Wollaton Park

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Wollaton Park
False Bridge, Wollaton Park - geograph.org.uk - 874421.jpg
False Bridge, Wollaton Park, seen from across the southern tip of the lake. This was probably a boathouse designed to "enhance the landscape".
Nottinghamshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Wollaton, Nottinghamshire, England
Nearest city Nottingham
Coordinates 52°56′57″N1°12′40″W / 52.949066°N 1.211007°W / 52.949066; -1.211007
Area202 hectares (500 acres)
Operated by Nottingham City Council
Other informationPostcode: NG8 2AE
Website https://wollatonhall.org.uk/

Wollaton Park is a 500-acre park in Nottingham, England, which includes a deer park. It is centred on Wollaton Hall, a classic Elizabethan prodigy house which contains the Nottingham Natural History Museum, with the Nottingham Industrial Museum in the stable block.

Contents

Various events including concerts are held in the park. The park has an active volunteering programme to support the upkeep of the park, run by the Friends of Wollaton Park.

History

The enclosure of Wollaton Park required the destruction of the village of Sutton Passeys. [1] It was enclosed by Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton with a 7-mile (11 km) red brick wall at the start of the nineteenth century. Originally 790 acres (3.2 km2), land sales have reduced the park to 500 acres (2.0 km2). [2]

During World War II, American troops of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the US 82nd Airborne Division, were billeted in Wollaton Park, waiting to be parachuted into Europe, which happened in June 1944. A small plaque commemorates the event. Italian prisoners of war were later billeted here for employment in the locality between 1945 and 1947. [3] [4] [ full citation needed ]

Other buildings

In addition to Wollaton Hall the park hosts the following historic buildings:

Camellia House

A Grade II-listed building about 100 metres from the hall. [5]

Lenton Lodge

Lenton Lodge on Derby Road Lenton Lodge.jpg
Lenton Lodge on Derby Road

Lenton Lodge is one of the gatehouses built around the boundary of Wollaton Park. Commissioned by Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton, it was designed by the architect Jeffry Wyatville and completed in 1825. [6] It is built in the Elizabethan Revival style.

With the sale of part of the park for residential building, Lenton Lodge was separated from the rest of the park and now stands isolated but prominent on Derby Road in Lenton. It was sold by Nottingham City Council in the early 1980s .

A 99-year revolving lease was acquired in 1996 by Moiz Saigara, who obtained planning permission to convert the lodge to a single dwelling and undertook major restoration work using Julian Owen Associates as the architect. The main part of this work – apart from restoration and installation of services – was filling in the middle archway in order to connect the two wings without detracting from the appearance which identifies the building as a gatehouse. Lenton Lodge was used by Moiz Saigara as his residence from 1996 to 2006, when the lease was sold to Chek Whyte.

In 2006–2008, Lenton Lodge was restored by Chek Whyte Industries and sold as a 3,324 sq ft (308.8 m2) office in 2009. [7] It was occupied by Global Fire and Security for six years, before being sold to the University of Nottingham in 2016.[ citation needed ]

Beeston Lodge

Beeston Lodge on Derby Road Wollaton Park Gatehouse - geograph.org.uk - 905742.jpg
Beeston Lodge on Derby Road

Designed by the architect Jeffry Wyatville around 1832, Beeston Lodge is built of coursed Gritstone ashlar in a heavy Gothic style with "martello-type" round outer towers with battlements. The square central gatehouse is connected to the towers at the second floor level. It has an arched carriage entrance with an oriel window above. It was built following the Nottingham Reform riots of October 1831 [8] and is now a Grade II listed building. [9]

Nature

The park is home to herds of red deer and fallow deer. [10] Each night there is a large corvid roost at the park, made up of rook, jackdaw, and carrion crow. Other bird species present at the site include [11] jay, nuthatch and sparrowhawk. Migrating wildfowl grace the lake in the winter and species of note include gadwall, shoveler, wigeon and tufted duck. There is a good diversity of fungi present, [12] especially in the winter months, mainly found near the wooded areas and the lake. Northern pike have been spotted swimming in the lake.

In 2017 local news reported that a pair of ring-necked parakeets had been seen in the park. [13] These exotic birds have been breeding in London for several decades and spreading across the country, with sightings in Peterborough, Manchester, Liverpool, and even as far north as Edinburgh. [14] In 2018 there are at least four parakeets living wild in Wollaton Park.

Events

Rally cars at Nottingham Autokarna 2012 Nottingham Autokarna MMB 07 Subaru Impreza and Ford Escort.jpg
Rally cars at Nottingham Autokarna 2012
National Cross Country 2014, Wollaton Park National Cross Country 2014, Wollaton Park.jpg
National Cross Country 2014, Wollaton Park

Wollaton Park is often used for major events, including:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A look back at days long gone: Mystery whereabouts". Newark Advertiser. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Fellows, George (1902). "Wollaton Hall, Church, and the Family of Willoughby". Nottinghamshire History. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  3. ↑ derbycsv (2 November 2005). "WW2 People's War: Doing My Bit To Help". BBC History. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  4. ↑ Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday 3 September 2003
  5. ↑ Historic England. "Camellia House (1255271)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Listed Buildings Online – LBS Number 457103
  7. ↑ "Global Fire takes Lenton Lodge". This is Nottingham. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Comfort and Security" The Regency Great House, Malcolm Airs. Oxford University Press 1998
  9. ↑ Historic England. "Beeston Lodge (1270384)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  10. ↑ glsammy (October 2005). "Red Deer at Wollaton Park". Wild About Britain. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Wollaton Park Birds". Friends of Wollaton Park. March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Fungi in Wollaton Park". Friends of Wollaton Park. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Sandeman, Kit (12 November 2017). "Pair of Parrots Spotted in Wollaton". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Parakeets mystery is causing a bit of a flap". The Scotsman. 3 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  15. ↑ "Autokarna & The Evening Post Motor Show 50th Anniversary". Nottingham City Council. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012.
  16. ↑ "Local stars shine at Nottinghamshire Cross Country at Wollaton Park". Nottingham Post. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "English Schools Cross Country – 2011" . Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  18. ↑ "Nottingham Steam and Country Show (30th April to 2nd May 2011)". Things to do in Nottinghamshire. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Heath, Neil (16 June 2011). "Batman boost as The Dark Knight Rises at Wollaton Hall". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  20. ↑ Lee, Ann (10 June 2011). "The Dark Knight Rises finds new home for Batman in Nottingham". Metro . Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "City was paid for Batman filming". Nottingham Post. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
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