An historic Nottingham park Visited by countless park go-ers seven days a week is adored by dog walkers, runners and people in the community who fancy a stroll. Those who use and live near Woodthorpe Grange Park have said they love living near nature.
The steep and bendy road taking you from Sherwood to Mapperley, Woodthorpe Drive, is described by some as an ‘ideal’ place to live as it is close to two busy high streets and other handy, local independent businesses. It's also steeped in history; Woodthorpe Park was visited by King George V and Queen Mary on July 10 1928. In more recent years, the park was ‘rammed’ for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
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Woodthorpe Park first opened on June 1 1922. Now, there’s 52 acres of greenery. Layla Crossmore, 25 lives in Sherwood. Layla, who is a full-time student said: “Woodthorpe Park is great, I have many memories here of having picnics and walking my nan's dogs with her when I was younger.”
Layla continued: “I don’t come as much now but throughout lockdown I would come here and walk around to get my 10,000 steps in. I walk past it most days and at Christmas, I love it when the reindeer that lights up is out. When I think of Sherwood, I think of all the shops and this park.”
A group of volunteers from the Friends of Woodthorpe Park help to look after the park. Picking up litter, gardening and cleaning graffiti are just some of the tasks the group of volunteers carry out to help keep it looking at its best. The chairman of the group, Paul Swift is a local historian.
Woodthorpe Park is a big part of Paul’s life, a place he has always visited regularly. Paul said: “Woodthorpe Park, in theory, is North of the city, one side of it is the city the other the county. It’s a great park.
“One thing that’s changed about the park is: a lot of elm trees have been cut down because of the Dutch Elm disease but still as you can see, the park is full of nature. On a Saturday morning from 11am until 1pm, Friends of Woodthorpe Park come together to do gardening, we’ve planted a tree and are building funds for a second one.”
Paul also does tour guides of the park. The historian continued: “In 1877 it was Henry Ashwell who owned the Woodthorpe Estate; this was when times were moving from the Victorian era to industrialist.”
Woodthorpe Park is also where once upon a time, the Nottingham Suburban Railway once was. In 1889, the Nottingham Suburban Railway was opened, and the line ran right across and under the Ashwell’s estate.
Paul continued: “During lockdown, the park was filled with litter, I came here once in 2020 to clean up and I found a bluetooth speaker. It was rammed for the Queen's Jubilee too where I had the honour of lighting the beacon. Coming together to clear the park or hold activities here brings the community together, a lot goes on at the park.”
Jenny Gordon, 44 lives off of Woodthorpe Drive. Jenny who has lived in the area all her life said: “It’s a great area, as much as it is a pain, in the autumn when all the leaves have dropped it looks beautiful until you’re spending your time forever sweeping up. It’s not a quiet area I’d say, a lot of cars run by and there’s always people walking about but everyone’s pleasant and gets on with things.
“I use the Tesco Express at the bottom of the road if I’ve ever forgotten anything and Arnold, Woothorpe and Mapperley are minutes away in the car and walking.”
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