Rushcliffe Country Park
Encyclopedia
Rushcliffe Country Park (Grid Reference
SK577320) is an open park space covering approximately 210 acre (0.8498406 km²), located on Mere Way 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.
Rushcliffe Country Park has been maintained the Green Flag award
for two years; the national standard for parks & green spaces in the United Kingdom
& Wales
.
named Gibsons Dyke and transformed into productive farmland
by Arthur Gibson after the Enclosure Act of 1767.
In 1940 Ruddington Depot
was built with a bomb
factory & ammunition bunker. The site consisted of over 200 buildings & took only 18 months to build. A total of 4000 workers were involved in the building work of a site that would remain for 41 years.
After being decommissioned in 1945 the site was used for auctioning redundant ex-military vehicles & equipment with the depot finally closing in 1983. The auction
s were known nationally & were held every eight weeks. Each auction lasted about a week & were so popular that they were advertised in the national press & dealers came from all over the country.
depot. The buildings were reduced to rubble when the park was reclaimed & designed by Nottinghamshire
County Council
. The rubble was used to landscape the site, almost 140,000 trees were planted & a 70,000m3 lake created. Some areas, including Fowemer Hill were raised by 7 metres.
Work began in 1989 & the park was finally completed in 1993 at a cost of £3.5 million.
Originally the site was to be used for housing but the district council were against the idea. It was then suggested that the site be used as a business park with landscaped surroundings. The Transport Heritage Centre was added as another idea to add greater interest to the site.
It is now managed by Rushcliffe
Borough Council with a team of full time rangers.
The park is a natural habitat for wildlife, including a family of Swan
s who first took up residence in May 1996 & 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. The car park was improved in early 2009 to improve safety.
There are over 5 miles (8 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 Ruddington
Fields Business Park & the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre
which is open every Sunday & Bank Holiday
from Easter Sunday to late October, with its collection of steam trains & classic buses.
There are numerous recreational activities within the park including three Natural Heritage Trails of varying length which are followed by markers:
A play area for children was built in 1996 at a cost of £180,000 & now has over twenty pieces of play equipment including 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 underwent a £60,000 refurbishment in spring 2008 which added extra equipment for children whatever their needs.
A skateboard
ramp was built in 2000 due to the enthusiasm of local teenagers who raised funds for its construction and there is a small refreshment stand close by along with public toilets.
There is man made lake fed from a culvert
(Gibsons Dyke) with reed beds covering two hectares, which serve as an important habitat for many species of bird
s & insect
life. The park is an ideal place to spot wildlife
in a natural habitat.
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| Looking Over The Lake
|Part Of The Reedbed
|Seat Overlooking The Lake
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The park hosts several annual events, including a kite
festival
(which also boasts vintage fairground
rides, farmers market & craft fair) & an annual 10k charity
race including a 2k fun run
.
In March 2009, the nominated 10k charity race was in aid of Cerebral Palsy
Sport.
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|Kite
Festival
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In spring 2008 work began on a 4-cross cycle track which opened in May. The track has been designed by Council engineers & members of the Free Riders 4-cross club & was partly funded by a £20,000 grant.
A series of obstacles have been 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.
Two Iskra AT5-1 wind turbine
s were installed in February 2005 which generate power with the excess sold to the National Grid whilst Solar Power
is used for water heating along with a Biomass Boiler. Composting toilets have also been installed.
Rushcliffe Country Park has received awards for its effective energy management.
award winning project.
The area appeared to be returning 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.
Young Children can also particularly enjoy Gibbies Wood as it includes a number of wooden sculptures & a Log Maze
.
The park is home to a number of types of trees including:
The Wildflower meadows host over 100 species of flower
s & 20 types of grass. From May through to September a succession of flowers attract bees, butterflies & many other insects. Small mammals also live within the meadows which creates a hunting ground for the birds of prey.
To date, 262 species of moth
, 23 species of butterfly
& 130 species of birds have been recorded.
There are a number of Barn Owl
boxes throughout the park that attract little owl
s & kestrel
s.
The 1082 plus species of flora & fauna give the park SINC Status (Site Of Importance For Nature Conservation) & Natural England
have confirmed the park has being Nature Reserve Status.
The Friends Of Rushcliffe Country Park is a voluntary group formed in October 1997 & a registered charity
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.
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| Community Garden
|Dragonfly
Sculpture
|Seat Carving
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The Friends Of Rushcliffe Park also submitted a bid for lottery funding to provide fitness equipment for adults but this project did not win the funding against other organisations.
