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Latest Park News

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What's on in the park?    Mining History    Pipeline Info
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Dynamo House Cafe Cancelled
05 December 2024

CANCELLED - The Dynamo House Cafe will be closed on Saturday 7th December. We are sorry to have to let our valued customers down but illness has struck. The weather looks rather horrible on Saturday so maybe stay in and keep warm. We will be back on the 14th for our usual offerings plus Ian's homemade soup and rolls.

Friends of Bestwood Country Park Meeting
30 November 2024

Bestwood Country Park Meeting
To be held in the Dynamo House Monday 6th January 2025 at 10am.
You are all warmly welcome please come along and find out What is Going on!!!

News Flash

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Some incredible news:  A very rare fungi has been identified in the Country Park by Hayley and Rory from the FoBCP Wildlife Group.  It is Ramaria decurrens -  common name is ochre coral.  Craig Levy who works at the park and a member of the Notts fungi group said that it had only been recorded in the country once before!

News Flash

Unfortunately we will have to cancel Wildlife Group Meeting To-Day

We send out a new date when can

Robin Hood Festival
14 August

After another brilliant, action-packed Robin Hood Festival weekend, this Saturday on Sunday (17th and 18th August) we'll be focusing on the work of a whole host of conservation Organisations working alongside RSPB in Nottinghamshire to protect nature.
We're being joined in the forest by Butterfly Conservation, Birklands Ringing Group, Nottinghamshire Bat Group Friends of Bestwood Country Park Nottingham Trent University Nottinghamshire Amphibian & Reptile Group - FB Page Nottinghamshire Beekeepers Association, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Sherwood Forest Trust, The Woodland Trust Bingham Linear Park and Reach UK
There will be nature walks, talks and activities across both days led by experts on the incredible species across our county.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/RHF2024

Farewell To A Friend
7 August 2024

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It is with a heavy heart that we let you know of the death of one of our "Friends". Keith Stone was a coal-mining historian and active member of the heritage group, having been a pit sparky - electrical assistant at Bestwood and Babbington Collieries. He contributed greatly to our Friends Group with everything from informative talks & displays at events, to practical work with a drill & screwdriver when pictures or maps needed hanging in the Dynamo House. He worked on several projects at the Bestwood Winding Engine House, such as his research on the miners who lost their lives there, which resulted in a beautiful plaque listing their names being displayed in the WEH. Above all he was a gentleman who we shall all miss in so many ways. You can hear him talk about his memories of the pit ponies here.

Free Kids Activities
5 August 2024

While the kids are off school it gets more and more difficult to entertain them on a budget. Bestwood Country Park comes to the rescue! There is free parking at both ends of the park. Once you are in the park you can discover miles of lovely walks or let off some energy at Andy's Adventure Playground. If you make your way to the old colliery site you might spot a series of 6 wooden posts with images on them relating to coal mining. The posts also have QR codes on them where you can read all about the objects and how they relate to the life of the miners who worked at Bestwood Colliery. See if you can find them all. If you happen to visit on a Saturday between 9.30am at 12.30pm you could pop into the Dynamo House Community Cafe and pick up for just £3 a copy of Peter The Pit Pony (or click for digital version) - a story book for children which links to the posts in the park and the objects they show. Hours of entertainment at minimal cost.

History talk at Emmanuel Church
26 July 2024

There are a couple of events on at Emmanuel Church which might interest some of the Friends of Bestwood Country Park. Emmanuel, our Church in the Woods, is holding a summer fayre at the church hall on Saturday 3rd August 10am-2pm. At the same time the church will be open for visitors to explore this beautiful and unique treasure of our local history.
On Sunday 4th August at 11am Brian Miller will give a talk during the service, on the history of Emmanuel and its connection to the Duke of St Alban's country estate.

The address is 10 Church View Close, Arnold, NG5 9QP
We hope to see you there at one or both of the events.

New Pond
16 June 2024

Work has now started on building an ephemeral pond (a pond that comes and goes through the season) in the park. The FOBCP wildlife group have long campaigned to have a seasonal pond in the grassland area of the park as 90% of farmland ponds have disappeared in recent years.
An ephemeral pond is ideally suited to be a safe breeding habitat for an increased range of wildlife and help increase biodiversity in the park. We also hope that it will attract many more insects and butterflies to entice in additional birds. The building of the pond is funded by the Trees for Climate initiative.

