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Meeting Of Minds
4 March 2026

On Monday 9 March 2026 there will be a meeting of the Friends of Bestwood Country Park. it will be held at the Dynamo House, off Park Road, Bestwood Village at 2pm. All are welcome to come along and get involved with the FoBCP team. You can download an agenda from our meetings page.

Darling Buds Needs You
2 March 2026

Our next planning meeting for the Darling Buds of May event is being held in the Dynamo House at 2pm on Monday 23 of March.
If you can help or support in any way we would love to see you there. If you can't make the meeting in person but would like to volunteer some help just drop us a line using the contact form. 

Bridging The Gap
 March 2026

The new bridge has finally been installed at Mill Lakes. We have photos of the construction project and the old & new bridges in our gallery.

Sherwood Forest Day
22 February 2026

The plaque

Sherwood Forest Day Proclamation
Background and history in brief.

Bestwood Country Park lies within the southern edge boundary of the historic Sherwood Forest. Historically Sherwood Forest was vast and spread across most of our county. It was a forest that included both woodland and heathland - a mosaic of habitats.
Sherwood Forest Day was first celebrated in 2025 & took place on 20th February of that year to coincide with the birthday of Major Hayman Rooke (more info below). 
It has since been decided that all park areas of Sherwood Forest will declare the proclamation annually at 12 noon on that date.

Major Rooke – 1723-1806 - lived to the ripe old age of 83. He is buried in the church of St Edmunds in Mansfield Woodhouse. He was a British Army Major and antiquarian being a memeber of the 30th Regiment of Foot The Cambridgeshire. He was also a Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. His former home, Woodhouse Place, is in Mansfield Woodhouse and received a blue plaque in 2015. When he retired from the army Major Rooke settled in Nottinghamshire and became deeply interested in the history & traditions of the area. In the late 18th century he wrote detailed papers about Sherwood Forest describing its oaks, historical sites and local legends, preserving historical information about Sherwood Forest and popularised its romantic folklore around Robin Hood and his band of outlaws.
Major Rooke gave his name to one of the most well known and iconic English Trees -The ‘Major’s Oak’ now known as the Major oak and known by many as Robin Hoods hideout. Without his work the Major Oak may not have become so well known. Today professionals and an army of volunteers help to develop and protect areas of Sherwood Forest across the county for the benefit of people who live here, work and visit the area and for generations yet to come.
Photos of the event at the Dynamo House are in the gallery
Long Live Sherwood Forest.

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Sherwood Plaques
18 February 2026

Join us in the Dynamo House on Sherwood Forest Day Friday 20th February 2026 for the reading of The Sherwood Forest Proclamation at noon. The Dynamo House cafe will also be open for drinks between 11.30 and 12.30.
Two Sherwood Forest Plaques have been delivered, one has been funded by the Friends of Bestwood Country Park and one by the Parish Council and will ultimately be installed on the Dynamo House and Alexander Lodge (when planning permission is granted).
The Plaques will be present on Friday at the Dynamo House and at the Bestwood Village event at The Community Centre on Saturday 21st February.

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Darling Buds Of May
11 February 2026

Following the planning meeting on Monday, we have decided to go ahead with the event in a similar format to last year. This means that a plant stall will be included.
Many thanks to those who have offered their support, but this is a reminder that help will be required on the day: We will need people to volunteer to help with running the plant stall, setting it up and donating plants to sell.
We would like donations of garden plants bringing along on the day. Any perennials that you can split and pot up, or extra seedlings you can spare will be gratefully received. The things that sell well are vegetable seedlings or young plants, so maybe think about planting a few extra seeds when you plant for your own needs. We would also take donations of viable seeds and any house plants. 
Please drop us a line on the contact form or email us on [email protected] if you can help in any way. That way we know in advance what to expect on the day and can add you to our list of volunteers. Nothing happens without the efforts of volunteers.

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Looking Good
7 February 2026

You may not know who Vincent was but we can all agree he sure knew a great view when he saw one. If you have ever sat on the bench inscribed with his name you will know what a perfect choice of location for a seat it was. Even on a dull day you can see for miles over Bulwell, Hucknall, Linby & Papplewick. It's well worth the climb up to the top of the old pit tip to experience the far-reaching views. 

