Explore the Local Area

It would be easy to spend your entire stay just on our estate - the ideal spot to escape from it all.

By all means, enjoy the tranquillity, indulge in the peace and quiet, and relax. However, it would be a shame not to explore a little too. If you want to stretch your legs, a public pathway will lead you through the picturesque countryside bordering the historic estate. Discover the walks and begin your adventures. 

It’s also well placed for anyone eager to get their cultural fix as the estate has its very own award-winning Harley Gallery with its contemporary art and a wealth of historical arts to explore within The Portland Collection Museum.

Meanwhile, there's also great fishing. Welbeck Lakes have been a draw for generations of anglers. Right in the heart of the estate with the impressive Welbeck Abbey as backdrop, there’s everything needed for a perfect day’s fishing. Anglers can enjoy relaxed fishing on these waters, which are stocked to bursting with a large number of diverse fish species from pike, eel, bream and carp, to roach. 

The Welbeck Lakes Fishery season runs from 16 June to 14 March each year. It’s open for fishing Monday through to Saturday, during daylight hours or 7am to 9pm. For full details, read on. What's more, if booked in advance, holiday cottage guests can take advantage of a special fishing pass at Welbeck Fishery during their stay. For just £20, you can enjoy great fishing in beautiful surroundings. Let us know when you book your holiday accommodation and we will email all the details before your visit.

Creswell Crags is just a 15-minute walk from The Harley Gallery. While you’re still on the Welbeck estate, it feels a world away. This limestone gorge was once home to Ice Age hunters and has cave art dating back 10,000 years before the Egyptian pyramids.

Jump in a car and you’re just a short drive from a wealth of other attractions too, including…

  • Bolsover Castle - Once part of the Welbeck estate, the Little Castle was built by William Cavendish as a retreat and entertaining space.
  • Hardwick Hall - Now owned by the National Trust, this Elizabethan mansion was created by Bess of Hardwick, whose youngest son purchased Welbeck Abbey.

  • Clumber Park - This neighbouring parkland with a lake, heathland and chapel was once the seat of the Dukes of Newcastle and is now National Trust owned.

  • Sherwood Forest - Home to the legend that is Robin Hood, this forest has an RSPB visitor centre with walks and marked trails.

  • Rufford Abbey - This park surrounding the remains of an Abbey, has a wealth of pathways around its woodlands, gardens and lake and also has a children's playground, activities, events and places to eat.

  • Mr Straw’s House - This Edwardian semi-detached house in Worksop has remained largely unchanged since the 1920s and is open to the public if booked in advance.
  1. The Coloured Cob Equestrian Centre – located on the estate within the neighbouring village of Creswell, here you can choose to take either a carriage trip or pony trek through our beautiful countryside. (2 miles) 
  • Sherwood Pines – has a café, activity trails, play areas, bike hire, wild running and mountain biking trails. You could get back to basics on a bushcraft experience or soar through the trees on Go Ape’s famous zip wires. (9 miles) 

  • Newstead Abbey - Best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron, this historic house is surrounded by parkland and gardens and walking trails.
  • Gullivers Valley -  designed for children aged 2 - 13, Gulliver's Valley Resort is home to roaring dinosaurs, indoor attractions and exciting theme park rides. Enjoy a great selection of rides and attractions across multiple themed areas including Western World, Smugglers Wharf and the Lost World of the Living Dinosaurs.  (10 miles)

  • Tropical Butterfly House Wildlife and Falconry Centre – an alternative zoo with wildlife including meerkats, prairie dogs and birds of prey. (10 miles)

  • Robin Hood's Wheelgate  - a 30-acre family theme park and water park. The park includes rides, two large indoor play centres, a farm and a water park. (11 miles)

  • White Post Farm -  is all about getting up close to animals, from holding chicks, to stroking reptiles, to feeding cheeky llamas. As well as meeting the animals, you can zoom around on go-karts, explore the indoor and outdoor play areas, or grab a bite to eat. (11 miles)

  • Chatsworth House – travel a little further into Derbyshire and you’ll find more links to the Cavendish family. Chatsworth House is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The house and gardens are open to the public, plus there are shops, restaurants, and parkland to explore. (26 miles)

In addition, there’s shopping and further entertainment within Sheffield city centre and Meadowhall shopping centre just half an hour away, while Nottingham is approximately 30 miles away.