Owned and run by the Nottinghamshire County Council.
Here is a map of Rufford country park showing the two car parks.
There are two car parks, the larger (abbey or main) one off the A614 and the other (mill) off the minor road between the A614 and Wellow. A car parking charge of £3.00 applies during school holidays, otherwise parking is free. A Car parking season ticket is available for £20. Bus service 233 is one which goes by the park.
Facilities include toilets, cafe, restaurant and shops. Attraction are the Abbey ruins, gallery and a sculpture garden. Footpaths are generally very good especially around the lake and suitable for the disabled.
Rufford Abbey was founded in the mid–12th century by the Cistercian monks. Henry VIII closed the abbey in 1534, when it became a country house. The estate was increased in size by the Savile family over a period of 300 years and it was eventually sold in 1938, by which time it was over 18,000 acres in size. Nottinghamshire County Council bought the house and some 150 acres of land in 1952 and it became a country park in 1969.
The lake, which is about 40 acres in size, was created in c1750 by damming a stream to provide power for the water mill. The buildings still exist on the north side of the lake.
Rufford is about 150 acres in size and has both mature woodland and younger plantations, grassland, a lake (see the adjacent photograph) and a cultivated garden area with sculptures. It is one of Nottinghamshire’s SINCs (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation). A conservation area, with no public access, is on the south-eastern side of the park. Most of the eastern side is a Local Nature Reserve run by the Nottinghamshire County Council. There is a diverse range of trees in the park, including Silver Birch, Willow, Alder, Beech, Yew, Sycamore and Lime. New wildflower meadows have been recently added.
Another feature is two wide rides which run towards the A614 bordered by an assortment of mature deciduous trees — see the photograph on the left. In the winter these are excellent for Siskins, Redpolls, Nuthatches and Marsh Tits.
Birds to be seen here are typical of East Midlands deciduous woods. Examples are Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Tree Creepers, Nuthatches, six species of Tits and a varied assortment of finches — including Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches.
In the spring of 2006 a small flock of Hawfinches around the main car park gave the easiest views of that species in Nottinghamshire for a few years, being seen at the top of the taller trees and also very closely in the Yews by the main car park. Also present at that time was a near albino male Blackbird.
In the summer Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers sing from every half–acre, with often large flocks of House Martins and lesser numbers of Swallows around the Abbey buildings. In the winter small flocks of Siskin and Redpolls are to be seen in the wooded areas. There is a collection of feral wildfowl at the mill end of the lake. Goosanders often occur on the lake in winter. Other waterfowl is the expected Pochard, Tufted Ducks, Greylag and Canada Geese and Mute Swans.
Water Voles are present in the conservation area and Rufford holds nine species of bat with several bat roosts on site.
Any criticisms, corrections or comments to the author Derek Huskisson
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