33 hectares of former Shireoaks Colliery converted to a Wildlife and Recreation Area.
Located at the heart of a village communities between Shireoaks and Rhodesia with 3km of woodland trails next to the county’s only Coronation Meadow and alongside the River Ryton and Chesterfield Canal. The site is the ideal place for a stroll, to spot the evolving wildlife or try some keep-fit activities.
On 14th August 2026 the new Viewpoint sculpture was unveiled. This sculpture is a lasting reflection of the community’s passion for the site and the dedication of volunteers, funders and partners. “We are thrilled to officially launch this beautiful new viewpoint sculpture, a stunning
centrepiece that perfectly captures our rich past while celebrating our present. From the initial design ideas to the final installation, this spectacular project highlights the
immense dedication and community spirit of our volunteers, funders, and partners. It offers a wonderful new destination for the Woodlands, standing as a proud, lasting reflection of our community's passion for this special green space." - Katharine Palmer, Chair of the Friends of Woodlands and Coach Wood Green Among the highlighted views from the summit are Harworth Colliery and Shireoaks village to the north, Steetley Chapel and Worksop Manor to the south, Manton Wood Turbine to the east and Netherthorpe Aerodrome and Whitwell Wood to the west. Why not take a walk to the Summit and share your view in our Facebook group.
We are very honoured that the Woodlands and Coachwood Green site incorporates Nottinghamshire’s only Coronation Wildflower Meadow which was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Coronation meadow is situated alongside Shireoaks Road, the opposite side of which runs adjacent to the Chesterfield Canal. In August 2014, green hay was harvested from Ashton's Meadow, a donor meadow in Nottinghamshire, and was spread here in Shireoaks. Plant species including birds foot trefoil, lady's bedstraw and field scabious are establishing here and maximising the biodiversity potential we have here. This is an attractive gateway into the village so make sure in the Summer you take a walk to have a look at the flowers and butterflies.
We have leased an area of the former Shireoaks Colliery Yard with the aim of developing it to create a Wildlife Discovery Area to enhance biodiversity and provide opportunities for the wider community to discover and learn about the habitats and species that visit the Woodlands and Coachwood Green,
We are only two years into this project, and we have successfully created a wildlife pond, provided a new bird hide, install all ability surfaced access paths and run two successive hedge planting events creating over 500m of new native woodland hedge around the perimeter of the Wildlife Discovery Area to create a wildlife corridor connecting to the rest of the Woodlands.
We have just secured a grant from the National Grid Community Matters Fund to further enhance biodiversity and habitat creation of the Wildlife Discovery follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on how you can be involved with this project and community events we are planning.
Just 15 mins of walking a day can help improve health and well-being, so surely there can’t be a better way of getting fitter and healthier than a brisk walk around the Woodlands and Coachwood Green or using the Trim Trail.
We have 7 stations around the site that can be used in various ways to develop physical activity and fitness. It’s sure to make a walk or jog just that little bit more interesting too as you stop to try out hurdles, parallel bars and ladder walk and have a go at chin ups, press ups, sit ups and arm stretches.