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|Remains Of The Pond
|& The Marshland
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|Cricket Sculpture
|Snake
Sculpture
|Lizard
Sculpture
|Mushroom
Seating
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|Stepping Stones
|Log Maze
|Willow Weaving
|Children's Seating
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|Swan
s
|Cygnet
|Moorhen
|Duck
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s provide educational talks to local groups on environmental topics & there are also exhibitions explaining how to live a greener lifestyle.
For children there is a Tree
Identification Trail, Pond Dipping, Sensory Trail, Orienteering,Adventure Orienteering Trail, and a Habitat Walk (the Ranger-led activities are dependent on the weather and staff availability). Call the Education Centre to ask for more details
fall in years.
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|Frozen Lake
|Swan In Frozen Lake
|Walking On The Ice
|Rangers Cabin
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|Snowy Cricket Sculpture
|Snowy Snake Sculpture
|Transport Heritage Centre
|The Way Home?
|}>
An article in the local village newsletter stated:
A local councilor was quoted as stating the following in response to the controversy:
On Saturday 28 May 1994 the official opening ceremony was boycotted by the local Parish Council, Ruddington
Borough Councillors & many prominent members of the community as yet another controversy had arisen. Byelaws had been published including the banning of bicycles in the park, including toddlers tricycles. This was later retracted by the Mayor Of Rushcliffe
.
Many local residents still do not recognise the park by its official name, preferring to use its previous proper title.
attack. The damage cost £14000 to repair but is the only serious piece of willful damage to date.
was started to prevent the felling of several Poplar
& Sycamore
trees along the edge of the A60
. It was concluded that twelve Poplar trees could pose a danger to traffic as they were stressed & the Sycamore trees had taken over the available space restricting the growth of other trees & 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 consulted with the Forestry Commission
& maintained that once the trees were removed a new hedgerow would be planted which will add to the diversity of wildlife
within the park & work begun felling the Poplar trees in June 2008. In October 2008 the Sycamore trees were felled & at the same time the hedgerow was re-planted with blackthorn
, hawthorn & other native plants.
The final trees were felled in early 2009 & 500 new trees were planted. The council intends to thin out the newly planted trees accordingly to create a new woodland area.
Trent Barton
Premiere Travel
Veolia (Dunn Line)
Grid reference
Grid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features....
SK577320) is an open park space covering approximately 210 acre (0.8498406 km²), located on Mere Way just south of Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
on the A60
A60 road
The A60 is a road linking Loughborough in Leicestershire, England, with Doncaster in South Yorkshire, via Nottingham.It takes the following route:*Loughborough**Rempstone**Costock**Bunny**Ruddington*West Bridgford*Nottingham**Sherwood**Arnold...
in the borough of Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
The park is free to enter & attracts approximately 250,000 visitors a year.
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
for two years; the national standard for parks & green spaces in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
& Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Original site
Originally the area was a boggy waterland. In the 18th century it was drained into a streamStream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
named Gibsons Dyke and transformed into productive farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
by Arthur Gibson after the Enclosure Act of 1767.
In 1940 Ruddington Depot
Ruddington Depot
Historically Ruddington Ordnance & Supply Depot was built with a bomb factory & ammunition bunker commissioned in 1940 by the Ministry of Defence . It was located to the south of Ruddington....
was built with a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
factory & ammunition bunker. The site consisted of over 200 buildings & took only 18 months to build. A total of 4000 workers were involved in the building work of a site that would remain for 41 years.
After being decommissioned in 1945 the site was used for auctioning redundant ex-military vehicles & equipment with the depot finally closing in 1983. The auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
s were known nationally & were held every eight weeks. Each auction lasted about a week & were so popular that they were advertised in the national press & dealers came from all over the country.
Transformation
The park is now situated on the site of the disused Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
depot. The buildings were reduced to rubble when the park was reclaimed & designed by Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
. The rubble was used to landscape the site, almost 140,000 trees were planted & a 70,000m3 lake created. Some areas, including Fowemer Hill were raised by 7 metres.
Work began in 1989 & the park was finally completed in 1993 at a cost of £3.5 million.
Originally the site was to be used for housing but the district council were against the idea. It was then suggested that the site be used as a business park with landscaped surroundings. The Transport Heritage Centre was added as another idea to add greater interest to the site.
It is now managed by Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
Borough Council with a team of full time rangers.
The park today
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s who first took up residence in May 1996 & 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. The car park was improved in early 2009 to improve safety.
