Vicar Water Country Park         

Vicar Water Country Park can be found just to the south of Clipstone village, 5 kilometres from Mansfield. The 80ha park has been mainly formed on the site of former colliery spoil tips and lies in the shadow of the headstocks of Clipstone Colliery.

Today the spoil tips have been transformed to heathland, woodland and grassland and offer spectacular views across to Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

At the centre of the park is Vicar Pond, a 2.5 hectare fishing lake that was created by the 5th Duke of Portland in the 1870's. In the past the lake has been used for boating and swimming but today it is a thriving course fishery (day tickets available).

Recent improvements to the park have included the construction of a Visitor Centre, planting of large areas of new woodland and heathland and the creation of a network of footpaths and cycleways, including the Sustrans National Route 6 and the Timberland Trail.

The Council's Countryside Ranger is based at Vicar Water and guided tours of the site are available as well as a regular programme of events and opportunities for community involvement. The Friends of Vicar Water volunteer group, involved in helping the Council to manage and maintain Vicar Water, meets regularly. The group welcomes new members - please contact the Parks Section for further details.

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Visitors Centre

The Visitor Centre catering and the letting of the facilities at Vicar Water is carried out by Rumbles Catering Project. Rumbles is a registered Charity that provides training in catering and life skills for people with learning difficulties. Rumbles can also provide outside catering for events, parties and functions. For further details of Rumbles menus and services or to enquire about hiring the Visitor Centre facilities please telephone Rumbles on 01623 424836 or visit http://www.rumbles.org.uk/. You can also email Rumbles at rumblescateringproject@yahoo.co.uk. 

The District Council seeks to maintain Vicar Water Country Park to a high standard and in recognition of this and the involvement of the local community the park has been celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for 2008, its eigth year of success in this prestigious nation-wide scheme, supported by the Government and managed by the Civic Trust. For further details of the GreenFlag award visit http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/

For general information on Vicar Water Country Park or to enquire about events or opening times please telephone the Visitor Centre on 01623 466340 or email keith.hatfield@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

Information Leaflet (PDF Format)

VICAR WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

Vicar Water Country Park covers an area of nearly 80 hectares and has been mainly formed on the restored pit tips of Clipstone Colliery. The park was opened in 1982 and was managed by Nottinghamshire County Council until 1992 when it was transferred to Newark and Sherwood District Council. In 1997 Groundwork Ashfield and Mansfield prepared a management plan for the park and of the 71 objectives contained in the1997 management plan 37 have been fully implemented, 27 partially implemented and only 7 have not been implemented. Over the 7 years since the commencement of the first plan the park has more than doubled in size, has gained a new visitor centre and has seen visitor numbers rise from an estimated 15,000 per year in 1997 to the current estimated figure of 101,000 per year. Over the same 7year period over £1million of capital investment has taken place in the park and revenue spending has tripled from just under £23,000 per annum to nearly £68,000 per annum.

Given the fundamental changes that have taken place at Vicar Water Country Park, the age of the current plan and the number of its objectives that have been fully or partially achieved (90%), the time is right for new plan to be instituted.