Bilsthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,076, increasing to 3,375 at the 2011 Census. It is about five miles south of Ollerton, and near the junction of the A614 and A617.
Facilities
The village has 2 children's play-parks as well as a small sized duck-pond. It has also a members only fishing lake created from the remains of the old mines slag heap. The village's colliery closed in 1997 after 70 years in use. The colliery was the centre of national media and public attention on 18 August 1993 when a roof collapsed in the colliery, killing 31-year-old under-manager David Shelton and miners Bill McCulloch and Peter Alcock. David Shelton was posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery on 11 October 1995 for aiding the rescue of other miners; survivor Ray Thompson also received the George Medal. A memorial to the dead miners was also erected outside the colliery. The village is known locally as being two areas, the 'old' and 'new'. The village has two public houses and a miners' welfare club. The village used to have a village hall with squash and sauna facilities with some gym equipment. However, the district council of Newark decided to close these due mainly to the low usage of both the squash and sauna facilities. The old squash centre site has now been turned into a Miners Museum. The village hall's main part is still in use for coffee mornings, and other community gatherings including a bowls event for local people. On the Kirklington side of the village is a supported Living home for adults with learning disabilities and autism called LifeWays. Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy is the local education facility for children with access to nursery and primary learning. Access to secondary education is in Ollerton.
Sport
Bilsthorpe Welfare Youth Football Club won the Mansfield Youth Under 16s Division 2 football championship. BWYFC Bilsthorpe is also the home of non-league football clubNottingham United, one of the biggest semi-professional clubs in the county, currently playing at Step 7 of the National League System and based at Bilsthorpe Sports Ground on Eakring Road.
