Highfields Park, Nottingham

Highfields Park is a Grade II listed public park covering 121 acres in the west of Nottingham, adjacent to the University of Nottingham’s University Park campus. Owing to this proximity, many people consider the park and campus to be one continuous green space, although Highfields is officially maintained by Nottingham City Council.

The park was first landscaped in the late 18th century by Joseph and Alfred Lowe. Its current form took shape in 1920 when Sir Jesse Boot bought the estate to support the future University of Nottingham. Architect Percy Richard Morley Horder redesigned the park to complement the Trent Building, built between 1922 and 1928.

At the heart of the park lies a scenic boating lake, originally a fish pond expanded by engineer W.H. Radford. Visitors can hire boats in the summer, explore an island connected by ornamental bridges, or admire the cascade and Grade II listed stepping stones to the west. The Tottle Brook, which feeds the lake, flows visibly to the south before disappearing underground via culverts. The lake is home to ornamental carp and is bordered by a lakeside terrace, ornamental bridges, and formal gates adorned with eagle sculptures that align visually with the Trent Building.

To the east of the park stands the D.H. Lawrence Pavilion, near children's play areas, caves in the sandstone outcrop, and Chinese stone lion statues gifted by the city of Ningbo. Former features like a paddling pool have disappeared, but the croquet lawns remain active, and a Lottery-funded restoration project aims to revive the once-celebrated azalea walk.

Blending natural beauty with thoughtful design, Highfields Park is both a relaxing retreat and a landscape shaped by academic vision, civic pride, and nearly two centuries of evolving public use.