In January 1963, the last pit in Plean closed. In the mid 1980's, after years of neglect, British Coal handed over the now derelict Plean House and 190 acres of land to Stirling Council. The paths and the main drives were completely overgrown when work on the park started in 1987. The area has now been transformed into 200 acres of woodland and parkland with waymarked walks and a wayfaring course. Eighty different species of birds can be spotted and roe deer, rabbits and foxes roam freely.
There is a Walled Garden which was previously used by residents of Plean House to grow their own fruit and vegetables. At present, this is open to the public for special events and workshops but there are plans to develop the garden as an attractive picnic area. There are woodland walks and horse trails through the park, with tarmac pathways for the disabled. Older children can have a great time running around, playing hide and seek and building dens. A trail complete with sculptures set into the landscape and play equipment suitable for small children, is being developed around the pond behind the house.
Snowdrops and daffodils cover the park in Spring, red and blue rhododendrons burst forth in Summer. The Wildflower Meadow has a large variety of wild flowers including the Greater Butterfly Orchid which flowers in early July.
The fenced-off ruins of Plean House stand in the middle of the park, as a reminder of the park's history. It will probably be demolished before long and the park's industrial heyday will gradually become harder to remember. A commemorative sculpture stands near the walled garden as a tribute to local miners who worked the pit seams and in memory of those who tragically lost their lives, in the 1922 pit explosion.
Originally Plean only had one bing but there were fears that it might collapse on the village so half of it was transported by conveyer belt to the other side of the park. Since the mid 1980's, grass and mosses have built up on the wasteland and the area is now covered with birch trees.
The park has a natural wildness and on the paths and trails you can feel like you are the only one there. No adventure playgrounds or gift shops but you can have a great day out. Various events are organised throughout the year including Family Fun Days, special Park Ranger nature days, demonstrations and a grand fireworks display in November.
HISTORY
The once fine country mansion of Plean House is now a striking ruin. Built in the, early 19th Century by William Simpson, a wealthy East India Trader. A mining engineer, Wallace Thorneycroft, bought the estate in 1894 and took over the Plean Coal Company. The last pit in the village closed in 1963. The two bings are all that remains of the once thriving coal industry in the village.
The Thorneycrofts continued to live in the house until 1972. Soon after the house was unoccupied, vandals burnt it down.
The Trails.
NATURE TRAIL
0.75km (surfaced and tarmac path) Suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. See the dragonflies and damselflies buzzing over the surface of the wildlife pond in the Summer.
Take a detour round the children's play trail, then stop off at the picnic area, behind Plean House or continue onto the old main drive.
ESTATE TRAIL
1km (tarmac and surfaced paths, some slopes) A gentle walk around the historic grounds of Plean Estate. Enjoy the route through mature woodland, past the walled garden and along the burn. Take a detour across the burn to see the stables and then back on the path to Plean House, returning along the old main drive.
HERITAGE TRAIL
1.3km (mostly surfaced path, some slopes, steps and grass) Experience estate life in the 1800's. See the ruins where the people of Plean Estate lived, where they stabled their horses and the walled garden where they grew their food.
WOODLAND TRAIL
2.9km (variety of tracks some steep slopes and rough tracks) Explore the outer reaches of the park. Get to know the majestic woodlands and open meadows laid out in the last century. See how the once barren heaps of coal waste on the edges of the park are beginning to come alive with plants and animals. Look out for the woodland Guardian as you cross the stream.
HORSE TRAIL
3.5km (variety of tracks, some rough and muddy). The longest way-marked trail in the Park exploring both the north and south bings. Starting from the horse trailer car park follow the wooden markers. Watch out for vehicles on the final section (500m) along Cadgers Loan.
BIODIVERSITY TRAIL AND ORIENTEERING
There are two permanent orienteering courses in the park: a short biodiversity trail aimed at children's groups and schools as a fun way to introduce biodiversity and a larger course which uses the whole of the park.