Step Out Into Nature
Sherwood Forest & Birklands
Famous as the legendary home of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest is one of England’s most important ancient woodlands. Well-marked trails wind through ancient oaks, heathland and grassland, including the iconic Major Oak, offering gentle strolls and longer wildlife-rich walks.
Visit Sherwood Forest & Birklands →Creswell Crags
Walk in the footsteps of early humans at this dramatic limestone gorge on the Nottinghamshire–Derbyshire border. Creswell Crags features Ice Age caves, prehistoric rock art, woodland paths and open meadows around a reflective lake, making it a fascinating walk at any time of year.
Visit Creswell Crags →Ollerton Pit Wood
A peaceful mix of woodland and wetland with surfaced circular routes around a central pond. Ollerton Pit Wood is rich in seasonal wildlife, with orchids, butterflies, dragonflies and wild strawberries appearing throughout the year. Gentle paths, open viewpoints and quiet surroundings make this an ideal nearby walk for a relaxed stroll close to the cottages.
Visit Ollerton Pit Wood →Oxclose Wood
Oxclose Wood offers a varied landscape of woodland, wetland and open grassland, with surfaced trails ideal year-round. Steeper sections reward walkers with wide countryside views, and wildlife including orchids, skylarks, kestrels and buzzards makes this a great spot for nature lovers.
Visit Oxclose Wood →Pleasley Park
A peaceful green space just north of Mansfield, Pleasley Park offers mixed woodland, open grass and a pond that makes a lovely focal point for a gentle walk. Easy paths and open views make it a relaxed choice for a short stroll.
Visit Pleasley Park →Shirebrook Wood
A former colliery site now rich in wildlife, Shirebrook Wood combines woodland, meadows and a scenic wetland valley. Well-surfaced circular routes and elevated viewpoints provide excellent countryside views, making it ideal for longer walks, cycling and relaxed outdoor time.
Visit Shirebrook Wood →Silverhill Wood
A restored colliery landscape with woodland, ponds and open meadows, offering varied walks and orienteering in every season. Well-made routes pass through wildlife-rich areas and lead to higher ground, where a striking miner’s memorial marks the highest viewpoint in Nottinghamshire with wide panoramic views.
Visit Silverhill Wood →Sherwood Pines
A popular forest destination with something for everyone, from gentle woodland walks and longer routes to play areas and adventure trails. It’s also great for cycling and mountain biking, with bike hire available, making it ideal for a full day outdoors with cafés and facilities nearby (parking charges apply).
Visit Sherwood Pines →Boundary Wood
A young woodland with easy, surfaced paths and open countryside views, ideal for gentle strolls or longer loops. It’s also a great link-up route, connecting Sherwood Pines to the north and Haywood Oaks to the south via the SUSTRANS network, making it perfect for longer walks or cycles.
Visit Boundary Wood →Sherwood Heath Nature Reserve
A short stroll from the cottages, this award-winning heathland is a special remnant of the ancient Sherwood Forest landscape. In summer the reserve comes alive with vibrant heather and gorse, and it’s a wonderful place for spotting wildlife — from butterflies and birds to bats at dusk. Easy paths and open views make it ideal for a quick, scenic walk.
Visit Sherwood Heath →Cockglode and Rotary Wood
A bright, open-feeling woodland created to celebrate the Millennium, planted in 1998–1999 on the restored spoil tip of Thoresby Colliery. Wide paths and developing tree cover give long countryside views, offering a striking contrast to nearby ancient woodland. It’s a great spot for relaxed walks with plenty of sky, space and fresh air.
Visit Cockglode & Rotary Wood →Rufford Abbey Country Park
A historic country park with lakes, woodland paths and landscaped gardens, ideal for a relaxed half-day or full day out. Choose from gentle lakeside strolls or longer parkland loops, with picnic spots, seasonal events and café stops available (parking charges apply).
Visit Rufford Abbey →Little John Lakes
Primarily a fishing venue, Little John Lakes is also a lovely spot for peaceful lakeside strolls close to Ollerton. Short, easy paths circle three named lakes, with plenty of quiet corners for wildlife watching and a calm, waterside feel. Ideal for a gentle outing when you want fresh air without a long drive — just keep dogs on leads around the water and anglers.
Visit Little John Lakes →Broughton Brake
A scenic Forestry England woodland with surfaced trails that are easy to explore in most weather. Routes pass ponds and a beautiful beech avenue, with options to head deeper into the wood, plus occasional orienteering routes that add a fun challenge for walkers and cyclists.
Visit Broughton Brake →Clumber Park
Covering over 3,800 acres, this former ducal estate is ideal for a full day out, with flat cycle routes and wide paths suitable for all abilities. Woodland trails, historic features, a magnificent lake and tree-lined avenues provide plenty to explore, with cafés and facilities available (National Trust parking charges apply).
Visit Clumber Park →Harley Art Trail
An easy countryside walk linking the Welbeck Estate area with Creswell Crags, with peaceful paths, rolling views and outdoor artworks along the way. The sculptures create a relaxed “walk and discover” experience, ideal for a gentle half-day out with a creative twist.
Visit Harley Art Trail →Thoresby Park
A large country park with miles of paths through woodland, lakes and open parkland, ideal for relaxed strolls or longer wanders. There’s plenty of space for picnics and wildlife spotting, including resident fallow deer, with cafés and facilities making it an easy, stress-free day out close to the cottages.
Visit Thoresby Park →Vicar Water Country Park
Right on the doorstep, Vicar Water offers easy, relaxed walks along flat, accessible paths through lakes and woodland, with a pretty waterfall, benches and picnic spots. Ideal for early morning strolls, gentle evening walks or a quick breath of fresh air between days out.
Visit Vicar Water →Rainworth Water
A gentle, easy-going walk that follows the stream through Rainworth village, ideal for short strolls and quieter local wanders. It’s a nice choice when you fancy something low-effort with a waterside feel, with simple routes that can be as short or as long as you like. Perfect for a calm morning or an evening walk, with plenty of spots to pause and enjoy the surroundings.
Visit Rainworth Water →Haywood Oaks
A large woodland with a wide variety of trails, from easy loops to longer routes linking into the surrounding countryside. Mixed woodland, open rides and seasonal wildflower meadows give it year-round interest, with connections to the SUSTRANS cycle network for walkers and cyclists wanting space and flexibility.
Visit Haywood Oaks →Blidworth Woods
An important area of ancient woodland with wide forest rides and quieter side paths, making it a lovely place for a proper woodland walk. It’s especially beautiful in spring when bluebells carpet the forest floor, but it’s a rewarding visit year-round with birdsong, fresh woodland scents and a calm, sheltered feel. Ideal for a relaxed ramble with the dog or a gentle picnic in the forest.
Visit Blidworth Woods →