Holmebrook Valley Park was originally open fields reclaimed from an opencast site and laid out as a park in 1995. It was opened by Frank Dobson MP on 23 April 1995.

It lies to the West of town (S41 8XB) and extends over 130 acres of sports fields, open water, woodlands and hay meadows.

The main entrance is via Watermeadow Lane off Newbold road to the North and there is a secondary entrance off Linacre Road to the South.

The park is open to pedestrians 24 hours a day all year round, and closes at dusk to vehicles each day.

The park café is open from 10am to 2pm daily and is closed on Mondays.

The park has won the prestigious Green Flag award for over ten years.

The northern end of the park is elevated and offers spectacular views over Chesterfield to Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle and on towards Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

Park facilities

• Children's play areas
• Free outdoor gym
• Football pitches
• Visitor centre
• Meeting room
• Café and vending
• Public toilets
• Cycle trails
• Orienteering route
• Picnic tables
• Petanque rink
• Art sculpture trail
• Free car parking for over 100 cars

Events and activities

Holmebrook Valley Park plays host to numerous events and activities all year round.

• Chesterfield Petanque Club
• Orienteering: Derwent Valley Orienteers
• Weekly health walk

There is a weekly health walk on Thursdays at 10.30am setting off from the café (start may vary in future). This is a gentle 30 to 60 minute walk led by a trained volunteer walk leader, particularly suitable for anyone with a health condition. For more information, call 01246 345669 or ask a park ranger.

Habitats and wildlife

The site is a mosaic of habitats including wildflower hay meadows, oak woodland, wet grassland, scrub, lake and streams.

Plants to look out for

• Bluebell
• Red Campion
• Orchid

Animals to note

• Yellowhammer
• Bullfinch
• Tree creeper
• Tawny owl
• Grey partridge
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
• Goosander
• Grass snakes
• White clawed crayfish
• a wide variety of butterflies and moths

Management plan

Holmebrook Valley Park Management Plan 2020 to 2025

(PDF 4.5 MB)

Get involved

Why not join in with the Friends of Holmebrook Valley Park group, who are active in helping make the park an excellent place to visit. Or perhaps become a member of the Holmebrook Valley Park Angling Club.

Find out more

There are a variety of habitats in Holmebrook Valley Park, which is a country park as well as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). The Holme Brook runs through the park and provides riparian (water side) habitats for a wide variety of plants, insects and mammals. There is also a woodland plantation, areas of grassland, a lake and ancient hedgerows within the park which provide further habitats for local wildlife.

A wide variety of waterfowl and woodland birds can been seen at Holmebrook Valley Park, as well as the increasingly rare skylark. There are many paths and tracks running through the park including an ancient Salt Packers route and tracks that take will you to Linacre Reservoir.