Gedling Country Park

Last week I decided to head out to Gedling Country Park as the weather was bright and sunny and I’d realised that I could get a bus straight to the Spring Lane entrance. There are a few different walks around the site so I decided to do two of the ones I hadn’t done on my last visit, the Top Hard which has some steep inclines through a wooded area and the Low Hazels which is the longest route.

Built on the site of the Gedling Colliery that closed in 1991 the trails around the site are named after the coal seams that existed here and it is a great space in the city to recharge and get some exercise. The site wasn’t particularly busy, though it wasn’t completely deserted, and the cafe – which I didn’t go in – had a long queue outside. [COVID specific recommendations can be found on their website].

The challenging trails aren’t really that difficult if you’re used to walking and the paths are all neatly laid out and many are suitable for wheelchairs as well. There is also a British native tree trail that you can follow in this area with a map available from the visitor centre or online.

There’s also a fun nature trail aimed at children of eight 3ft wooden sculptures of wildlife that can be found at the park. I’d photographed some on my first visit, but on this visit I found a few more including a green woodpecker and a badger.

A really lovely place to visit you can find more photos here.