Country Parks and Gardens

Nottinghamshire’s country parks and gardens are always a popular place to explore outdoors and take in a breath of fresh air. With some attractions open almost all year round, our country parks and gardens are great if you want a family day out with a picnic in the summer, get active on a bike or foot, spot wildlife and enjoy annual events and festivals. Dive into our top 10 recommendations of gorgeous country parks and gardens that Nottinghamshire has to offer.

---

1. Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve
 

Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve extends over 450 acres and incorporates slender birch trees alongside more than one thousand veteran oaks, most of which are over 500 years old. The largest and most famous of these is the Major Oak which still produces acorns after standing at the heart of Sherwood Forest for an amazing 800 years!

Of course, this Forest is the legendary home of Robin Hood – and the site of some of the county’s most popular FREE festivals, such as the annual Robin Hood Festival and Nottinghamshire Day Festival.

Browse around the visitor centre shop and cafe or take a walk along one of the fun family nature trails. Admire the weird and wonderful shapes of the ancient oak trees, twisted by age and weathered into living sculptures.

Sherwood Forest has a unique ecology system: the natural decay of fallen wood means the woodland teems with insect life, fungi, birds and bats. In partnership with the Sherwood Trust, a woodland grazing project featuring Hebridean sheep and Dexter cattle ensures that open areas of medieval heathland do not revert to scrub. It’s little wonder that Sherwood Forest Country Park welcomes around 500,000 visitors each year.

They host weekly and seasonal events so don't forget to visit our What's On page to see their events.
 

2. Sherwood Pines Forest Park

Sherwood Pines Forest Park is the largest forest open to the public in the East Midlands with over 3,300 acres to discover.

It’s a centre for a wide variety of outdoor activities, so you can choose to explore on foot, on two wheels with numerous cycle paths, or high in the trees at Go Ape Tree Top Adventure. The Visitor Centre is at the heart of it all with a cafe, cycle hire and children's adventure play trail available.

We also recommend the Sherwood Pines Mountain Bike Cycle Trails. There are five different cycling and mountain bike trails at Sherwood Pines incorporating different difficulty levels to suit different levels of experience. The Ancient Sherwood Cycle Route starts at Sherwood Forest Art and Craft Centre. It takes you through Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve into woodland and on to the National trust owned Clumber Park returning on a circular route. For more cycling trails, click here.

Did you know that you can book accommodation in Sherwood Forest? Extend your stay in our ancient forest with accommodation at Forest Holidays, Sherwood Forest Holiday Park, The Sherwood Hideaway or the Sherwood Pines Campsite.

3. Clumber Park

Now open all year round to the public, this National Trust treasure was once seat to the Duke of Newcastle and features over 3800 acres of land to roam. A Site of Specific Scientific Interest, there are over 120 types of tree, including the stunning Lime Tree Avenue. A variety of activities await at Clumber, from permanent orienteering courses to the woodland adventure park. Check out the walled kitchen garden for some delicious homegrown veg, browse the second-hand bookshop, or get active on the Clumber Park Run! Stroll around the grounds or hire a bike or tandem to get around - there are over 20 miles of cycle routes to follow!

As part of Clumber Park Revitalised, the park has opened Central Bark cafe just outside the Walled Kitchen Garden in the heart of Clumber Park and offers a pit stop on any adventure. With hot and cold refreshments, sweet treats and light bites and an environment for you and your dogs to relax along the way. You can also find doggy products available to buy, incase you may have forgotten to bring something on your walk! They also host Weekly Dog Walking Socials every Wednesday at 10am.

4. Wollaton Hall & Park
 

Standing on a natural hill, only three miles west of Nottingham city centre, Wollaton Hall is a flamboyant 16th century Elizabethan mansion set in a scenic 500 acre historic deer park. The Hall became internationally famous in 2012 as ‘Batman’s pad’ when it starred as Wayne Manor in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

Throughout all the seasons, the park is a popular visitor attraction. In summer, enjoy the glorious sunshine and kick back with a picnic with your friends or family, and in winter wrap up warm and take to the hills on your sleigh!

Discover local history in the Nottingham Industrial Museum, explore the caves underneath the Hall, or enjoy a tour inside the Hall where you will find Tudor kitchens, prospect room, salon, dining room, bird room and the natural connections gallery in the Natural History Museum - which is in addition to the exhibitions inspired by art and science in the Yard Gallery.

5. Rufford Abbey

In its 900 year history the land at Rufford Park transformed from Cistercian monestry to country house, making for a very interesting display of buildings that reflect different uses and eras of the land. The land was bought by Nottinghamshire County Council in 1952 and transformed into a county park for visitors to enjoy.

