Creswell Caves

Distance:

3.11 miles circular

Time:

1.5 hours

Difficulty:

Moderate

OS Map:

Explorer 270, Sherwood Forest

A circular walk through Creswell Crags limestone gorge to the picturesque village of Holbeck.

A countryside walk taking in the Robin Hood Way through the limestone gorge at Creswell Crags and the picturesque village of Holbeck.

Accessibility: A moderate walk that includes a range of walking surfaces, uneven tracks, inclines, stile and some sections on quiet country roads without pavements.

Please respect the landscape. Keep dogs on short leads and always follow the paths to help us protect wildlife. Please take your litter home with you, and follow the Welbeck Code.

Please note: the telephone signal at Welbeck can be hit-and-miss! If you plan to use a map on your device, please download it before you visit. Printed maps are available in The Courtyard at Welbeck, subject to availability.

Directions

Start this walk in The Courtyard at Welbeck. Go through the gate at the end of The Harley Gallery, carefully cross the road, walk along the woodland path, and follow the trail to the controlled crossing on the A60.
Carefully cross the road and follow the path through the woodland. Turn left to join the Robin Hood Way. Follow the footpath.
At the end of the lane, pass through the gate by the War Memorial into Creswell Crags car park.
A footpath runs along the left-hand side of the car park to the visitor centre. Follow this path.
Follow the sign outside the visitor centre to the gorge. Walk along the path by the side of the gorge to the far end.
At the end of the gorge, follow the footpath signs for the Robin Hood Way, climb over the stile and head to your right. Follow the steep path and continue for approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) over the field to Holbeck.
At Holbeck, cross the road and continue straight on through the avenue of lime trees towards the A60.
At the A60, cross the road and head onto the Welbeck estate at Lady Margaret Hall.
Turn left into the car park at Lady Margaret Hall and join the path through the field. Follow through the fields and woodland until you reach the historic brick wall. Please note this door is locked at the end of business. Times may vary.

What you'll discover...

Harley Art Trail

Along the way, you will find sculptures by two local artists, Michelle Reader and Martin Smith, and interpretation panels that tell the story of art in the landscape. Two horse sculptures mark the start of the trail made by artist Michelle Reader out of recycled materials collected from the Welbeck Estate.

The Harley Gallery & Museum

Situated in The Courtyard at Welbeck, the award-winning Harley Gallery shows contemporary exhibitions by leading artists. The museum displays works of art from Welbeck’s world-class art collection, which has been amassed over 400 years by the Dukes of Portland and their families.

Creswell Crags

Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge honeycombed with caves and smaller fissures. Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provided 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.

Cave Art to Contemporary Art Walking Trail – exploring the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Countryside is part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

St Winifred’s Church

Work on this Grade II listed church began in July 1913 and was completed three years later in July 1916. The work was carried out almost entirely by estate employees overseen by the 6th Duke of Portland’s Clerk of Works, D. McIntyre.

The church contains two war memorials listing the names of those who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Lady Margaret Hall

This 1950s community village hall underwent an impressive refurbishment in 2021. The large hall, kitchen, stage and bar area make the perfect venue for all events and occasions. Additional features include an event field that can be hired individually alongside the main hall booking, making it all the more versatile.

Discover our walking trails

Surrounded by picturesque countryside, take a leisurely stroll through ancient woods, pre-historic gorges, wild parklands or tranquil tree-lined avenues.