A tribute to a wartime nurse and, predictably, Parky McParkface were among dozens of names pitched for a new country park - before a council opted for a more straightforward option.

Eastern Daily Press: The council paid £700,000 to snap up the land for Broadland Country Park.The council paid £700,000 to snap up the land for Broadland Country Park. (Image: Broadland District Council)

Broadland District Council unveiled a new country park earlier this year having paid £700,000 to purchase a 140-acre site previously known as Houghen Plantation.

Consisting of a mixture of heath, woodland and marshy grassland, the site is nestled between Horsford and Felthorpe.

Eastern Daily Press: Broadland Country Park features two main paths and is open to the public.Broadland Country Park features two main paths and is open to the public. (Image: Broadland District Council)

Ahead of the park's unveiling, the council ran a competition to name the new beauty spot before eventually settling on the name Broadland Country Park.

However, it could have been so different, with more than 50 names thrown into the hat by members of the public.

Eastern Daily Press: Edith CavellEdith Cavell (Image: Archant)

A Freedom of Information Request has revealed that among those proposed were Edith Cavell Country Park, a tribute to the Swardeston nurse accredited with saving Allied soldiers in the first world war, Roe Deer Plantation and, oddly, Fiat 500 Country Park, in honour of the minuscule Italian motor.

And harking back to the Boaty McBoatface debacle during the naming of Natural Environmental Research Council vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough, other suggestions included Woody McWood Park, Tree'y McTree Park and Parky McParkyface.

Other pitches looked to play on the location of the site, with amalgamations of Horsford and Felthorpe including Felsford, Felford, Horsefell and Horsthorpe.

However, after the competition did not produce an outstanding candidate, the council instead opted to christen the site Broadland Country Park.

A Broadland spokesman said: "The area has been called Broadland Country Park, a name that explains both what it is and where it can be found.

"We would like to thank everyone who gave us a suggestion for the name of the woodland recently purchased by Broadland District Council.

"Throughout the lockdowns we have all seen the importance of having access to open space and the country park is a wonderful facility that will enable residents to spend quality time with their friends and family in the fresh air.

"As we continue our work to improve the site and make it more accessible to residents we are considering using some of the names suggested to identify specific and relevant areas of the park."

Meanwhile, the council has confirmed that to date, £4,062 has been spent on branding for the park, including signs and design tasks.

The full list of competition entries is as follows:

Bellamy Dell
Besom Country Park
Black Beauty Park
Brackenwood
Castlewood
Chestnut Country Park
Country Common
Drayton Drewray
Dreamgrove
Edith Cavell Country Park
Emma Turner Country Park
Everybody Wood
Featherby Woods
Felford Country Park
Felford Wood
Felforth Country Park
Felsford
Felthorpe Common Country Park
Felthorpe Tranquility
Fenland Forest
Fern Park
Fiat 500 Country Park
Flag Cutters Park
Fodthorpe
Heathland Country Park
Hope Country Park
Horsa Woods
Horsefell
Horsford Country Park
Horsthorpe Country Park
Houchen Heath and Woods Country Park
Houghen Country Park
Houghen Plantation
Houtuna Forest
Hummingbird Hills
Kingfisher Meadow
Lyng Country Park
Malet Country Park
Memory Wood
Mystical Woods
Nightjar Common
Parky McParkface
Pineneed Park
Rainbow Country Park
Roe Deer Plantation
Roundbarrow Park
Saints Meadow
Sanctuary Country Park
Short Thorn Park
St Faiths Country Park
Sweet Chestnut Country Park
Tree'y McTree Park
Where the Wild Things Are
Whinny Hills
Woody McWood Park