Reclaiming The Past
9 July 2024

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Don't forget to pick up the latest edition of The Dynamo on your next visit to the Dynamo House Community Cafe. The July 2024 edition focusses on the transition from working colliery to country park,
It has been written by David Vincent (he of "Vincent's View") who was the Mining Surveyor employed by the NCC Land Reclamation Team to restore the land at Bestwood Colliery once the pit closed. It gives a whole new perspective to any walk in the country park to know what lies beneath your feet. A great read for anyone visiting the park.

To read this edition or any back issues of The Dynamo, covering topics as diverse as local geology, railways, pit ponies and butterflies, just click here

Plugging The Gaps
24 June 2024

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On the hot and sunny afternoon of Friday 21 June twelve volunteers helped to plant species of wildflowers in the grassland behind and beside the Dynamo House (13 volunteers if you include Molly the dog, but she didn’t do much!). This was the consequence of months of work after the Friends of Bestwood Country Park Wildlife Group first discussed the idea. The aim is to increase the number of wildflowers in the Dynamo House compound that are the food plants of butterfly & moth caterpillars, and used by adult butterflies & moths as sources of nectar, and so have more wildlife for people to enjoy.

Imogen Clayson, Chair of the Wildlife Group, and Alan Green were instrumental in moving the project along. Plans were drawn up, with help on native species to use from Carl Cornish, RSPB Conservation Officer. The group then submitted an application to the National Lottery’s Miner2Major Landscape Partnership Project for a wildlife grant. The grant was successful so planting equipment was bought and the plants ordered from Naturescape, a nursery in Notts that specialises in growing native British species. There was then a wait until the plants had grown and were ready last week. We got what are called plug plants. These are plants grown in trays of cells. They are small but have well-grown roots, important for helping the plants establish. The 18 species selected were Autumn Hawkbit, Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Common Knapweed, Common Sorrel, Cowslip, Cuckoo Flower, Field Scabious, Garlic Mustard, Kidney Vetch, Lady’s Bedstraw, Meadow Buttercup, Meadow Vetchling, Oxeye Daisy, Red Campion, Red Clover, Salad Burnet, Selfheal and Wild Strawberry. These plants are typical of the area of the Country Park. Some already occur in the compound and the new ones add to their number. We didn’t plant in areas where there are orchids and other wildflowers growing.

Back to Friday when 620 plug plants were planted. This involved making a hole with a dibber and pushing the plant firmly into the ground. It was lovely weather for planting, unless you had hayfever! The volunteers spent three hours planting. A bit longer than the optimistic five minutes someone suggested! The area will now be managed for the wildlfowers.

To see what butterflies occur in the Country Park pick up a copy of the guide produced by the Wildlife Group, available for free in the Dynamo House.
For more photos of the day, and the list of species, check out the gallery.

Meeting Dates For Your Diary
17 June 2024

Follow The Trail
10 June 2024

If you have already enjoyed seeing the art work on the gates of the Winding Engine House compound you might want to see some other similar projects in the area. There are 6 locations in the "Time To Connect" project - Bestwood Country Park, Papplewick Pumping Station, Newstead Abbey, Vicar Water Country Park, Rufford Abbey Country Park and the RSPB Sherwood Forest. You could visit them all and tick them off your list. Pick up a free brochure at the Dynamo House Community Cafe and start collecting.

Are You Snap Happy?
8 June 2024

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The Friends Group are producing a new Winding Engine House (WEH) leaflet to publicise the site.
We have the text. Thanks to Councillor Chris Barnfather, we have the funding for printing. Now we just need your photographs.
We are looking for any of the following:
 - An historic photo of the WEH
 - A contemporary photo of the WEH
 - A shot of the inside of the WEH
 - Another shot of something interesting around the site.

All photographers will receive full credit for their images that we use in the booklet.
For more information or to ask any questions please contact Margret on 07890 284066 or on email at [email protected]

Volunteers Needed
30 May 2024

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Fundraising for the Friends of Bestwood Country Park took a major turn for the better when we set up the Dynamo House Community Cafe in July 2012. It runs for 3 hours on a Saturday morning (9.30am to 12.30pm) & on Bank Holiday Mondays.

Our funds enable us to support efforts in the park, to improve habitats via the Wildlife Group and for visitors. At times we are able to access funding for larger projects from other sources but the cafe is the consistent earner.

We are in our 12th year which has only been possible due to our amazing volunteers who either bake or serve on a rota. As ever, we are looking to recruit more volunteers for either role. If you can't bake fresh for the weekend, bakers often make cakes when they can and freeze them to be brought out as required. Servers are paired up with one of our shift leaders for training and are able to do a full or half shift if a whole morning isn't feasible.

Please email us on [email protected] or phone Margret on 07890 284 066 if you think that you could join our merry band of volunteers.

Responses Received
29 May 2024

Following the plea for help on social media we received several useful snippets of information and some photos regarding the old pulley system at Bestwood Colliery. 
Gary Sansom said, "My grandad was the blacksmith for the pit." and he sent us a couple of old photos taken from the windows of 21 St Albans Road - see below.
Adrian Sansom said, "I was born in 1950 at 21 St Albans Road. From there you could see the pylons and large buckets dropping the slag. A brilliant way of doing it. There used to be large buckets that used to go full circle around the slag heaps and they would empty at the top. You could hear them clang when they emptied. They ran on large pylons. As kids we used to watch them. The pylons are probably still buried under the slag heap (now fields) because when the slag got too high they started using dump trucks instead. My dad was the blacksmith and I used to watch him work at times. They were the good old days."
Nathan Packwood send in a map showing the line of the Aerial Railway leading to the top of the spoil heap - see below.

Heritage Help Required
21 May 2024

PictureLocation of the concrete slab
The Severn Trent pipeline team have come across a concrete slab during their digging. It's at the side of the deer fencing, just around the corner from the Dynamo House, shown marked in red on the photo. The park rangers have suggested that the slab is probably the old foundations for the pulley system that moved materials up to the slag heap. Is there anyone out there who has old photos or maps showing this equipment in action? If so, drop us an email on [email protected] 

Path, Bridge & Drainage Works
17 May 2024

Bestwood Country Park – Dawson’s Corner Pit Tip access path

After several winter storms, this section of path was closed after storm Babet finally scoured the surface of the path to form deep gullies with exposed brick and rubble sub-base. The path connects to steeper paths above to the west side of the pit tip and is heavily used within the network of the country park infrastructure.
wooden bridge on the entrance to the path had become unstable from its foundation and was in need of replacement. The path was closed for several months until contractors were employed to renew the path structure by filling the gullies and grading the surface with the addition of kerb stone water diverters into re-dug pit tip drainage ditches that had become overgrown and full of silt and other debris.

A new sleeper bridge was installed over the main pit tip drainage channel to aid the passage of pedestrians using the site. It is hoped that the addition of water diverters will aid the longevity of the path surface in the face of more adverse storms in the future.

There are some before and after photos below.

Be Careful Out There
16 May 2024

The work on the pipeline crossing the main pathway adjacent to the Winding Engine House has finally taken place. The following message was received from the project team:
Bestwood park path is now open. The team have installed a stoned ramp across the footpath with bog matts underneath to protect the path when plant is passing. Signage of "heavy plant crossing", and "caution ramp" has been added to inform the public about the change.
So, when taking that route through the park please take care as, particularly in this very wet weather, it might be slippery underfoot.

Silhouette & Star
14 May 2024

PicturePhoto by Nick Owen
No matter what the conditions the Winding Engine House in Bestwood Country Park always looks majestic. This photo was taken on Sunday night by Nick Owen.

He had been hoping to see the northern lights but ended up with something equally spectacular - the WEH silhouetted with the lightening sky. To make it even more special we have Venus,  the "morning star", in the shot.

If you take any interesting photos in and around the park please email them to us on: [email protected] and we will display your work in our gallery.

Light Show
13 May 2024

On the evening of Friday 10 May much of Bestwood Village was treated to a fantastic natural light display as we experienced a rare southern occurrence of the aurora borealis. Many photos were taken around the village & country park of the amazing light show but few in our opinion as spectacular as this shot of the Winding Engine House taken by David Letts.
Did you take any interesting photos in and around the park recently? If so, please email to us on: [email protected] 

Darling Buds Of May
6 May 2024

This year's Darling Buds of May event went really well today. You can see a few photos of the event in the gallery. If you have more photos of the day you would like to share please send them in to us.

Delayed Closure
2 May 2024

The planned footpath closure detailed below has been delayed. The main drive will now be closed between Tuesday 7 May and Thursday 9 May.
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The view from the closed section looking back towards the Winding Engine House

Closure Notice
26 April 2024

A message from Avove Customer Service
"I have been asked by our Project team to notify you about the planned one-day footpath closure in Bestwood Country Park. Our Site Manager, Will, had a meeting with Rob, the Park Ranger, today to discuss the closing of the first footpath in Bestwood Country Park. I have attached photos of the advance warning signs notifying all regular users of this footpath’s planned closure and a map showing the location of the closure. The path is the main one leading away from the Winding Engine House compound up towards Alexandra Lodges and the woods and Bestwood Lodge Hotel beyond.
The planned footway closure will occur for one day only, sometime between Monday 29 April 2024 and Thursday 2 May 2024. We anticipate the date of the closure to be Wednesday 1 May 2024, if this anticipated date changes, I will notify you immediately."

Heard It Through The Pipeline
25 April 2024

On Wednesday 17 April, the Friends of Bestwood Country Park met with Severn Trent Water Limited to discuss the proposed mitigation for the pipeline through the field rich in precious Waxcaps. The meeting and subsequent mitigation came about when the Friends Group contacted Severn Trent about the Waxcaps after they were missed in the ecological survey. Severn Trent brought along three of their Ecologists as well as the Project Manager to explain the mitigations that their contractor, Avove, will undertake and subsequent monitoring and reinstatement. The meeting was positive and there is a clear willingness of Severn Trent to engage with the Friends Group to achieve the best outcome - even though the damage has been done - and to try to prevent this from happening again.

We also visited the site to look at the activity - see photo below. If anyone would like the minutes of the meeting and find out more about this and all the work that the Wildlife Group does to advocate for the wildlife in the park, then contact us via [email protected]
For all information relating to the country park on the pipeline project click here
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Inspecting the works from Park Road

Hedge Fund
19 April 2024

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Ever wondered why dead wood and old branches are being piled up along the path edges?
They are placed there to provide a wealth of protective habitat to both plants & animals. It is fencing for free with a bonus for wildlife.

You can find out more about "Dead Hedges" and see examples from around the park in the gallery.

None Shall Pass...
12 April 2024

...without noticing the changes to the gates guarding the Winding Engine Compound. They have been augmented with a beautiful new sculpture resembling a butterfly when the gates are closed. If you look closely you will see some very industrial shapes making up the image which is very fitting for its location. Local children from the Boys' Brigade & Girls' Association were asked to draw shapes inspired by their visit round the Winding Engine House and these were then brought together to create the sculpture you see today. There are 6 projects at mining sites around the county which have all been created under the banner of "Time To Connect". Make sure you take a closer look next time you pass through our wonderful gates.

Date For Your Diary
3 April 2024

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DARLING BUDS OF MAY
Bank Holiday Monday 6 May, 12 noon to 4pm

Bring along a picnic from 12 noon to 1pm to get yourself in the mood for the full event which starts at 1pm.

The event will offer the following:- Meet a pony, live owls on display, live music from local artists, children's craft activities and bug hunt, information stands about the country park and interest groups such as the wildlife group. The Dynamo House Community Cafe will be open serving hot & cold drinks and home-made cakes to augment your picnic or just tempt your taste buds.

Any Minute Now...
2 April 2024

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Walking around the country park today you can see the beginnings of a big change about to happen. The bluebells will soon be bursting into bloom, turning the green forest floor into a carpet of blue. Keep a look out over the next few days for this spectacle taking place.

If you see anything of interest on your walks in and around the park please take a picture and send it in to us by email
[email protected] 

Extra Helpings Of Coffee & Cake
30 March 2024

PictureThe Historic Winding Engine House
The Dynamo House Cafe will be open for the Easter Bank Holiday Monday (1 April) from 9.30am to 12.30pm, serving their usual amazing selection of cakes for £1 each and 50p hot & cold drinks. Pop over and enjoy a walk around the Country Park and Mill Lakes, enjoy a free guided tour of the Winding Engine House or take a stroll around the historic colliery village then reward yourself with a visit to the cafe.
If you can't make it this Bank Holiday the cafe is open every Saturday 9.30am - 12.30pm and most Bank Holiday Mondays too. Free tours of the WEH run from 10am to 12 noon.

