Bestwood Winding Engine House

About the museum

Bestwood Winding Engine House is the last remaining part of Bestwood Colliery, a large industrial site that has since vanished. It is a relic of Victorian industrial engineering and gives visitors an idea of the size and power of the engine that once raised miners and coal from the shaft.

The building is now part of Bestwood Country Park, which is run by Nottinghamshire County Council. Its restoration was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Greater Nottingham Partnership. VisitEngland has inspected the site and designated it a Place of Interest.

Visitors can look round the exhibits on their own with a recorded audio commentary, or join a tour led by members of the Winding Engine House Volunteer Group. Audio interviews with men who worked at the colliery can be heard by phone, and a virtual tour of the engine house is available online. The neighbouring Dynamo House has a volunteer-run café and accessible toilets.

Highlights

• Surviving Victorian winding engine from Bestwood Colliery
• Self-guided exhibits with recorded audio commentary
• Tours led by the Winding Engine House Volunteer Group
• Audio interviews with former miners
• Virtual tour online

Permanent exhibition

• Winding engine house exhibits – The restored Victorian winding engine with displays on the colliery and the life of its miners, supported by an audio commentary.

Operated by

Nottinghamshire County Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission and free car parking.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Winding Engine House and the Dynamo House are fully accessible. Bestwood Country Park is hilly with steep gradients, and only some paths are wheelchair accessible; contact the rangers for advice. There is an accessible toilet with baby changing in the Dynamo House.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

There is an accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities in the Dynamo House.

Getting there & parking

The engine house is in Bestwood Country Park, Park Road, Bestwood Village, Nottingham NG6 8TQ.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The volunteer-run Dynamo House Café serves hot drinks and home-made cakes on Saturdays from 09:30 to 12:30 and on Bank Holidays. Picnic tables are spread through the park, and there are other toilets in the park.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit