Dereliction and Redevelopment

The wheel comes full circle

Hay raking, MiddlemarchAfter more than half a century the unremarkable square mile of mixed farmland to the south of Ruddington, which was destroyed when the Depot was built, has become once more, part of `England’s green and pleasant land`.It is no longer farmland, although some traditional farming activities such as hay-raking and hedge-laying still go on there. Gibson’s Dyke still flows through it, but it is buried underground in a large twin culvert.

It is again a convenient place for informal recreation for local residents and those living further afield; somewhere to walk the dog or go to for a stroll after work. It is very popular and visitors come in large numbers, especially on fine days at the weekend, when up to 2,000 people flock in during the day.

Enjoying the play areaIt is a wonderful place for children to play, whether in the play area, on the skateboard park, or cycling around. Some like to stand on the bridge and get smothered in steam and smoke as the steam trains pass underneath. Skating on the ice is forbidden, and so is riding ponies, but children today can engage in many activities that their pre-war counterparts enjoyed in the same place. A few come on foot with a group of friends. More arrive by car and are closely supervised by adults as they play, but the wildlife has returned for them to observe and enjoy. One grandmother who takes her family for a walk on the Country Park when they visit her witnessed one child’s delight:

The Heritage Centre from the bridge over the railway on the Country Park looking east “One day we saw a heron standing by the lake. My grandson, Sam, was thrilled. He stared at it for a long time, then borrowed his father’s camera, crept closer and took a photograph. The heron took no notice at all.”

It is now illegal to gather wild flowers and to take birds` eggs, but mushrooms grow and can be picked in autumn. There are fish in the lake and frogspawn too, in the spring.

Families arrive with a picnic and perhaps a ball or a kite, to enjoy a day out together on a Bank Holiday. Ramblers still begin, or end a day’s hike over the adjacent countryside along the paths which follow closely the routes taken before the war by walkers who came by bus or train.
A steam train approaches the bridge from the westWomen’s organisations and Church groups come by minibus, or on a coach, for an outing. The rangers welcome and assist many people who have disabilities or special needs, whether they come as individuals or in groups together. The Country Park is open to the whole community 24 hours a day for 365 days a year.

About 250,000 visitors arrive each year. They come at all times of the day and in all weathers. Many return time and time again, and some make a daily visit.

“It is a brilliant Park. I think it’s great.” This is the considered opinion of Jack Bagguley who now walks the Country Park in his retirement, over the same area he knew as a child, and past the land he ploughed as a young man. Many regular visitors who remember the ugly buildings of the Depot which blighted the landscape for so long, share his enjoyment of the transformation which has taken place. They express their pleasure in their own words:-

“I just love it all, every part of it, and there are so many. Around every corner there’s something different. It’s so varied, the lake, the wildflower meadows, the views from the top of the hill, the trees and shrubs and much more, and all in one short walk.”

Some people have a favourite place, and others delight in a particular time of day:

“The sunsets are superb. I stand there is silence and let it sink in. It’s balm to my soul.”

One frequent visitor summed up her feelings even more simply:

“It’s my little bit of heaven”, she said.

There can be no doubt about it, local people cherish their Country Park.

The Story > Chapter 10 > Section 10.05