Allestree Park in Derby, England, is the largest and most scenic of the City’s parks. Although lying on the northern boundary of the city of Derby, it merges with the attractive hilly countryside of the south Peak District fringe.
Approximately one third of the Park used to be a golf course but this was closed in 2020 and is now subject of a rewilding project (see The Park>Rewilding Project). There are already a multitude of different wildlife habitats ranging from woodland to the large lake. Indeed, much of the Park is a designated Local Nature Reserve.
The history of the Park goes back to the late 18th century when the present Hall was built. The Hall is now largely empty, being the subject of several abandoned schemes in recent years, one of them being a nature museum project, but has recently been bought on a long lease by a local developer who will convert it into a wedding venue. The Park is largely used for quiet recreation by Derby’s people, who can enjoy a variety of interesting walks, including two nature trails. It is easy to 'get away from it all' in this splendid park and it is not obvious, when walking in its woodlands and meadows, that it lies within the boundary of an industrial city.
There is a wealth of wildlife in the Park, including several county rarities. This variety is partly the result of a varied underlying geology, largely acidic sandstone on the west side, soft crumbly shales in the centre and east.
As well as liaising with Derby City Council, which owns and runs the Park, the Friends, over the years, have organised programmes of events, including talks, activity days for young people, nature walks, information panels and conservation work parties. To see more detail of these, click on the various links on this website. You may be amazed at the work that FoAP has done and is still doing.
Location
North of Derby city, best accessed via A6. See aerial view at top of page.
