Distance:
6.28 miles round trip
Time:
3.5 hours
Difficulty:
Moderate / Difficult
OS Map:
Explorer 270, Sherwood Forest
Take a walk along the Robin Hood Way and discover the picturesque countryside of the Welbeck Estate.
Accessibility: A moderate walk that includes a range of surfaces, with some slight inclines, fields, country road crossings, steps, uneven stretches and stile.
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.
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.
In the Courtyard at Welbeck, everything you find is made by real people with skill and passion – from masterpieces of historic art to fine foods.
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.
The Robin Hood Way is a 105-mile-long route across Nottinghamshire. The original route of 84 miles from Nottingham Castle to Edwinstowe Church was opened in 1985 with the intention of linking all the places in Nottinghamshire with connections to the legend of Robin Hood.
This Grade I listed parish church dates from the 12th century, with restoration in 1167, 1892 and 1907— the nave and upper tower date to the early 13th century. The church is remarkably long for this period, measuring 145 ft east to west and the nave 79 ft. There is a slab of black marble in the chancel which is reportedly the tomb of Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull.
At the edge of the churchyard are the remains of Cuckney Castle, a listed Scheduled Monument built by Thomas de Cuckeney.
Nestled within Sherwood Forest, the Welbeck Estate is no stranger to famous trees. Several impressive old oaks once featured in the park at Welbeck. These included the Porter Oaks, the Seven Sisters, The Duke’s Walking Stick and, perhaps the most well-known, the Greendale Oak.
In 1724, an opening was cut through the centre of the Greendale Oak when Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Mortimer made an after-dinner bet with his friends. Harley claimed he could drive a coach and six horses through a tree in his parkland. Although he seemingly managed this feat, he allegedly cheated somewhat by using six ponies instead of horses to fit through the hole.
Edward Harley’s wife, Henrietta Cavendish-Holles-Harley, used the wood from the hole to make a commemorative cabinet which shows scenes of the Greendale Oak and the coach being driven through it.
Welbeck is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife. Keep an eye out for pheasants, red kites and honey buzzards.
Surrounded by picturesque countryside, take a leisurely stroll through ancient woods, pre-historic gorges, wild parklands or tranquil tree-lined avenues.