Any Questions?
28 February 2024

The Severn Trent Water pipeline works have started in the park and people now have lots of questions. STW Ltd have prepared the answers to many of the common ones in a FAQ document. You can download the document and read through the replies by clicking here.
If you still find you have unanswered questions you could go along to the drop in session being held at the Welfare Public House on Park Road, Bestwood Village on Tuesday 19th March any time between 3.30pm to 6.30pm. Please note that any reference to this event being a week earlier (12th) are wrong as the date had to be amended after some documents had been printed, including the FAQ doc,

On Track For More Visitors
25 February 2024

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NET (Nottingham Express Transit) who operate the trams in Nottingham, have been in touch recently to ask for our help in a new project. They are creating support pages for each of their tram stops giving details of nearby attractions. For the Butlers Hill tram stop they have chosen to highlight its close proximity to Mill Lakes and Bestwood Country Park. The page will have direct links to this website for more information and will feature photographs from our gallery. Thanks to Trudi and Kay for agreeing for their images to be used. We hope that this will help a few more tram passengers to find their way to the beautiful Mill Lakes.

Pipeline Meeting
21 February 2024

Imogen Clayson, Chair of the Wildlife Group, has offered to do a brief meeting about the pipeline and its potential effects for wildlife in the country park. Imogen will explain how the wildlife group are liaising with the contractors, report on progress so far and note any concerns going forward.

Everyone is welcome to co me along to the Dynamo House at 6pm tomorrow, Thursday 22 February.

Plant stall at Darling Buds of May (6th May)
12 February 2024

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There will be a plant stall at the Darling Buds of May event in 2024. In previous years this has proved very popular raising over £400 last year alone. Considering that the items for sale are very reasonably priced that is an amazing total. If you are interested in purchasing from the stall remember to bring a big, strong bag for carrying everything home - you know you'll buy more than you thought you would!

Volunteers required for the Darling Buds of May
12 February 2024

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For this event to be as successful as it has been in previous years, we are calling for volunteers to help on the day (Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May) with setting up and taking down the gazebos at 10:30am for 30 mins and at the end of the event – planned for 4pm - for around 30 mins.
If anyone can offer their help, please let us know so that we can keep a record of potential volunteers. Just contact us at [email protected]

Update for Severn Trent Pipeline Information
12 February 2024

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As you may already know, a new drinking water pipeline will be constructed across the park. The route, marked in blue, is an approximation of the route through the park.
We have been told that the trench in which the pipeline will sit must remain open for 18 months for pressure testing. We also know that the trench will require 15 metre clear access on each side. Trees and hedges will be removed in this area. Heavy vehicles and plant will need to access the route so we anticipate some disruption on paths and access roads during construction.

Members of the Friends of Bestwood Country Park will meet with NCC officers and members, Severn Trent Water Limited and Avove (site contractors) in the Bestwood Development Group this week.
We welcome any questions you may have about this project and will attempt to present as many as we can at the meeting.
As we receive new information we will post to our dedicated page here.

Questions please to [email protected]

Boom! Boom!
31 January 2024

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If you heard a large explosion in the country park at around 10.45am today we can start to explain what was happening.

Police and the Army Bomb Disposal Team were in the park  carrying out a controlled explosion. We believe the site of the explosion was in the area behind the Winding Engine House in the fenced off area of tree planting. Currently we have no more information than that.

As and when we find more details we will let you know the full story.

What The Rangers Say
31 January 2024

Have you ever seen the park rangers out and about, maybe in their little "jeep", and wondered what work they do in the country park? Well, we now have regular updates from the rangers on what work they are engaged with. They will answer some of your questions about why certain trees are being felled or what is happening about storm damage around the area. To read the latest update just click here.

Hedge Your Bets
30 January 2024

The FoBCP Wildlife Group are planting an edible hedge in the park. This event is organised in partnership with Greenwood Community Forest's Trees and Hedges project, which is part of the Miner2Major Landscape Scheme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

You can get involved too. Please come and join us planting on Saturday 2nd March with your family and friends. There are both morning and afternoon planting sessions to chose from.
You will need to book a place for each person on the Eventbrite link below so that we know who is coming and we can ensure enough gloves and tools etc.

BOOK HERE

  • The hedge will be on the pit tip to screen ground nesting birds from disturbance in future years when a new footpath opens (protecting skylarks and meadow pipits).
  • The hedge will have fruit and nut trees within it to provide increased biodiversity to the Park. The hedging has also been chosen deliberately to provide nectar plants for the butterflies in the Park.
  • It's chemical free as we will be experimenting with using sheep fleece to lower the carbon footprint and provide a mulch, which will hopefully be a natural deterrent to deer damage.
  • We'll be using biodegradable tree guards, so there will be no plastic in the hedge in the future

Shining A Light On Mining
29 January 2024

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Shining A Light are a charity who are aiming to raise £30,000 towards creating a permanent memorial to miners to mark the sacrifices they made. They celebrate miners and their families, the communities they built and the legacy they gave us.

