Bilsthorpe

Bilsthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England.[1] According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,076, increasing to 3,375 at the 2011 Census.[2] It is about five miles south of Ollerton, and near the junction of the A614 and A617.

Bilsthorpe

Mickledale Lane leading into village from A614 road
Bilsthorpe
Location within Nottinghamshire
Population3,375 (2011 Census)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNewark
Postcode districtNG22
Dialling code01623
PoliceNottinghamshire
FireNottinghamshire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament

Facilities

The village has 2 children's play-parks as well as a small-sized duck pond. It has also a members-only fishing lake created from the remains of the old colliery slag heap.

The village is known locally as being two areas, the 'old' and 'new'. The village has two public houses (Copper Beech and Stanton Arms) and a miners' welfare club. The village used to have a village hall with squash and sauna facilities with some gym equipment. However, the district council of Newark decided to close these due mainly to the low usage of both the squash and sauna facilities. The old squash centre site has now been turned into a Miners Museum. The village hall's main part is still in use for coffee mornings, and other community gatherings including a bowls event for local people.

Bilsthorpe Moor is to the south of the village. There was a supported-living home for adults with learning disabilities and autism called LifeWays which closed in 2019.[3][4]

Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy is the local education facility for children with access to nursery and primary learning. Access to secondary education is in Ollerton.

Former colliery and memorials
Main article: Bilsthorpe Colliery

The village's colliery closed in 1997 after 70 years in use.[5] The colliery was the centre of national media and public attention on 18 August 1993 when a roof collapsed in the colliery, killing 31-year-old under-manager David Shelton and miners Bill McCulloch (aged 26) and Peter Alcock (aged 50).[6] David Shelton was posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery on 11 October 1995 for aiding the rescue of other miners; survivor Ray Thompson also received the George Medal.

A memorial in the form of an 8 ft (2.4 m) miners lamp carved from sandstone having the names of 77 deceased workers dating back to 1927 was established in 2011.[7]

A memorial to dead miners was also erected outside of the colliery site.[8]

Sport

Bilsthorpe Welfare Youth Football Club won the Mansfield Youth Under 16s Division 2 football championship. BWYFC Bilsthorpe is also the home of non-league football club Nottingham United, one of the biggest semi-professional clubs in the county, currently playing at Step 7 of the National League System and based at Bilsthorpe Sports Ground on Eakring Road. NUFC

Transport

Stagecoach in Mansfield operate one bus route

  • Sherwood Arrow which links Bilsthorpe with Nottingham and Ollerton and Worksop/Retford operated by Stagecoach Bassetlaw
  • 28B which links the village with Mansfield and Eakring

References
  1. OS Explorer Map 270: Sherwood Forest: (1:25 000):ISBN 0 319 24040 1
  2. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  3. "Over 200 jobs at risk as care home operator enters administration | TheBusinessDesk.com". East Midlands. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  4. "Care home near Mansfield set to close". www.chad.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. Village's tribute to pit casualties. Chad, 12 October 2011, p.22. Acessed 17 January 2021

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