All You Need To Know About Bestwood Country Park
Bestwood Country Park is 4 miles north of Nottingham city centre, it offers over 650 acres of parkland and woodland and a wide variety of wildfowl and wild flowers. Mill Lakes are about 15 minutes walk from the main park through Bestwood Village. The County Council owns and manages most of the park; Gedling Borough Council owns and manages part of its south eastern area.
The heath land has been created from the spoil heaps which were left behind when Bestwood Colliery closed. The park and lakes are open all year from dawn to dusk and admission & car parking is free. Downloadable map of the park can be found here.
There is no visitor centre at Bestwood, just toilets and car parking, but there are miles of footpaths to explore the park and enjoy some of the best bird watching in the county.
The park is regularly used by walkers, cyclists and horse-riders. There are picnic areas and an adventure playground where the kids can run off some energy.
On Saturday mornings between 9.30am and 12.30pm the Dynamo House Café is open serving hot and cold drinks and home-baked cakes & biscuits. It is also open on special days such as Bank Holidays and village event days and (hopefully!!) on Sunday afternoons 2pm to 4pm in June July & August only depending on availability of volunteers. Check the What's On page for details.
The park is accessible on foot from Bestwood Village, Rise Park, or Bestwood Lodge and there are car parks at the Bestwood Village and Bestwood Lodge entrances. Car parking is free but make sure you don't accidentally park in the Bestwood Lodge Hotel car park if you are not a guest or you may be changed. The free car park is at the bottom of the drive, the hotel car park is at the top of the drive.
Click on the links below to find out a little more about some of the features of Bestwood Country Park.