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The Robin Hood Way Long Distance Circular

Nottinghamshire Walk

County/Area - Nottinghamshire

Author - John Gurnhill

Length - 27.0 miles / 43.9 km    

Ascent - nominal or unknown

Time - 13 hours 30 minutes    Grade - mod/hard

Maps Ordnance Survey Logo Anquet Maps Logo

Ordnance Survey Explorer 270Sheet Map1:25kBUY
Anquet OS Explorer 270Digital Map1:25kBUY

Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - The Robin Hood Way Long Distance Circular
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This is a circular walk based on the 105 mile Robin Hood Way, Nottinghamshire's original long distance footpath. It must be stressed that OS Explorer Map sheet 270 is essential. Due to the length it is recommended that you ensure your fitness levels are adequate.

The start is the free public car park behind the Robin Hood Public House in Edwinstowe, off East Lane, GR SK628668. Turn right out of the car park and follow East Lane round to the main road. Turn left and go under the railway bridge and immediately turn left. This track has the railway on the left and continues through to the A614. Cross this main road with great care and turn left under bridge along the right hand side of the A614, taking the right fork at the first junction to Ollerton village and church.

At the White Hart Public House cross half left and continue past the church to reach the A616 at GR655676. Cross with care and go left along pavement. After 50 yards, turn right down a bridleway. After about half a mile, turn left, over the River Maun. Then go right, left, right and along a track for about 1 mile to Whitewater Farm. Continue round the ruins and continue to reach Whitewater Lane at GR 660702.

Turn right along the road, go over a bridge across the River Maun, and when the road turns sharp right, turn left into Walesby Wood, passing Robin Hood's Cave. At GR 663714 we join the "Robin Hood's Way" proper, which we follow for several miles, via Conjure Alders. Cross the A614 at GR 649742 and enter the woodland behind the lay-by. Do not follow Freeboard Lane. Instead, soon turn right (north) with woodland and the A614 on your right. Continue over the metalled road to the next road, seeing Clumber Park Hotel in the distance on your right.

Cross the road half left, go through the gate and across the field, initially passing the wood on your left, to join the road again at a field corner. Turn right down the road, across the wooden bridge, and still following the road, reach the car park. Go across this and take the narrow track to the left of the toilet block. At the end of this track turn left to reach the lake.

Turn right, and keeping the lake on your left, follow the shore round for about 1 mile, passing through a gateway on the way, and continuing until steps and formal gardens are reached. Here the "Robin Hood's Way" turns north, but our walk continues to follow the edge of Clumber Lake as far as possible, until Clumber Bridge is reached at GR 622738.

Turn left on the road. Go over a bridge and turn right on a narrow track through the wood, now with the head of the lake on your right. Eventually the lake becomes a small river, and a road is reached. Turn right over Carburton Bridge, GR 616734. About 50 yards after the bridge, turn left on a poorly metalled track, eventually becoming un-metalled. Follow this for about 1 ½ miles, ignoring all side turnings and crossings, until the road and Truman's Lodge is reached. Turn left, under the lodge, regaining the "Robin Hood's Way" here, which is now followed for several miles. After Truman's Lodge, the road is taken WNW to a track forking half left, to continue across Ollerton Rd, and along Drinking Pit Lane to South Lodge, following the "Robin Hood's Way" waymarks.

At South Lodge, go left, then right through the gate, and left through a second gate to follow the field edge above the tunnel from Welbeck Abbey. At the end of the field continue between lakes, turn right and at GR 560747 turn left onto a wide grassy track, which gradually narrows to a path along the edge of Welbeck College grounds.

Turn sharp right along the concrete track, and follow this across the field. Then go left downhill, and along the tree lined avenue to reach the A60 at GR 545745. Cross this main road and continue along the track opposite, to reach Cresswell Crags visitor Centre. Take the track on the left immediately after the buildings, then turn left over the outflow from the lake, and continue on the left side past the caves, with the lake on your right.

At the far end, pass through the gate, go over the stile, then head uphill for a short distance before leaving the track left uphill as soon as possible, keeping the wall on your left. Continue with wall, over stile, downhill, over another stile, across a field, and then along the edges of four more fields, to the telephone box at Holbeck. Go half left across road, and along the RUPP to pass the church to Holbeck Woodhouse.

On reaching the cross-roads, turn left. Then turn right still on the RHW. Cross the A60, continue on the private road; at junction, go sharp right, then left at next junction, to pass the deer park on your left. Continue on this road through to Norton. (The "Robin Hood's Way" diverges for a short distance here) Continue to a road junction. Turn right and then left to rejoin the "Robin Hood's Way".

Follow the quiet road, watching for the twitchers on the left, to GR 586720 Carunna Lodge, continuing through the woodland to Hazel Gap. Here the "Robin Hood's Way" goes in four directions. Our route crosses the A616, and goes half right to Gleadthorpe Beck Plantation. Care is needed here - Turn left at the bottom before open countryside is reached. There is a finger post, but the RHW waymarks may not be clear. The "Robin Hood's Way" is followed through sets of gates either side of the road, and then you follow a long track gradually climbing, with a wide grassy ride on the right. When this disappears, turn right on to a wide forestry track, which is followed for some time until it veers right.

Continue ahead into the wood and look for a yellow water hydrant on the right. At this point turn left, cross a track, and follow the edge of the wood to reach the A6075. Cross half left, following a metalled road past Archway House, and downhill on a rough track to turn left just before a river. Follow the track with river on your right through woodland and then along edge of an open field.

Eventually turn right down a track, crossing two bridges. Still follow the path with the river below on the left. Soon the "Robin Hood's Way" turns right, but our walk continues along the river edges to a busy minor road. Turn left along the road to reach the T-junction. From here retrace your steps to the car park by crossing the bridge, turning right into East Street to reach the car park on your left.

John Gurnhill writes - "I hope you have enjoyed this walk. Walking at a brisk pace the 27 miles takes 7 ½ hours, allowing 10 minutes at Cresswell Crags visitor centre for a break and refreshment. Starting at 9.30, Cresswell Crags is reached at 2 PM with a finish at 5 PM.

Other walks nearby

Walk 2429 Edwinstowe, Sherwood Forest & Major Oak circulareasy5.9 miles
Walk 2139 Clumber Park and Lakeeasy4.0 miles
Walk 2162 Clumber Park & Freeboard Lane easy5.5 miles
Walk 1460 Hardwick Hall parkeasy2.5 miles
Walk 2134 Linby and Newstead Abbey circulareasy5.9 miles
Walk 1513 Newstead Abbey from Linbyeasy5.8 miles
Walk 3586 Rolleston & Morton from Fiskertoneasy6.3 miles
Walk 2725 Chesterfield Canal and Anston Brook from Kivetonmoderate10.2 miles
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