Rother Valley Country Park's Abandoned Car Park

[Resident 1,185]

I'm curious to know why a car park was started to be built on the outskirts of Rother Valley country park and now seemingly abandoned.  I know it happened years ago but I can't find any info as to why. 

 

The entrance to this car park is currently closed off with huge boulders and is located at the roundabout where Chesterfield Road and the A57 meet (opposite Elmwood Farm) 

 

The car park itself seems to be not far from completion and just seems strange as it would have added capacity to the limited parking space for RVCP. 

 

 

Does anyone know? 

Edited May 30, 2020 by Resident

[Michael_N 36]

Either private land or was not needed? Could always ask Rotherham Council since its falls in their boundary and they run and operate RVCP?

[Dardandec 32]

All that area was open cast mined in the late eighties/early nineties by a company called Budge. I remember a sign being up at the time when this work was being carried out for a few years. I suspect the area you have highlighted was the staff car park. Rumour had it at the time, that when Beighton colliery was mined, some sort of cutting error took place and loads of usable coal ended up on the slag heap. Hence why it was open cast mined.

 

As for the car park, I don't believe it was ever meant for Rother Valley use.  

[Resident 1,185]

1 hour ago, Dardandec said:

All that area was open cast mined in the late eighties/early nineties by a company called Budge. I remember a sign being up at the time when this work was being carried out for a few years. I suspect the area you have highlighted was the staff car park. Rumour had it at the time, that when Beighton colliery was mined, some sort of cutting error took place and loads of usable coal ended up on the slag heap. Hence why it was open cast mined.

 

As for the car park, I don't believe it was ever meant for Rother Valley use.  

The reason is seems it was though is that RVCP created walkways and paths from that entrance and "car park". Those paths appeared at the same time. 

 

I've sent a request for information to the council but I doubt I'll get a reply as it was sent to a generic email address 

[desy 10]

The boulders the last time I went down stopped access and entrance to the park at that point. It was also ruined the pathway further  down. For disabled mobility scooter users.

Edited May 30, 2020 by desy

[Resident 1,185]

1 hour ago, desy said:

The boulders the last time I went down stopped access and entrance to the park at that point. It was also ruined the pathway further  down. For disabled mobility scooter users.

I managed to get a pushchair through today, on the far right today. 

TBH I only parked there because they were letting people in through the main entrance.

[muddycoffee 10]

HS2 was/is set to skirt the edge of Rother valley. Maybe the land is now reserved for construction.

[desy 10]

4 hours ago, muddycoffee said:

HS2 was/is set to skirt the edge of Rother valley. Maybe the land is now reserved for construction.

There was pollution down there when testing for Gullivers. It was the sidings around there for the old Brookhouse pit.

 

[alchresearch 214]

Its never been a public car park.