Gedling Country Park
About the park
Gedling Country Park opened in 2015. The park has 580 acres of open space, footpaths and wildlife, with stunning views over the surrounding areas and plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors for exercise and activities and to experience nature and wildness on your doorstep!
The park has a popular chldren's play area, complete with a mining tower slide and zipwire, several picnic areas, two viewing platforms, a visitor centre where you can find out more about the history of the park and surrounding area and a fabulous cafe, offering hot and cold food and drinks.
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We welcome everyone to use our parks, but please keep your disance from other visitors and stick to the left on paths where possible, to allow people to pass you easily and help everyone to feel safe on their visits.
Cafe 1899
From Tuesday 27th July the indoor seating area at Cafe 1899 will be open.
You will need to book a table to sit inside the cafe, either by calling the cafe team on 0115 926 1388 during opening hours, or call at the hatch on the day of your visit to check availability. (We recommend pre-booking to secure a table.)
The new outdoor, decked, seating area is also open for cafe customers and your canine companions are welcome on this new area at the front of the cafe.
The cafe hatch serves takeaway hot and cold drinks and snacks, so do call by for refreshments to enjoy at the outdoor tables, on your walk around the park or for a treat for when you get back home.
Cafe opening times
| Monday - Friday | Saturday - Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| May - July | 9am - 4pm | 9am - 4.30pm |
| August | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 5pm |
You can call the cafe during their opening hours on 0115 926 1388.
Toilets
Toilets are located in the visitor centre. The toilets close 10 minutes before the cafe each day.
Please note, the toilets are currently having additional cleaning sessions throughout the day and during those cleaning sessions, are not accessible. Please wait outside until the cleaner has finished, if they are working in there when you arrive.
Changing Places facility
The park boasts a Changing Places facility, which includes height adjustable changing benches, a tracking hoist system, space for disabled people and carers, a central toilet and a non-slip floor. Access to the room is available with a radar key.
Please note, due to additional safety measures in place in response to the Covid 19 pandemic, the room is currently kept locked (so that we know when it has been used and needs cleaning). Please just ask in the café or at the hatch for the key.
Children's play area
Come along and enjoy one of the top play areas in the borough! It incorporates the park's mining heritage with a rustic mining tower slide, mining train and old pit grasslands. The park has a toddler play area, complete with swings, slides and a wheelchair accessible roundabout.
Walking and cycling
We've laid out a series of trails to allow you to get round the park easily. They are graded for length and difficulty so you can take anything from a quick stroll with a pushchair to a strenuous workout.
Top Hard (Red) - 2.8km long with some steep inclines.
High Hazels (Blue) - 1.4km with gentle slopes suitable for wheelchair users.
Main Bright (Yellow) - 2.7km of mainly easy paths but with a sharp slope at one point.
Low Hazels (Green) - at 5.7km it's the longest route with several steep parts.
All routes are circular and are signposted at every junction.
You can print and bring an Gedling Country Park Map (A4).
Nature trail
The accessible High Hazles route includes a wonderful nature trail for families to follow and discover carvings of eight animals which can be found within Gedling Country Park.
The trail starts just after the children’s play area. To complete the trail you will need a nature trail leaflet and a crayon, which you can purchase from the café for 20p. The leaflet tells you all about the wildlife at the park and other things that you can look out for during your visit.
Tree trail
Pick up a leaflet at the visitor centre and follow the park’s brand new tree trail, featuring 50 species of british native trees. There are 2 routes for the trail, including a pushchair and wheelchair friendly one.
Follow the map and look out for the marker signs with the numbers on, telling you which tree you've found. You can read more about the trees by scanning the QR code on the marker signs.
A donation of 20p is suggested per leaflet.
Viewing platforms
Two viewing platforms were officially opened by the Mayor of Gedling on 10 July 2020. They provide views as far as Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Each platform has interpretation panels with information about some of the sights you can see, including Lincoln Cathedral, St Mary Magdalene Church in Newark, Gunthorpe Lock and Belvoir Castle.
The platforms, facing to the North and South of the park, both feature wheelchair and pushchair accessible ramps, to ensure that they can be enjoyed by as many visitors as possible.
'Friends of' groups
Gedling Country Park is supported by the Friends of Gedling Country Park group. Find out more about this group and others on our 'Friends of' page.
Getting to the park
By car
The park is accessible by foot at all times, but the car parks are only open from dawn until dusk. Car park gates are closed at night
Spring Lane entrance (NG4 4PE)
The Spring Lane entrance car parking area has recently been increased and is the main car park. The car park is near to the visitor centre, toilets, Cafe 1899 and the children's play area.
Lambley Lane recreation ground entrance (NG4 4PA)
(Please note; Lambley Lane is currently closed from Spring Lane end, but the recreation ground car park on Lambley Lane can be accessed via the Arnold Lane end.)
The route into the park from the recreation ground car park involves crossing the grassy recreation ground and navigation gates and rough terrain at the far end of the recreeation ground, so people with mobility problems or pushchairs should use the Spring Lane car park.
Car parks' opening times
| Month | Open | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| March | 8am | 6pm |
| April | 8am | 7pm |
| May | 8am | 9pm |
| June, July and August | 8am | 9pm |
| September | 8am | 7pm |
| October | 8am | 5pm |
| November - February | 8am | 4pm |
By bus
Nottingham City Transport run buses that go close to the two main entrances of the park.
- Sky Blue 47 (Spring Lane entrance)
- Red 44 (Lambley Lane entrance)
Management plan
A full copy of our Management Plan is available to view online and is deliberately designed as a working tool to assist staff, contractors, stakeholders and the park’s ‘Friends’ group to articulate and share their vision, understand their roles and responsibilities and plan for the future of Gedling Country Park.