Address: Church Street, Langold, S81 9NW
Opening Times: 9.00am to 8.00pm (or dusk)
Access: There are two main vehicular access points into the park with car parks off the A60 Doncaster Road and off the end of Church Street. For direct access to the lake and water splash park/children’s play area please use Church Street entrance.
Contents
- Features and facilities
- Attractions
- Involving the community
- History of Langold Country Park
- Management plan
Features and Facilities
Langold Country Park is located just 5 miles north of Worksop in the village of Langold. The site, which is owned and managed by Bassetlaw District Council, covers an area of 300 acres of parkland. Designated as a Local Nature Reserve, the park links into Dyscarr Wood the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) recognised as one of the best examples of a limestone ash-wych elm wood in Nottinghamshire. The park itself comprises of varies woodlands, wildlife and butterfly meadows, open grassed areas, a large fishing lake, play areas and much more for families and visitors to enjoy throughout the year.
- Fishing Lake
- Sea Scoundrel Children’s Water Play (splash park)* (Open May - September).
- Junior and Toddler Play Equipment
- Traditional bandstand/performance area
- Skate park
- Football pitch (under 12’s)
- Woodlands
- Wildlife and butterfly meadows
- Café
- Kiosk
- Public conveniences
* Seasonal
The park has a number of designated walks and footpaths, which will take you around the park and to the surrounding open spaces linking to public rights of way and bridleways.
Dogs Trust Walking Route
Attractions
Fishing at The Lake
This long established lake is a popular venue for those seeking well stocked waters suited to all types of fishing with Roach, Bream and Perch for course anglers and carp for specimen anglers. Pike fishing between October and March. Matches and competitions at the lake in general run between October and March.
The fishery is managed by Embryo Angling under a licence agreement with the Council.
Day tickets can be purchased in advance for dawn-dusk fishing, night fishing is not permitted for non-season ticket holders.
- Day tickets: £5.00 (dawn to dusk)
- Season Ticket £62.00 (days only)
- Night Season £82.00 (inc. days and nights)
Further information about the site and how to book a ticket can be found on the Langold Lake Embryo Angling website.
Sea Scoundrel Water Play
All aboard the super soaking Sea Scoundrel at Langold Country Park!
This exciting sea-themed splash pad offers a wide variety of water features over a 45-metre interactive play zone. With a pirate ship, jet sprays, boulders, splash slide and water table there are hours of free fun to be had!
The Splash Pool operates on a seasonal basis and will be open for daily use between 10:00am and 6:00pm from May through to September. Please note that operating times may be subject to change at short-notice due to maintenance or adverse weather conditions.
The junior and toddler play areas adjacent to the splash pool provide more stimulating and challenging integrated play in the form of a zip wire, basket swings, climbing frame and much more.
There is a café off the Doncaster Road entrance where a full menu is available. At the Church Street entrance there is a kiosk, which offers a range of hot and cold snacks, drinks and ice creams.
The Bandstand / Performance Area
The traditional-styled bandstand/performance area is always a popular location for a wide variety of events and activities throughout the year. From brass bands to rock and pop it's a firm favourite for all.
The Skate Park
The upgraded skate park, located to the Sidings area of the site, has proved an instant attraction with youngsters wanting to demonstrate their jumps and twists on the ramps.
Also to be found in this area is the newly constructed under-12's football pitch for formal or informal use.
Involving the Community
Bassetlaw District Council encourages community involvement within Langold Country Park and stages a variety of activities throughout the year from bulb planting and litter picking to assisting with events in the park. If you are an individual or group would like to volunteer then please contact the Parks & Open Spaces Team through the Enquiry Form.
Activities and events at Langold Country Park
The Park has become a popular venue to host many events, activities and fund-raising initiatives throughout the year.
For a full list of activities planned for this year, please see the Council's Events Diary.
Individuals or groups interesting in using the park for an event or activity can submit a request to the Parks and Open Spaces Team by completing the 'Hold an Event' form.
