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 below). 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. 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.
by Felicity Jackson
Instead of large areas of close-mown grass, which is not great for wildlife (and costly to maintain), flower-rich meadows would be allowed to develop, supporting pollinators such as bees and butterflies and a whole range of other creatures. In under a century, we have lost 97% of our precious wildflower meadows, we need to try to turn this decline round – because these are so biodiverse, look wonderful – and also sequester carbon. Scrubland, wetland and woodland are also really valuable habitats, and these would also be included in the plan.
Of course, some management would be needed; the idea is definitely not to allow the park to become impenetrable jungle. Currently the existing nature reserve, which is 2/3 of the total park area and surrounds the former golf course, is managed in a variety of ways, some of it pretty ‘wild’ already and supporting a lot of wildlife. We have long and short grassland, scrub and hedgerow, waterways and marsh, and plenty of woodland, and this kind of mix would be envisaged for the golf course too. A really important feature of Allestree Park is the extent of the wonderful views over the Derwent valley. Since the course closed, visitors have been able to walk and linger over the fairways and really appreciate these vistas, and these should definitely be preserved. The sledging slope likewise!
It must be pointed out that over the years FoAP have been very active and have carried out and instigated many improvements to the park. We have also organised numerous public activities, and we would expect this work to continue. We would like to see an interpretation/educational area included, preferably under cover, which would be available for schools and the general public, to enhance the park experience. We also have pressed for provision of cafe and toilet facilities, pretty essential for all.
As you may know, various additional ideas had been put forward, including some some public attractions. Reintroduction of certain species, such as harvest mice, is a possibility. The main thing is to ensure the park remains such a wonderful asset, and also a great place for our wildlife to thrive.
Latest information (an illustrated bulletin) on the Rewilding Project (October 2025) please click on the button below:
June 2026 Bulletin of Friends of Allestree Park - please click on button below:
COMING UP:
The Work of the Harrington Angling Club to improve Allestree Park Lake - Slideshow. Click on Button:
Nature Trail Leaflets. Click on button to see PDF versions, which can be printed out. Leaflets are also avaliable from holders at the noticeboards at the main car park and at Woodlands Lane.
Videos produced by The Friends of Allestree Park - Click on title panels
Lake Slideshow: During June, 2025, FoAP put on a series of events to mark the 200th Anniversary of the creation of the Lake in the Park. This included an exhibition of artwork and photos, part of which was a slideshow portraying the Lake throughout the seasons, made from photos supplied by several visitors to the Park and incorporating a musical soundtrack.
Click on the picture below to see it.
Archival material relating to Allestree Park. Some of this is now rather old and will be sorted out as soon as possible:
The Turtle Pond - Conservation work - Click on button:
Award to FoAP for Butterfly Bank - Click on button:
Bat Roosting Box Success, November 2015 - Click on button
Higher Level Stewardship Scheme as part of Revised Managment Plan for Allestree Park Local Nature Reserve - details of meeting, November 2014 - Click on the button:
Tributes to former Allestree Park Ranger - Click on the button:
Elms for Butterflies - Click on button:
Useful Information on Allestree Park's wildlife:
Illustrated Article on the butterflies of Allestree Park - Click on button:
Illustrated Article on the wildflowers of Allestree Park - Click on button:
Nature Trails: Free nature trail leaflets for two separate trails in Allestree Park are available.To see how to obtain copies - Click on button:
Contributions to this website are most welcome:
We welcome any photos, artwork and articles featuring Allestree Park for this website. If you have any opinions on how the Park is being managed, we would be pleased to put them on the site, too. Please send material to Bill Grange (see 'contact us' at top of page). Pictures submitted so far can be seen on 'Other Pictures of the Park' (Go to 'Articles and specal Features' - menu at top of this page).
Allestree Park - Some photographs of its varied landscapes:
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Allestree Hall From the Gardens Now largely empty, this late 18th century mansion was at one time planned to be a nature museum, a branch of Derby City Museums. Its future is now unbcertain after a planned wedding venue project fell through. |
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Allestree Park from the South-western boundary, looking over the Derwent Valley in early autumn. This view typifies the great scenic qualities of Allestree Park |
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Big Wood, Allestree Park in late April. The largest woodland in the Park. |
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The Lake, Allestree Park. It was constructed in the 19th century as a fishing lake, a function it still has. It is also home to a variety of water-fowl.
The Earl of Harrington Angling Club now manage the lake and has carried out a number of conservation projects in recent years, include planting of native marginal vegetation, bank erosion control and clearing out of rubbish. |
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Woodlands Field and a glimpse of the Derwent Valley.. This field is particulaly noteworthy for the range of scarce grassland fungi in autumn (see separate article) and is rich in other forms of wildlife, especially insects. |
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The former golf course. A view across the northern part of the course, which occupies much of the central part of the Park.The course is now closed and is being re-widled and incorporated into the rest of the park, forming part of the Local Nature Reserve.
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| Photos are by Bill Grange |
To see pictures of Allestree Park, taken by visitors to the Park, click on the button: