The first Bestwood hunting lodge was thought to have been built for Henry I in the early 1100's, but written evidence only occurs in 1286 during Edward I's reign.

[9] Outlaws (including possibly Robin Hood) were known to roam the area and rewards were routinely offered by the authorities.

In 1330, it was at the lodge where the young king Edward III plotted to overthrow his mother, Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer.

The present-day Bestwood Emmanuel Anglican Church belonged to the Duke's family as their chapel, it was also built by Teulon in 1869.

Later Dukes did not reside at the lodge, and after 1900 it was leased to local entrepreneurs, one being Sir Frank Bowden who was a key investor in the Nottingham Raleigh cycle business.

[12] The northern boundary of Nottingham was extended outwards in 1933 close to the colliery and the forested edges of Bestwood Park, where it has remained since.

After the war, the army continued to hold the area, and by the mid 1960s housing was being built along the Bestwood Lodge Drive and Woodchurch Roads up to the city boundary for their use.

The military progressively returned control of the site to the local authority and its successor Gedling Borough Council from 1973 onwards.

[14] The Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service headquarters was opened on the site of old army facilities in March 1985 by the Prince and Princess of Wales.