Gedling Country Park

About

Gedling Country Park is a 230 acre site hosting a play area, café and parking facilities. Opened in 2015 the site is managed by Gedling Borough Council with the assistance of the Friends of Gedling Country Park.

The site commands spectacular views of Gedling, and from its highest point there are impressive views across Nottinghamshire and into neighbouring Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. On a clear day you'll be able to see as far as Belvoir Castle and Lincoln Cathedral.

There are multiple paths that weave their way through the woodlands and grasslands that make up the rich flora and fauna within the country park.

It has a rich diversity of wildlife, mining heritage and green credentials along with a network of paths, trails and viewpoints that creates a destination to be proud of.

A combination of natural regeneration and restoration work means that wildlife can be found in abundance, including:
•    Birds - as well as common species you'll also be able to spot some rarer species such as short eared owls, skylarks, lapwings.
•    Bats - three different species of bats have been recorded: noctule, common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle.
•    Invertebrates - over 250 different species have been noted including the Dingy Skipper butterfly, one of only two sites in  Nottinghamshire where this declining species is found.

Going back in time

Gedling Colliery was the life blood of Gedling and many surrounding villages, based three-miles to the East of Nottingham. Surface works started in 1899 and the shafts commenced being sunk in 1900. In 1902 coal production started and this continued until 8th November 1991 when the colliery was closed. The colliery was originally owned by the Digby Colliery Company from Giltbrook, they merged with Bestwood Company to become Bestwood Amalgamated Collieries Ltd. Nationalisation took place in 1947 to form the National Coal board East Midlands No.6 Area and subsequently into the National Coal Board South Nottinghamshire Area from 1967.

From the early 1950′s to the late 1960′s Gedling was a “big hitter” and regularly produced a million tons of coal during this period.  Maximum manpower of 2,500 was achieved in the 1950′s. After World War two Gedling became a receiving pit for many migrant miners from diverse locations around the world and became known as “the pit of all nations”. During the period of mining operation a total of 130 men lost their lives at the pit.

Shortly after the pit closed, the mining infrastructure was removed from site and the land underwent major restoration works including the importation of top soil, tree planting and re-profiling of the Lagoons to improve their appearance and in order to allow a wider diversity of wildlife to inhabit them. These works improved the visual element of the spoil heaps and provided important wildlife habitats. The site as a whole has a great variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, wetlands and lagoons.

Twenty years on, nature has been able to take over, notable species of fauna including short eared owls, skylarks, lapwings and rare butterflies amongst others have inhabited the land making the site extremely important for wildlife.