Today you can wander a variety of independent shops selling local produce and artisan wares, along with two cafes and an ice-cream parlour. One of Nottinghamshire's best loved country parks, a brilliant family day out can be had at Rufford, with boats to hire on the lake, adventure golf, archery at weekends and a children's playground. You can learn more about the activities they offer here. They often host events so make sure to check our What's On page to learn more. Admission is free but parking charges do apply.

5. Newstead Abbey and Gardens
 

Newstead Abbey is a beautiful historic house set in a glorious landscape of gardens and parkland within the heart of Nottinghamshire. The Abbey was once home to the notorious romantic poet Lord Byron, from 1808 – 1814, and visitors can explore the Victorian room settings and the poets private apartments.

Explore more than 300 acres of gardens and parkland at the Abbey where paths meander past lakes, ponds and waterfalls. The formal gardens are the perfect place to relax and offer something in all seasons.

If you're looking for accomodation close by, you can even stay at the Gardener's Cottage in the grounds. Built in the 1860s by the Webb family, Gardener’s Cottage is situated in heart of the Abbey grounds and is just a few minutes’ walk from many of the parks’ unique features, including the Abbey and Byron’s own Fort.

6. Thoresby Park

Thoresby Park, within the heart of Nottinghamshire, is a lovely place to visit all year round with a range of attractions for all the family no matter how young or old. The extensive grounds cover over 1000 acres of rich unspoilt English countryside, with a range of facilities and attractions open to the public all year round.

Whether you are visiting to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, interested in the Gallery, or attending an event, there is something for everyone. Visit the Victorian Courtyard and you'll find working crafts people, shops, licensed restaurant and coffee shop, military museum and the acclaimed Gallery featuring regional, national and international artists. Check out events like the Courtyard Makers Mart and don't forget to spot their Robin Hood statue!

Car parking is £3.00 all day. You can also purchase an annual season pass for £40.00 with a £5.00 security deposit from the Visitor Centre. There is disabled parking and electric charging points.

7. Walesby Forest

Walesby Forest is an International Outdoor Activity Centre located in the heart of Robin Hood County, spanning over 250 acres of beautiful woodland just waiting to be explored. This not-for-profit organisation has been welcoming visitors from across the Midlands and further afield since 1938, offering bespoke and inclusive outdoor experiences to suit any adventurer.

8. Bestwood Country Park

 

Mentioned in the Doomsday Book, this 650 acre park, on the northern fringe of Nottingham, boasts an incredible variety of different wildlife habitats. From Mill Lakes teeming with water birds, to meadows full of wild flowers, ancient oak woodland and a reclaimed coal tip, Bestwood has a landscape which reflects the varied history of Nottinghamshire itself. 

You will find the Time to Connect Art Trail in many of these Country Parks and Gardens, including Newstead Abbey, RSPB Sherwood Forest, Rufford Abbey and Bestwood Country Park. The new Time to Connect trail features a series of six artworks created and installed by artist and sculptor Chris Campbell. Visual artists Mandy Keating, Tracey Meek and Chris Campbell teamed up with local groups and schoolchildren to create drawings inspired by Nottinghamshire’s heritage and landscapes, and the artwork from those workshops has been used by Chris in his designs for the sculptures. Each sculpture on the trail invites you to Take ‘Time to Connect’ with this place and with each other.

9. Creswell Crags

Creswell Crags in North Nottinghamshire is a limestone gorge honeycombed with caves and smaller fissures. Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provide evidence for a fascinating story of life during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Further evidence came to light in 2003 with the discovery of Britain’s only known Ice Age rock art.

It is also home to the biggest concentration of ‘witches’ marks’ found in British caves. "Apotropaic" marks were scribed into the cave surface as they were thought to keep evil spirits coming from the underworld. Hundreds of these protective marks, believed to be from the 17th and 18th Centuries, were discovered in 2018. It is free to visit but you can expect car parking charges to apply.

10. Nottingham Arboretum

A historic, beautifully maintained park that is home to an important collection of over 800 trees, some of which are from the original collection planted in the 19th century, award winning Nottingham Arboretum is Nottingham's oldest public park and the closest park to the city centre, opened on 11 May 1852. 

The layout and design of Nottingham Arboretum was performed under the supervision of Samuel Curtis, a botanist and horticultural publicist in 1850. Samuel had previously been involved with the layout of Victoria Park in the East End of London in 1842.

Easily accessible from the city centre and the wider community via the tram network that runs alongside, this park plays a vital role for the local community and is the site for many organised events.