Wollaton Park
Wollaton Park is a 500 acre park in Nottingham, which includes a deer park. In the centre of the park is Wollaton Hall, a classic Elizabethan prodigy house which today contains the Nottingham Natural History Museum, with the Nottingham Industrial Museum in the stable block.
Various events including concerts are held in the 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 seven-mile red brick wall at the start of the nineteenth century. Originally enclosing 790 acres, land sales have reduced the park to 500 acres}.[2]
During the Second World War, American soldiers of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the US 82nd Airborne Division, were billeted in the park, waiting to be parachuted into Europe, which they did in June 1944. A small plaque commemorates this event. Subsequently German prisoners of war were billeted here for employment in the locality between 1945 and 1947.[3][4]
Other buildings
In addition to Wollaton Hall the park contains the following historic buildings:
Lenton Lodge
Lenton Lodge is one of the Gatehouses built around the boundary of Wollaton Park. It was commissioned by Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton. It was designed by the architect Jeffry Wyatville and completed in 1825.[5] It is built in the Elizabethan Revival style.
With the sale of part of the park for residential building, Lenton Lodge is now separated from the rest of the park, and 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 by Moiz Saigara in 1996. Planning permission to convert Lenton Lodge to a single dwelling was obtained and major restoration work was undertaken by Moiz Saigara, 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 such a way as to be able to connect the two wings without detracting from the appearance which identifies the building as a gatehouse. The Lodge was used by Moiz Saigara as his residence from 1996 to 2006, when the lease was sold to Chek Whyte.
In 2006-8 Lenton Lodge was restored by Chek Whyte Industries and sold as a 3,324 square foot office in 2009.[6] It was sold to the University of Nottingham in 2016.
Beeston Lodge
Beeston Lodge was designed by the architect Jeffry Wyatville around 1832. It 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 in October 1831,[7] and is now a Grade II listed building.[8]
Nature
The park is home to herds of red deer and fallow deer.[9] 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 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, especially in the winter months, mainly found near the wooded areas and the lake. Pike have been spotted swimming in the lake.
Since 2017, ring-necked parakeets have been seen in the park.[10]
Events
Wollaton Park is often used for major events, including:
- Splendour music festival held annually in July.
- Nottingham Autokarna, typically in June.[11]
- Intercounties Cross Country trials in March of each year,[12] and has hosted the Schools Cross Country.[13]
- Nottingham Steam and Country Show, typically in May.[14]
- In 1985 and 1989, it hosted the RAC Rally for the World Rally Championship.
On film
- In 2011, key scenes from the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises were filmed in Wollaton Park.[15] Wollaton Hall was featured as Wayne Manor.[16][17]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Wollaton Park) |
- Wollaton Hall and Deer Park
- Location map: 52°56’57"N, 1°12’40"W
- Nottingham Industrial Museum
- Information, photos and slide show of Wollaton Hall & Park from Rise Park Nottingham
References
- ↑ "A look back at days long gone: Mystery whereabouts". Newark Advertiser. http://newarkadvertiser.co.uk/leisure/tourism/history/TimWarner/warner75.asp.
- ↑ George Fellows (1902). "Wollaton Hall, Church, and the Family of Willoughby". Nottinghamshire History. http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/articles/tts/tts1902/wollatonhall.htm.
- ↑ Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday 3 September 2003
- ↑ derbycsv (2 November 2005). "WW2 People's War: Doing My Bit To Help". BBC History. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/68/a6635568.shtml.
- ↑ Listed Buildings Online – LBS Number 457103
- ↑ "Global Fire takes Lenton Lodge". This is Nottingham. 23 January 2009. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Global-takes-Lenton-Lodge/story-12259488-detail/story.html.
- ↑ "Comfort and Security" The Regency Great House, Malcolm Airs. Oxford University Press 1998
- ↑ National Heritage List 1270384: Beeston Lodge (Grade II listing)
- ↑ glsammy (October 2005). "Red Deer at Wollaton Park". Wild About Britain. http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/mammal-forums/18318-red-deer-wollaton-park.html.
- ↑ Nottingham Post - Pair of Parrots Spotted in Wollaton
- ↑ "Autokarna". Nottingham City Council. http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5569&eventId=1433.
- ↑ "Local stars shine at Nottinghamshire Cross Country at Wollaton Park". Nottingham Post. 9 January 2013. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Local-stars-shine-Nottinghamshire-Cross-Country/story-17799364-detail/story.html.
- ↑ "English Schools Cross Country – 2011". http://www.englandathletics.org/news.asp?itemtitle=commonwealth+youth+games§ion=42&itemid=6132.
- ↑ "Nottingham Steam and Country Show". Things to do in Nottinghamshire. http://www.thingstodoinnottinghamshire.co.uk/results/3591/Wollaton_Hall/30_Apr___2_May__Nottingham_Steam_and_Country_Show.html.
- ↑ Neil Heath (16 June 2011). "Batman boost as The Dark Knight Rises at Wollaton Hall". BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-13679676.
- ↑ "The Dark Knight Rises finds new home for Batman in Nottingham". The Metro. 10 June 2011. http://metro.co.uk/2011/06/10/the-dark-knight-rises-finds-new-home-for-batman-in-nottingham-40086/.
- ↑ "City was paid for Batman filming". Nottingham Post. 30 June 2011. http://www.nottinghampost.com/City-paid-Batman-filming/story-12854596-detail/story.html.