• Site Facilities
• The Forest Project
• Friends Group
• Park History
• Site Management
• Map

Forest Recreation Ground
Gregory Boulevard
Nottingham
NG7 6HB 

Site Facilities

• Bowling Green
• Children's Play Areas
• Multi Sports Area (outdoor gym, basket ball, football etc)  
• On site Parking
• Disability Access (In some areas across the site)  
• Dogs Welcome 
• Ice Cream Concession 
• Events Programme
• Orienteering
• Accessible by public transport
• Sports Field
• Toilets - event days only (nearest available toilet is on Noel Street near the tram stop)

Astroturf Pitches 

To book the Astroturf Pitches at the Forest Recreation Ground please call 0115 9152764 to find out about availability.

The Forest Restoration Project

The Forest Restoration Project has been set up to restore the Forest Recreation Ground on Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham to its former glory.  The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) were awarded confirmed funding of £3,198,000. To read more about the project click here.
Work has recently started on the development and you can view progress images by clicking here. Earlier progress images can be found here.
Hoardings are also up around the Pavilion and Lodge and these include artist's impressions of what the site will look like.
 Click here to see what's on the Pavilion hoardings [4Mb]

 Click here to see what's on the Lodge hoardings [4Mb]

 Click here to view the Forest HLF Masterplan [609kb]

To find out more about the project, please see the Partnership Council website at http://www.partnershipcouncil.co.uk/index.php?/projects/forest_project/

For the latest progress updates, including photos from the site, please see our newsletters below:

 Forest Project Newsletter - October [184kb]

 Forest Project Newsletter - November [987kb]

 Forest Project Newsletter - January [207kb]

The Lodge

One of the highlights of the Forest restoration project is the refurbishment of the 1857 Lodge building on Mansfield Road.  The new building will include office space as well as a mess room for the site staff.

The City Council is looking for tenants for the Lodge offices - if you're interested, please contact us.  More information can be found by downloading  this advert [158kb].

The Forest Recreation Ground play area

A pirate themed 'Play Pathfinder' destination play area, worth £340,000 built in 2009, next to the main pavilion in the centre of the site.  The area is made up of 2 main pieces of play equipment for all ages with a number of other small pieces and natural play including a large land form created using earth mounding.  The design was created after consultation with children and young people.

Friends Group

The Forest Recreation Ground has an active friends group who are involved with bulb and flower plantings, collecting user data, and organising the annual Inclosure Act Walk.  If you are interested in becoming a 'friend' of the Forest Recreation Ground please call the Parks and Open Spaces Team on 0115 915 2733.

Park History

The name Forest Recreation Ground comes from mediaeval times when the land was part of Sherwood Forest which extended from Nottingham up to the North of the county. The site was one of the original parts of the 1845 Nottingham Inclosure Act which preserved eighty acres of Sherwood Forest for recreational use. In commemoration the Mayor of Nottingham planted a special Oak tree called the "Inclosure Oak" which can still to be seen at the Mansfield Road entrance.

The Forest was the southern most part of Sherwood Forest; called "the Lings" and was always the site for sports and shows. In 1865 Nottingham Forest played and practiced here when they were known as Forest Football Club and the ground was also the home to Nottingham Racecourse before it moved to its present location at Colwick Park.

Joseph Paxton, one of the leading Landscape Designers of the day was said to be responsible for the interesting criss-cross formation of the walkways. Today they are part of the City-wide network of walks that link the recreation areas originally awarded by the "Inclosure Act".

Forest Recreation Ground also houses a number of interesting historical attractions. On entering the Mansfield Road entrance visitors can see The Forest Lodge which was built in 1865. This structure was originally used as a Police or Keepers Lodge and a police cell can still be seen underneath the Lodge; today it is a Grade 2 listed building. The Monument, made of red granite, near Monument Gate on Forest Road East, was originally sited at King Street. It was moved in 1927 to its current site and stands in memory of those who fell in the Boer war in the 1890's.

Site Management

The Forest recreation ground has a detailed Management Plan that is implemented by the Parks and Open Spaces Service and Maintenance Team.

If you would like to comment on how well you feel your park or open space is being managed and maintained then please click here and record your opinion using GreenSTAT.

Map

 Click here to download a map of Forest Recreation Ground [3Mb]

Vehicle access also available off Mansfield Road.

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