There are over 5 miles (8 km) of pathways situated between landscaped areas, grassland, wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
meadows, community gardens & woodlands which are used by walkers, joggers & cyclists.
The park is also located next to Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
Fields Business Park & the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre
Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre
The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre is a heritage centre based at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, the terminus of the northern section of the Great Central Railway . The site includes locomotive and rolling stock workshops , as well as cafeteria and shops...
which is open every Sunday & Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
from Easter Sunday to late October, with its collection of steam trains & classic buses.
Recreation
- Yellow Trail - 2.5 miles (4 km)
- Red Trail - 1.3 miles (2.1 km)
- Blue Trail - 1.2 miles (1.9 km)
Swing (seat)
A swing is a hanging seat, usually found at playgrounds for children, a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing. The seat of a swing may be suspended from chains or ropes. Once a swing is in motion it continues to oscillate like a pendulum until external interference or drag brings it to a...
& roundabout which have been designed in conjunction with carers & professionals & include full body support & removable harnesses.
The whole play area underwent a £60,000 refurbishment in spring 2008 which added extra equipment for children whatever their needs.
A skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
ramp was built in 2000 due to the enthusiasm of local teenagers who raised funds for its construction and there is a small refreshment stand close by along with public toilets.
There is man made lake fed from a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
(Gibsons Dyke) with reed beds covering two hectares, which serve as an important habitat for many species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s & insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
life. The park is an ideal place to spot wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
in a natural habitat.
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Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
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The park hosts several annual events, including a kite
Kite
A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind...
festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
(which also boasts vintage fairground
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
rides, farmers market & craft fair) & an annual 10k charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
race including a 2k fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
.
In March 2009, the nominated 10k charity race was in aid of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
Sport.
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Kite
A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind...
Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
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A series of obstacles have been developed on a hillside including table tops, ski jumps, drop offs & double / triple jumps which will be to competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
standards. It is intended that the track will be used for competitions, race meetings, daytime & evening school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
sessions as well as for public use. It will be one of only eight tracks based in the UK.
Environment
Energy
An Environmental Education Centre was officially opened in 2005 & is designed to be Energy Neutral. The project was financed by Nottingham County CouncilTwo Iskra AT5-1 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s were installed in February 2005 which generate power with the excess sold to the National Grid whilst Solar Power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
is used for water heating along with a Biomass Boiler. Composting toilets have also been installed.
Rushcliffe Country Park has received awards for its effective energy management.
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 & also a BTCVBTCV
BTCV is a British charitable organisation that works to facilitate environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers...
award winning project.
The area appeared to be returning 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.
Young Children can also particularly enjoy Gibbies Wood as it includes a number of wooden sculptures & a Log Maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
.
The park is home to a number of types of trees including:
- English Oak
- Red OakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
- WhitebeamWhitebeamThe whitebeams are members of the Rosaceae family, comprising subgenus Aria of genus Sorbus, and hybrids involving species of this subgenus and members of subgenera Sorbus, Torminaria and Chamaemespilus. They are deciduous trees with simple or lobed leaves, arranged alternately...
- RowanRowanThe rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or small trees in genus Sorbus of family Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the mountains of western China and the Himalaya, where numerous apomictic microspecies...
or Mountain AshRowanThe rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or small trees in genus Sorbus of family Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the mountains of western China and the Himalaya, where numerous apomictic microspecies... - Scots PineScots PinePinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
- CherryCherryThe cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
- YewTaxus baccataTaxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
- Field Maple
- LimeTiliaTilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
- AshAsh treeFraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
- Copper BeechEuropean BeechFagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
- MapleMapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
- Silver BirchSilver BirchBetula pendula is a widespread European birch, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey and the Caucasus...
- AlderAlderAlder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
- LarchLarchLarches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s & 20 types of grass. From May through to September a succession of flowers attract bees, butterflies & many other insects. Small mammals also live within the meadows which creates a hunting ground for the birds of prey.
To date, 262 species of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
, 23 species of butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
& 130 species of birds have been recorded.
There are a number of Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
boxes throughout the park that attract little owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s & kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
s.
The 1082 plus species of flora & fauna give the park SINC Status (Site Of Importance For Nature Conservation) & Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
have confirmed the park has being Nature Reserve Status.
Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
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.
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Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
Sculpture
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The Friends Of Rushcliffe Park also submitted a bid for lottery funding to provide fitness equipment for adults but this project did not win the funding against other organisations.