History of Langold Country Park
Beginnings of the country park
1750s - Ralph Knight, the grandson of Sir Ralph Knight, began the development of Langold Park as a planned formal landscape. His vision to create a formal landscape with lake, plantations, stables and a Palladian house was achieved. A mansion was started but never realised in Ralph Knight’s lifetime.
1801-1808 - At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the brothers John and Henry Gally Knight (descendants of Sir Ralph Knight) are both involved in plans for major landscaping works, enlisting renowned Landscape Gardener Humphry Repton. When the brothers passed away (John in 1804 and Henry in 1808) the son of Henry Gally Knight (also named Henry) continued the work.
1812-1846 - Landscape Gardener John Webb was commissioned to design a huge extension to the existing lakes. The elevated bank, which was created to hold the water, now forms a raised footpath through the woodland. However, due to leakages, by 1815, the lake was still not completed. In 1817, Gally Knight receives plans from Jeffrey Wyatt for the new mansion and the old house, began by Ralph Knight, is demolished.
However, the problems of leakages were never resolved, and the lake refused to consistently hold water. By 1818, Henry Gally Knight appears to abandon the remaining vision of the final lake and mansion. In 1846 Henry Gally Knight passed away and his friend Sir Thomas Wollaston White of Wallingwells inherits Langold Estate.
Mining
1911-1968 - The Wallingwells Boring Company, founded in 1911, began immediately drilling to find the Barnsley Seam of coal in a field (part of Costhorpe Farm) on the eastern shore of the Lower Lake.
The Firbeck Colliery Company purchased the land from Sir Archibald Wollaston White of Wallingwells in July 1927 and became a leisure facility for the Langold miners principally for fishing.
Access to the colliery site was provided by temporary railway track, laid to connect to the main railway network which served Harworth Colliery. This opened on 7 April 1924 and was upgraded to permanent track opening on 1 October 1927, it no longer stands today, but evidence of an embankment can still be seen.
In 1946 the coal mining industry was nationalised, and the National Coal Board expanded the leisure facilities in the park.
A Colliery Sports Club was formed with a subscription taken from the men's wages. A children’s swimming pool (lido) and bandstand were added as a recreational park.
There were children's events in the bathing pool and demonstrations by the country’s top swimmers, also synchronised life-saving displays, and comedy items by Swimming Club members.
Spectacular stunts were performed in the lake which included a submarine explosion, trapeze artist, ‘The Great Alganso’ a tight rope walker, as well as Jack Revel, known as Mr. Langold Lake, who was renowned for his dare devil dive from the 35-foot diving board into a patch of burning petrol- (performed until 1978).
In 1968 the mine closed, and the park was taken over by the local authority who built children's playgrounds and refreshment facilities once the mining equipment had been removed.
The dam and bank at the east end of the lake were rebuilt circa 1975.
2000s - Present day
Today Langold Country Park continues to be enjoyed by many families in Langold and further afield.
- In 2005 the original skatepark was constructed.
- In 2009 the park became a designated Local Nature Reserve.
- In 2012 the bandstand was refurbished.
- In 2013 the skatepark was revamped.
- In 2014 the splash park was opened.
- In 2024 a Changing Places facility was opened near the splash pool to make the park more accessible as well as a new café pod.
- In 2024 an automatic defibrillator was installed near the new Changing Places facility.
- In 2024 Langold Country Park was awarded its first Green Flag award.
Management Plan
Further Information about Langold Country Park
A comprehensive Master Plan for Langold Country Park was approved in March 2022 setting out a 10-year vision with the emphasis on Biodiversity, Landscape and Heritage. Other improvements continue to be made across the Park.
A Management Plan for the Park has been produced by Bassetlaw District Council.
The Management Plan is used to:
- Assess and evaluate the current value of the park as a community facility
- Establish opportunities for future improvements to its facilities and features and formulate actions accordingly
- Monitor the management of the park in respect of its ongoing maintenance and future development potential.
The Plan also identifies how Langold Country Park and its management relates to broader policies and strategies at local, regional and national level.
It is also intended the Management Plan will assist the Council in its efforts to achieve Green Flag status for the park.
Last Updated on Wednesday, May 7, 2025