Hoping For Spring
2 February 2026

Snowdrops hint of spring

It may be officially mid-winter but things are starting to bloom in the country park. The first signs of the new life, the promise of spring and the beginnings of a blooming colourful display are out there. You just have to look carefully as you walk around the paths. 
There are more photos of blooms spotted in the country park this week in the gallery.

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Healing The Scars
29 January 2026

Significant tree planting has now taken place at the spot where excavations for the new water supply pipeline crossed the mineral railway path which runs parallel to Moor Road. The fences have been removed and natural woodland & hedge species planted to, over time, fill the gap where the pipeline works required the removal of the natural vegetation. In other areas the line of the new pipe has been re-seeded to encourage grassland cover of the restored overburden. It will take time, but the scar across the park is slowly healing. For more info about the pipeline project click here.

Edible Hedge
20 January 2026

The trees have arrived! all we need now is an army of volunteers to plant them. You can be part of that volunteer army. Please come along on Saturday 24 January to join in with the event.

Planning Ahead
17 January 2026

This is a reminder that our annual event The Darling Buds of May takes place on Bank Holiday Monday 25 May, (1-4pm) this year. Our first planning meeting is on Monday 26 January at 2pm in the Dynamo House, off Park Road, Bestwood Village.
There are many of you that offer help and support, either in planning or on the day, and we would like as many of you as possible to attend the planning meeting on the 26th.
If you are unable to attend but would like to help, please email us on [email protected] so that we know in advance and can add you to our list of volunteers.
Nothing happens without the efforts of volunteers.

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Happy New Year - Cheers!
31 December 2025

The Winding Engine House

As 2025 comes to a close we wanted to give you something to celebrate. So, on New Years Day the Dynamo House Community Cafe will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm bringing you hot & cold drinks and lots of home-made cakes. The Dynamo House will be open again as usual on Saturday for the same hours, so you get two chance to enjoy a visit in one week.

There is a slight sting in the tail in that we have had to increase the prices for the coming year, although they are still the most competitive around. The hot drinks will now be £1 each and the cakes mostly £1.50. 

The free tours of the Winding Engine House will also be running on New Years Day and on Saturday. They operate on demand between 10am and 12 noon. Just follow the signs to the door of the Engine House on the left of the photo. 

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Edible Hedge Planting Delayed
4 December 2025

IMPORTANT NEWS :

"I dig trees" who are supplying the trees for the edible hedge have had a delay with the trees, so they now will not arrive until Jan 19th
The main planting event previous;y advertised is postponed until Saturday 24th January 2026.

However, we have been gifted some other trees which will be great to infill parts of the existing edible hedge that have gaps. Therefore we can still plant a few trees and also give the existing hedge some TLC on the original planting date of  13th December but it will be a much smaller event.

If you were hoping to come along to the main planting day please move the event in your diary to 24 January and we will hope to see you there.

Darling Buds Of May
1 December 2025

Our annual Darling Buds of May event will take place on 25th May 2026. As always this event takes a lot of planning and relies on volunteers. We will be holding our first planning meeting very soon in the new year.
This event only happens because of the good will of many people associated with the park. Please contact us as soon as possible to let us know if you would be wiling to either help with planning or help out on the day in any capacity. 

On the day we will need people to help put up and take down gazebos as well as people to bake & serve in the cafe, stand on the stalls or run children's activities.

If anyone who has attended the event has any suggestions to make it even more welcoming, do get in touch. We welcome the feed back on all aspects of the day

Edible Hedge Phase 2
25 November 2025

Sad News
18 November 2025

Bob Gow 1944 - 2025

It is with great sadness that we must report that the Friends of Bestwood Country Park have lost one of their founding members. Bob Gow, one of the Winding Engine House volunteers, passed away in hospital on the morning of 17 November. 
Rarely seen without a spanner or oil can in his hand, Bob had been instrumental in the restoration of the Winding House and then continued to care for the site through its ongoing maintenance. He, along with his fellow volunteers, gave guided tours of the site and regaled visitors with stories of working at Bestwood Colliery when it was an active mine. He even appeared on TV.
Bob has been an enthusiastic member of the Friends group for many years and will be greatly missed as an engineer, a guardian of local history and as our friend.  

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See It - Report It
13 November 2025

Following a couple of chats between Police and FoBCP members in the last few weeks, we have been able to ascertain the best way to contact them to report incidents such as anti-social behaviour, fly tipping or vandalism in the park; these links take you to different pages of the Police website.

www.nottinghamshire.police.uk
https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/neighbourhoods
https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/area/your-area/nottinghamshire/gedling/calverton-ravenshead-and-villages/on-the-team/crime-map

The website is very informative. Our park comes under "Calverton, Ravenshead and Villages" and the site has all the information you need to report any issues.

The most efficient way to give a location of any crime is to use what3words. It is used by emergency & non-emergency services to find locations in remote areas without roads and house numbers to use for reference. This can be downloaded for free to smartphones.

People may think that very little can be done about an incident without enough evidence. This is why some people don't bother doing so, thinking that their report won't be acted upon. However, the more reports the better, as evidence can be collated and linked to other cases & reports. Photos can be invaluable if you are in a position to do so, but safety comes first.
So if you see something undesirable happening in the park please report it. It might be a small part in a larger jigsaw of criminal activity the police are piecing together.

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Fungi Walk
12 November 2025

The Wildlife Group have arranged a guided walk in the country park to make the most of autumn fungi. It will take place on Sunday 16 November 10am - 12noon. There are just 20 places available and booking is essential. All details will be given upon a successful booking email: [email protected] to secure your place.

Fun With Fungi
8 November 2025

Now is a great time to look for interesting fungi in the country park. The damp days of autumn make ideal conditions for these fruiting bodies to emerge from the ground and make themselves known. We would always advise you to look and not pick the fungi. As with all foraging definitely do not eat anything you are not able to identify with 100% certainty - that doesn't just mean a quick check on Google Lens!
There are a few photos in the gallery of fungi recently spotted in the park but we would always be interested in seeing your photos of fungi or anything else you see in the park.

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News from October 2025 - November 2024 is stored on our News Archive page here
News from October 2024 - November 2023 is stored on our News Archive page here
News from October 2023 - November 2022 is stored on our News Archive page here
News from October 2022 - November 2021 is stored on our News Archive page here.
News from October 2021 - November 2020 is stored on our News Archive page here
News from October 2020 - November 2018 is stored on our News Archive page here.
News from October 2018 - November 2016 is stored on our News Archive page here.
News from October 2016 - November 2015 is stored on our News Archive page here.
News from November 2015 and before is stored on our News Archive page here.

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Useful Contact Details

Bestwood Country Park Ranger via the Notts County Council Customer Services Team on 0300 500 8080

Please report any overflowing bins directly to Gedling Borough Council – 0115 9013901.

Gedling Borough Council out of hours number 0800 0960306

Who are we?

The Friends of Bestwood Country Park was formed in late 2007 and focuses its activities a few miles north of Nottingham in Bestwood Country Park.
The group’s aim overall is to promote the interests of our big beautiful park, its habitats and flora and fauna as well as its many human visitors and its historic buildings, and to serve as an active means of communication and co-operation between all users. 
The group meets most months, you can check out what goes on at the meetings page. We are always looking for new members to join us and everyone is welcome to come along to the meetings. If you think you would be interested in coming along please use the contact us form to let us have your details.

What do we actually do?

There are several strands to the group of people interested in the park so it is not all about meetings! If you like baking or serving coffee and cake you might want to join our Dynamo House Cafe volunteers. If you’re into engineering, you might be interested in joining the Winding Engine House volunteers. If you’re into practical conservation, there are conservation groups that meet on certain weekdays to help the rangers with their work. No experience necessary and tools will be provided.
To find out more check out out volunteering page under the Events tab, or the What's On page.

Useful Links

Read the Richard the Ranger's blog - click here
Read Rob's blog - click here

Bestwood Country Park Facebook account

Bestwood Country Park Flickr site

Bestwood Village Park Run

Bestwood Village WI

Bestwood Village Wikipedia entry

Greenwood Community Forest

Friends of Newstead & Annesley Country Park

Love Parks

Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action Group

Nottinghamshire CC - Country Parks

If you have images of the park you would like to add to our gallery please send them in to us using [email protected] 
You can discuss the format we need using the contact us form.

Actually wanted Friends of Buchan Country Park, based in West Sussex? If so, click here:- fobcp.org.uk.