Gallery - Gibbies Wood
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Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
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Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
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Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
Sculpture
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Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
Sculpture
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Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
Seating
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Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
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Gallery - Wildlife
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Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s
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Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
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Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
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Education
RangerPark ranger
A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
s provide educational talks to local groups on environmental topics & there are also exhibitions explaining how to live a greener lifestyle.
For children there is a Tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
Identification Trail, Pond Dipping, Sensory Trail, Orienteering,Adventure Orienteering Trail, and a Habitat Walk (the Ranger-led activities are dependent on the weather and staff availability). Call the Education Centre to ask for more details
Winter 2009
In February 2009 the UK was hit by extreme winter weather conditions which were the worst for some 20 years. The park experienced some of the most significant snowSnow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall in years.
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Naming & Byelaws
In August 1993 the park was officially handed over to Rushcliffe Borough Council by Nottinghamshire County Council. In fierce controversy the park was named 'Rushcliffe Country Park' whilst it had been known locally as 'Ruddington Country Park'. Objections flooded into the Parish Council, particularly when the original bronze plaque was removed & changed to state 'Rushcliffe Country Park'.An article in the local village newsletter stated:
A local councilor was quoted as stating the following in response to the controversy:
On Saturday 28 May 1994 the official opening ceremony was boycotted by the local Parish Council, Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
Borough Councillors & many prominent members of the community as yet another controversy had arisen. Byelaws had been published including the banning of bicycles in the park, including toddlers tricycles. This was later retracted by the Mayor Of Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
.
Many local residents still do not recognise the park by its official name, preferring to use its previous proper title.
Vandalism
In 1999 a part of the play area was destroyed by an arsonArson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack. The damage cost £14000 to repair but is the only serious piece of willful damage to date.
Tree Felling
In March 2008 a petitionPetition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
was started to prevent the felling of several Poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
& Sycamore
Sycamore Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, is a species of maple native to central Europe and southwestern Asia, from France east to Ukraine, and south in mountains to northern Spain, northern Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not related to other trees called sycamore or plane tree in the Platanus...
trees along the edge of the A60
A60 road
The A60 is a road linking Loughborough in Leicestershire, England, with Doncaster in South Yorkshire, via Nottingham.It takes the following route:*Loughborough**Rempstone**Costock**Bunny**Ruddington*West Bridgford*Nottingham**Sherwood**Arnold...
. It was concluded that twelve Poplar trees could pose a danger to traffic as they were stressed & the Sycamore trees had taken over the available space restricting the growth of other trees & had killed a hedgerow due to their close proximity blocking light.
The petition gained approximately 350 signatures and was handed to Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
Borough Council.
The local council consulted with the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
& maintained that once the trees were removed a new hedgerow would be planted which will add to the diversity of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
within the park & work begun felling the Poplar trees in June 2008. In October 2008 the Sycamore trees were felled & at the same time the hedgerow was re-planted with blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
, hawthorn & other native plants.
The final trees were felled in early 2009 & 500 new trees were planted. The council intends to thin out the newly planted trees accordingly to create a new woodland area.
Bus services
Green Line 10- Nottingham City CentreNottingham City CentreNottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
- Railway Station - Trent BridgeTrent BridgeTrent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
- AsdaAsdaAsda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
- Wolds Estate - RuddingtonRuddingtonRuddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
Trent Barton
- Ruddington Connection: Nottingham - Wilford Lane - Ruddington - Rushcliffe Country Park
Premiere Travel
Premiere Travel
Premiere Travel is a family-owned bus and coach operator largely serving the Nottinghamshire area. The company was formed in 2002 with a pair of Leyland Nationals and has developed into a significant size providing mainly local bus services....
- X9: Nottingham - West BridgfordWest BridgfordWest Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
- Ruddington - Bunny - LoughboroughLoughboroughLoughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
Veolia (Dunn Line)
- 63: Queen's Medical CentreQueen's Medical CentreThe Queen's Medical Centre situated in Nottingham, England, is the largest hospital in the United Kingdom, and the largest teaching hospital in Europe.-History:...
- Ruddington - Bunny - Cropwell BishopCropwell BishopCropwell Bishop is a village in the borough of Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire.It is two miles to the east of the A46 in the NG12 postcode. The next village to the north is Cropwell Butler. Both villages form part of the Vale of Belvoir....
- BinghamBingham, NottinghamshireBingham is a market town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England.-Geography:With a population of around 9,000 people it lies about nine miles east of Nottingham, a similar distance south-west of Newark-on-Trent and west of Grantham. It is situated where the A46 intersects the A52...