Wollaton Park: The Nottingham spot which is a 'happy place' for walkers

Visitors described it as 'beautiful and peaceful'

Visitors and workers at a popular Nottingham park have spoken of their love for the area, with some referring to it as their "happy place". Walkers were full of praise for Wollaton Park, describing it as "beautiful and peaceful".

Sue Craughwell walks around the 500-acre park with her dog about twice a week. "The hall and the surrounding area are beautiful," said the 68-year-old, who is retired.

"I like to bring the dog but she won't walk all this way so I drive in. She loves it. I like to come when it's early and quiet. It's my happy place. The Christmas lights are also beautiful."

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Alex Howe, a 29-year-old heritage assistant at the park, said: "It's a nice place to work, I usually go on a walk in my lunch break. I work in the shop and in the café, as well as up in the hall so there's a bit of a variety. Everyone's pretty friendly, it's busy on weekends and in the summer holidays. I don't mind when it's busy but when you have a bank holiday it can be nice to have a quiet day after."

Another walker, named Pauline, said: "I live just down the road so I'm here all the time. It's a nice dog walking area, it's beautiful. I've lived here all my life, it's somewhere you can come to relax, sit and take in the air and look at the beauty of it all. It's an absolutely stunning place."

Wendy, who regularly walks in the park, added: "I come because of the convenience and the area, which is lovely. It's so peaceful, and I love looking at all the different styles of trees."

Plans were considered by Nottingham City Council in early 2023 to begin fining visitors who got too close to deer at the park. However the authority dropped this over concerns about its practicality.

It followed an incident in October 2022 where a man was injured by a stag, resulting in the animal being put down. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to the city council showed there had been only two deer attacks between 2015 and 2023. One person was taken to hospital as a result of the other incident in October 2021. The deer was not put down.

"I'm a bit wary of them but I love to see them," said Craughwell. "A lot of people do go up near them taking photos."