, elms, among others. Among the exotic species in the park are Siberian firs, variants of Canadian spruce, Kuril and Japanese larches, among others. The park is home to the protected wood cuckooflower.

After World War II, the park became overgrown and neglected, later maintained by the Kaljurand collective farm. In the 1980s, a singing stage was built in the park, and for many years, Voka midsummer bonfires were held here. Two ponds and remnants of lime tree avenues are among the former design elements of the park that have survived. Near the western edge of the park, close to the location of the manor's main building, bastion-like cellars have been preserved. The park also houses the Wilcken family cemetery, where the two children of polar explorer Eduard von Toll are buried. Near the cemetery, the ruins of a brick factory have been preserved.

Since the 1960s, the park has been under nature conservation, covering an area of 17.4 (according to other sources, 22) hectares.

Author: Madis Tuuder, translated with ChatGPT