Two Chesterfield parks nominated for the title of best green space in England

Monkey Park in Brampton and Eastwood Park in Hasland have been nominated in the UK's Favourite Parks award organised by the Fields in Trust.

Fields in Trust is a charity with over 90 years’ experience protecting parks and green space across the UK.

Each year, Field in Trust runs UK’s Favourite Parks awards to celebrate the local green spaces.

Competition consists of two stages and during the first stage, residents choose their favourite parks and nominate them for the award.

During the second stage, chosen green spaces compete for the title of the best park in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Monkey Park, is a small green space by the river which features a play area, benches, picnic tables, a cafe and a tennis table.

A few years ago it was run down and uncared for, but thanks to the efforts of local people it has been renovated and improved.

Valerie Wilkinson, a manager at Monkey Park Cafe said: “I've watched the changes as they were happening.

“Now it is a really bright and colourful space with a lovely play area. The park is little, but very friendly and welcoming.”

Hasland’s Eastwood Park, which appears on the list as well, was once a part of the Hasland House Estate, which was given to local community by Alderman Eastwood (who was Mayor of Chesterfield) on July 2 1913.

The first condition on donating the park was that it should be called "Hasland Park", however Alderman Eastwood later accepted the council's decision to name the park "Eastwood Park".

100 years later, Chesterfield Borough Council renovated the park using a grant of over £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund and it was opened in June 2013.

The park hosts gardens, wildlife area, war memorial and a village hall.

It also offers many sports facilities including two play areas, outdoor gym, tennis court, football and cricket pitches.

Earlier this year, the park was awarded a Green Flag, an international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

The list of nominations also includes Derbyshire’s Shipley Country Park located at Slack Lane, Heanor.

Voting is open until Thursday, August 18.

At close of voting the parks with the most votes will be named National Favourites and the overall winner the UK's Favourite Park 2022.

Any park placing within the top 20 per cent of nominations will receive recognition as a Local Favourite.