Major car park improvements to be made at Londonthorpe Woods in Grantham

A busy car park is set to temporarily close as major improvement works get underway this month.

The work at Londonthorpe car park will include the reconfiguration and resurfacing of the existing car park along with the addition of two disabled parking spaces and an overflow parking area.

The layby on Five Gates Lane will be formalised allowing buses to safely drop off school or community groups.

Two compost toilets will also be installed near the car park, which is popular for dog walkers, so that visitors wishing to stay and enjoy the site for longer will be able to do so.

The work forms part of a £1.2 million project to reconnect Grantham to its historic landscape by linking together Bellmount, the eastern part of the Belton House estate, and Londonthope Woods, on the edge of Grantham.

Heather Cook, Woodland Trust project manager at Londonthorpe, said: “It’s a really exciting time at Londonthorpe. While there will be a little disruption while works are carried out, once completed the wood will be much more accessible for local visitors who want to cycle and walk there, or in some cases need to visit by car.

"Londonthorpe is such a wonderful natural resource on the doorstep of Grantham and the surrounding area.”

Work will begin at Londonthorpe car park on the August, 31 2021. This will result in the closure of the car park for extended periods of time between September and November.

Alternative parking can be found at the National Trust’s Bellmount car park, further along Five Gates Lane.

Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, work is already progressing in the installation of a circular accessible track around Londonthorpe Wood and a new cycle route that will help connect Grantham town centre to the site.

New gates and a bridge have recently been installed in the field boundaries adjacent to Five Gates Lane allowing easy access between the Bellmount car park and Londonthorpe Woods.

Along with the work at the car park, a two-meter wide, accessible surfaced path will be installed at Londonthorpe Wood, creating a loop that will meander through the open meadows and under the woodland canopy creating a wonderful sensory experience. The track will open up the site to more users, allowing easy access to those who are less mobile or prefer a more even (less muddy) walking surface.

Through the duration of the works, Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount will remain open to the public with sections closed off for the construction works and clearly marked diversions in place.

The Reconnecting Grantham to its historic landscape project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This four-year project aims to reconnect the historic landscape to the east of Belton House with Londonthorpe Woods making the landscape accessible to a wider range of people and providing benefits including improved biodiversity, health and wellbeing, learning and skills.