Rushcliffe Country Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rushcliffe Country Park is an open park space covering approximately 210 acres (0.85 km²), located just south of Ruddington on the A60 in the borough of Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire.
The park is free to enter & attracts approximately 250,000 visitors a year.
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[edit] History of the site
Originally the park was a boggy waterland. In the 18th century it was drained and transformed into productive farmland by Arthur Gibson after the Enclosure Act of 1767.
In 1940 a depot was built with a bomb factory & ammunition bunker. After being decommissioned the site was used for auctioning redundant ex-military vehicles & equipment with the depot finally closing in 1983.
The park is now situated on the site of the disused Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) depot. Over 200 buildings were reduced to rubble when the park was reclaimed & designed by Nottinghamshire County Council. The rubble was used to landscape the site, thousands of trees were planted & a lake created.
It is now managed by Rushcliffe Borough Council with a team of full time rangers.
The park is a winner of the Green Flag Award, the national standard for parks & green spaces in the United Kingdom & Wales.
[edit] The park today
The park is a natural habitat for wildlife, including a family of Swans & is also used as an open space for recreational activities. It is open 365 days of the year although the car park has opening times dependent on the time of year. There are over 5 miles (8.0 km) of pathways situated between landscaped areas, grassland, wildflower meadows, community gardens & woodlands which are used by walkers, joggers & cyclists.
The park is also located next to the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, with its collection of steam trains & classic buses & is also adjacent to Ruddington Fields Business Park.
[edit] Recreation
There are numerous recreational activities within the park including three Natural Heritage Trails of varying length:
- Yellow Trail - 2.5 miles (4.0 km)
- Red Trail - 1.3 miles (2.1 km)
- Blue Trail - 1.2 miles (1.9 km)
A play area for children has also been built with over 20 pieces of play equipment along with a skateboard ramp, with a small refreshment stand close by. There are also two items of play equipment designed for disabled visitors, specifically a swing & roundabout which have been designed in conjunction with carers & professionals & include full body support & removable harnesses.
The whole play area is due to undergo a £60,000 refurbishment in Spring 2008 which will add extra equipment for children whatever their needs. Young Children can also enjoy Gibbies Wood which includes a Log Maze.
There is man made lake with reed beds covering two hectares, which serve as an important habitat for many species of birds & insect life. The park is an ideal place to spot wildlife in a natural habitat.
The park hosts several annual events, including a kite festival & a fun run.
In Spring 2008 a 4-cross cycle track is due to be built opening in May. The track has been designed by Council engineers & members of the Free Riders 4-cross club & will be partly funded by a £20,000 grant. A series of obstacles will be developed on a hillside including table tops, ski jumps, drop offs & double / triple jumps which will be to competition standards. It is intended that the track will be used for competitions, race meetings, daytime & evening school sessions as well as for public use. It will be one of only eight tracks based in the UK.
[edit] Environment
[edit] Energy
An Environmental Education Centre was officially opened in 2005 & is designed to be Energy Neutral.
Two wind turbines generate power with the excess sold to the National Grid whilst Solar Power is used for water heating along with a Biomass Boiler.
Rushcliffe Country Park has received awards for its effective energy management.
[edit] Conservation
Gibbies Wood is an area of the park covering 4.5 hectares named after Arthur Gibson, which is part of the Natural Heritage Project. The area appeared to be returning back to a marshland & therefore simple, modern drains were laid to discharge water from the site. This in turn created a shallow pond & helped re-establish a part of the marsh. There are a number of Barn Owl boxes throughout the park that attract little owls & kestrels.
[edit] Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park
The Friends Of Rushcliffe Country Park is a voluntary group which meets regularly & carries out improvement projects along with conservation work.
Recent projects have included the creation of Willow Sculptures, a Tree Identification Trail and the carving of seats and other features, as well as conservation work such as hedge laying and tree planting.
[edit] Education
Rangers provide educational talks to local groups on environmental topics & there are also exhibitions explaining how to live a greener lifestyle.
[edit] Controversy
In March 2008 a petition was started to prevent the felling of 70 sycamore trees along the edge of the A60. It was concluded that 12 trees could pose a danger to traffic, however the remaining trees were also being removed as they had killed a hedgerow due to their close proximity blocking light. The petition gained approximately 350 signatures and was handed to Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The local council maintains that once the trees are removed a new hedgerow will be planted which will add to the diversity of wildlife within the park.
[edit] Transport links
- Green line 10
- Nottingham City Centre - Railway Station - Trent Bridge - ASDA - Wolds Estate - Ruddington
- Ruddington connection
- Nottingham (Broadmarsh Shopping Centre) - Trent Bridge - Wilford - Ruddington
