Peace and Tranquillity. (Portland Park)

Member Name: daseaford

Product:	Portland Park
Date:	12/12/00 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Peace and Quite.

Disadvantages: Most wild life comes out at night.

Portland Park is a very pleasant woodland park situated about half a mile from the hustle and bustle of the town centre of Kirkby-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.

Although this park is so close to the town centre, and has been a recreational area for the local people since 1910, it is not well known and never gets very busy. Footpaths meander and criss-cross through the woodland, which rises on either side of a small, slow running river with a collection of small ponds offering a real haven of peace and tranquillity. In the middle of the woods there is also a large grassed area, which is ideal for picnics, children’s games or just relaxing.

There is also a collection of picnic tables next to the Visitor Centre, which was opened in 1994. The centre has an information service, refreshments and toilets and normally there is a small exhibition about the natural wild life as well. The staff who run this centre are extremely friendly and you feel that you have joined a unique club by finding this park and using the Visitor Centre.

There is no charge to enter the park and there is a free car park, which you can drive to along Lindleys Lane, off Station Street. There are brown tourist direction signs from Urban Road, opposite the Council Offices. The park is open every day, 10.00am to 3.00pm in the Winter, and 10.00am to 4.00pm in the Summer.

To walk around every path in the park would only take about an hour, as in total the whole area is only about 25 acres, but it is so relaxing you will feel much better at the end of it.

There is a terrific amount of wild life in the woods, but as a lot of this is nocturnal, mostly what you will see during the day are the rabbits, squirrels and many different types of birds.

The park has a band of Magnesium-Limestone running through the soil and this allows many rare plants to grow in this area and this has led to the area being designated as a Site of Specific Scientific Inter
est.

Whether you want to study the plants and animals, have a cup of tea in the Visitor Centre, or just have a quiet stroll, this is a very pleasant park to visit.

Summary: