Having been the site of the local colliery, the huge expanse of land where the disused pit top had been was unused for many years. Given the size and location of the site, Gedling Borough Council decided to create a new country park on the site, to breathe new life into the area and create an asset for the local community. The park first opened in 2015, and was extremely popular, so improved facilities were needed to cater for the new visitors.
Positioned at the top of the park, we incorporated large picture windows from the café to make the most of the views over the park and into the countryside beyond. Large, glazed doors also allow natural light to flood in and to give access to one of the two outdoor seating areas. A serving hatch was added close to the main footpath to relieve pressure on the café at busy periods and give customers easy access to drinks and snacks. A glazed link was designed to give access to the toilets from the café but also directly from outside, to make them as accessible as possible for everyone using the park.
Externally, the design was for a contemporary, black, angular building to reference the coal mining done on the site historically and to make the building visible across the country park.
The whole project was delivered on a tight timescale and limited budget despite the complexities of building on a former colliery spoil heap.
Gedling Borough Council
£1.2M
The facilities have been hugely successful with increased numbers of visitors making the most of the café and other facilities daily. This success has led to further improvements in the local area.
If you would like to have a chat with us about your project or want to learn more about the services we offer, we’d love you to get in touch.
design@ajaltd.co.uk
0115 841 8418