Newmillerdam Country Park
Newmillerdam Country Park is a large woodland 3.5 miles south of Wakefield on the A61 (Barnsley Road). It has a central lake surrounded by a path, and there's an old railway line called the Chevet branch line linking to the wider countryside. The postcode WF2 6QP is approximate but can be used with satnavs and route finders.
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Location:
County Park
Newmillerdam
Wakefield
WF2 6PZOpen every day.
Parking charges apply 8am - 6pm, Monday to Sunday
Pay and Display Machine -maximum stay: 10 hours
Machines take cash payment only and you can pay through the MiPermit pay by phone app.
105 spaces
5 disabled spaces
Car park (post code WF2 6QQ)
Facilities and services
- Pay and display car park
- Opened - Toilets (a charge applies)
- 1.5 miles surfaced lakeside path for walkers and joggers
- Way-marked trails for walkers, joggers, cyclists and horse riders
- Orienteering course
- Geocaching
Historical interest
Once called Thurstonhaugh, an old Norse name, the area became known as New Mylle on Dam when a new corn-mill was built around 1285.
The country park was once part of an estate which was owned by the Pilkington family. In the 1870s the family built nine lodges to house the gamekeepers who protected the site from poachers. Two lodges can still be seen today guarding the Dam.
The Boathouse was built in the 1820s as a place for entertaining friends and family. Men would shoot wildfowl on the lake and ladies would join them for lunch.
Nature conservation
The park is designated as a local nature reserve. Originally it was managed for game and commercial forestry, but it is now managed for the benefit of wildlife and people.
Great Crested Grebes breed at the lake and can be observed performing a courtship dance during Spring. Various other water birds, such as Mute Swans, Mallards, and Coots, are present all year round.
Bats can be seen feeding above the Dam after sunset in the warmer months, with Daubenton's bats skimming insects off the water's surface. Pipistrelle bats (the UK's smallest bat) and Noctule Bats (the UK's largest bat) can also be seen here.
In the woodland, watch out for Grey Squirrel playing in the trees, and in spring you can enjoy the Bluebells before the trees come into full leaf.
Volunteers
The Friends of Newmillerdam Country Park work with the Countryside Officers to improve and maintain the park. Recent activities include a new boardwalk, way-marked trails and looking after the arboretum.
To join the Friends of Newmillerdam Country Park, contact countryside_admin@wakefield.gov.uk.
Car park prices
| Time | Price |
| Up to 2 hours | £1.00 |
| Up to 4 hours | £2.00 |
| Up to 24 hours | £4.00 |
Contact Us
Waterton Countryside Discovery Centre Anglers Country Park Haw Park Lane Wintersett Wakefield WF4 2EB