The project has received generous backing from local unions, councils and businesses to get it started but it also seeks your support. Shining A Light is a community led project and they need your donation.

If you would like to know more or could make a donation please click here.

Keep The Date Free
27 January 2024

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We have a special Sunday opening of the Dynamo House Community Cafe coming up, so get your diary out and make a note.

We are hosting a charity fundraiser for "The Brain Tumour Charity" on Sunday 18 February from 10am to 1pm. The dog-friendly cafe will be serving the usual selection of drinks & cakes whilst promoting this very worthwhile charity's work. Come along and enjoy an extra day of the Dynamo's delights and support a good cause.

If you are unable to attend but still want to help, there is a just giving page here:- www.justgiving.com/page/bsmithbraintumour
You can also read all about Bridget's story and why she is arranging this event here.

Watch Out Below
23 January 2024

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With the numerous named storms passing through our region it was inevitable that the park would sustain some damage. Please take extra care when walking in the park during or after windy weather as there may be trees down or branches hanging precariously overhead. The torrential rain has also damaged some paths, so extra care is needed underfoot in places. If you spot problems with dangerous tree falls or gulleys on paths please report them to Ranger, Rob Wombwell, on 0300 500 8080 giving clear information on the location of the incident.
You could use What3Words to explain the location if it is on a smaller path out in the park.
The tree fall shown in the photo has been removed and made safe.

Pipeline Coming Through
12 January 2024

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Monday’s Friends of Bestwood Country Park meeting included a briefing about the route of the water main that will cross our park.
We have asked Severn Trent Water plc to provide information to explain the work, its timescale, its context and the measures they’ll be taking with Nottinghamshire County Council to ensure access & safety, as well as remedial works afterwards.
When we have more information we will share it with you all via our information hub (subscribe at [email protected]), via our Facebook page and here on the website.
Our next group meeting will be on Monday 11 March at 7:30pm. Venue is still to be confirmed.

Local Talks
8 January 2024

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"A Mining Ghost Story" will be told on Saturday 27 January at 2pm in the cabin at the Walks Of Life Museum, 33 Lincoln Road Tuxford NG22 0HR. This is a free event but donations are welcome. Please let the organisers know if you want to come along due to limits on numbers
- Contact Diane on 01777 872776 or by email on [email protected]
"Horses at War" - a profusely illustrated talk (not for the faint hearted!) will be held on Sunday 4 February 2.30pm at the Museum of the Horse. There will also be a tour of the museum. Numbers are limited so please book with Sally - [email protected].

Meetings In January
2  January 2024

Darling Buds Of May
12 December 2023

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For your Diaries.
3rd Darling Buds of May event is being planned for the 6th of May 2024 which is the Bank Holiday Monday. It runs between 12 and 4pm.
This has proved to be an incredibly popular event for our community with something for everyone, it has also raised funds for use in the Country Park, generated by the cafe and plant stall in particular.
We are asking for volunteers to help on the day and for someone, (or a group) to run and manage the plant stall which raised over £400 last year. We had a fabulous group of volunteers last year whose efforts were much appreciated and if any of you could take this on, please let me know by return.

Bird Walk
6 November 2023

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The next guided bird walk has been arranged for Saturday 25 November. We will meet at the Dynamo House to leave promptly on the walk at 10am.
Join Hayley and Carl to look for and identify birds around the Country Park.
The walk will last about 2 hours.
Please wear stout footwear and bring binoculars if you have them.
The walk is free but is limited to 15 people so please book early. To book email: [email protected]

Information Notice
2 November 2023

Hedge-laying Workshops
1 November 2023

PictureHedge-laying complete
Lee Scudder, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Land Manager, has agreed to lead hedge-laying workshops at Moor Pond Woods, Papplewick. These are free to attend and will be in three sessions. The first date will be Tuesday 14 November 2023 and then by agreement with participants in December & January.
Places are limited so notify Gill or Stephen if you are interested as soon as possible. Please email them on :-
[email protected]
[email protected]
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.