Blog Post

Biking Clumber Park to Newstead Abbey

Mick C • Sep 17, 2021

Route 6 through Sherwood Forest

When visiting Nottinghamshire the perfect day out to capture some history and ride your bike is a trip to Clumber Park or Newstead Abbey and biking between them via the national cycle route 6. Now, this isn't for the those thrill seekers who want a technical challenging bike ride. What it is, is a perfect steady ride between two classic historic venues, an opportunity to take in the scenery.

Depending on which part of Notts you are in or are visiting you can Park at either venue. I would recommend starting at Clumber if you don't have a bike, as there is a place to hire bikes. Beware, parking is expensive at Clumber unless you are a national Trust member. It used to be £5 per car but they changed the pricing, and it is now £5 per adult and £2.50 per child, which for a family like us is a massive increase in price. If you do have bikes, then parking on the perimeter is allowed and you can bike into the centre to get on route 6.

In this article I’ll be describing the excellent route starting from Clumber Park and finishing at Newstead Abbey. To get back just follow it in reverse or you can even start at Newstead Abbey and head out to Clumber Park doing the route backwards.

From the café head in a 12 o’clock direction. Walk your bikes past the toilets and you'll come to a path that opens out to a wider path with the lake on the left and an open grass area on the right. Keep on the path/road until you reach a T-junction. Don't stop at the gate, pass through it to reach the T-junction. Take a left on the Park Road and you'll be on route 6. This takes you to the lake where you cross a bridge and carry straight on. A great photo opportunity. After the bridge don't take the left to go around the lake, or the left fork which takes you to the road, just head straight. The Park Road is then very straight with a very slight uphill for about a mile. You'll see the road stop at a gated fence with a house to the right. Just before this you should see the route 6 sign that takes you left into the wood. With a little snake you then reach a fire road T-junction. Go right onto the fire road and enjoy the flat route that takes in some of the heart of the forest. In Autumn this is a great place to collect fallen chestnuts.

After about 1.5 miles a small car park appears. Pass through it and cross the road. This road is the B6034 (Ollerton Road) between Budby, Edwinstowe, Ollerton and Worksop. The path then narrows and its single file to the next road. In summer this section can be over grown so watch the nettles.

The next road to cross is the A616 between Cuckney and Budby. It will be on your left as you approach. Once through the gate go straight over and enjoy the fast downhill track that whips between the trees. You can go as fast or slow as you want here, but a great trail to have a rest if needed as its downhill all the way. Eventually you will come to a third road, Netherfield Lane, between Meden Vale and Budby.

After crossing you pass between the lakes and back onto a wide gravel track. This is another spot for parking and popular with bird watchers. You'll reach the Severn Trent water works and pass through a gate. This takes you into the heart of Sherwood Forest via a decent Trail, where the famous major oak is situated. Budby grounds will be on the left until you enter the full forest. The trail passes straight through and is undulating. If you are tired this can seem a long never-ending section. After a couple of long miles, you pass the visitors centre on the left without seeing it. It’s great time to have a detour to see the famous ‘major oak' lived in by Robin Hood. It’s not a small detour though…

Back on the trail and you soon come to a right hander which takes you along the side of the A6075 road between Edwinstowe and Mansfield Woodhouse. Cross over onto a stone track and look out for the Archway House. An old house built between 1842 and 1844. The house was originally used to show the strength of Mansfield stone so it could be used to re-build the House of Parliament after a fire, and there were intentions to build 12 identical houses. However, the 4th duke of Portland died so the project was never finished. It became dwellings for two families and a school room for 30 children to attend until 1906. Today it is two holiday rentals used by visitors to Sherwood Forest.

After passing the archway house its a rough track out into the open, between fields. You hit a sharp descent and sharpish climb, before swinging right to head under a bridge, and out to a lane, stopping at some traffic lights on the B6030 between Kings Clipstone and the Sherwood Pines entrance. Whatever you do don’t go straight through them, it is a very sharp corner and a fast road so cars can't see you. Be patient and wait for the change.

Carrying straight on through the green lights, cross the road and you will be in the ‘dog and duck’ pub car park, a nice place for a drink or a stop on one of the picnic benches at the far end. If you are cracking on head straight through car park and down to a gate at the far end. This part of route 6takes you through to vicar water. It’s a straight track with a couple of gates to negotiate and plenty of horses to see. You emerge with the lake on the right hand side. Hopefully the sun is shining so you get the glistening water effect. Head to the far end onto a hard packed trail. If you peek left over the fence, you'll notice the old road leading to the Clipstone mine. To the right is the old pit tip converted to a nice walking area. The trail zig zags on its way to Sherwood Pines until you swing left and hit a trail gate with grounded metal bars to stop those motorbikes from entering. Pass through and follow the route 6 trail on the left of the junction of trails. The trail has a slight downhill trend so a good point to relax those legs particularly if the kids are tired. This section is about half a mile with the golf course on the right. It'll flash by and before you know it the bridge will appear as the entrance to Sherwood Pines.

Sherwood Pines is an excellent area for off road biking with three routes for all abilities, a bike park, a café and plenty of other outdoor activities. Route 6 passes on the edge of the forest showing parts of the blue and red Route. If you fancy visiting the café head left from the bridge, or you can pick up the blue Route or red Route. The café is about a mile as the crow flies but obviously the routes will wind in and out of the trees making it further.

To carry on route 6, from the bridge head straight on the fire road up the hill. It swings right at the top and then carries straight for a good mile or so. Even though its pretty flat it looks like an endless trail. Try focusing on the scenery as it is beautiful, particularly when it’s frosty or the sun is blazing.

Halfway along there is a tricky gate again with ground bars that dips in the middle. Tricky for the kids. The trail also crosses cycle route 645. The section ends as you come out of the trees down hill to a sandy section. You end up in the trees you can see on the horizon, straight ahead but first the trail swings right slightly uphill, then sharp left back into the trees.

Soon you get back to the fire road via a T-junction. Follow the route 6 signs going right and then left. At the end its a right, back onto single track. This is a great spot in the morning when the sun is blazing as it flickers through the trees as you pass. Squeeze through two boulders and then ride parallel to the small Rainworth water stream until you enter a tunnel which is very dark in the middle. Take your time especially if you have kids following. This is the exit of Sherwood Pinesand the start of the long flat tarmac trail to Blidworth. When you get back to the light and exit the tunnel its a Tour de France style switch back to take you to the tarmac. Then it’s a 2 mile flat tarmac easy ride. A good time to recoup or eat up some distance quickly if you have the energy.

The end of the road is the base of an old pit tip. Follow the route 6signs and swing left around the base of the remodelled tip before turning off right through a gate for a short, sometimes muddy, section. This swings right through another gate and onto a road with houses to the left and small industrial buildings on the right. Go straight along the road until you reach the main B6020 road that goes into Blidworth. Turn left down the hill and right straight after the shops onto ‘New Lane’.

It’s a small climb and then you are back on the lanes. There is no way to play this down but if you are tired or during a long ride these lanes can be a killer. They are undulating with short sharp uphill’s and fast downhills. I have hit the wall here a couple of times on long rides. Follow the lane ahead and after a couple of miles you'll pass a wind turbine and come to a T-junction. Turn right and take in some easy peddling along the flat lane. This is another great part of the route when it’s a sunny morning as sun shines across the fields and flickers through the trees. Keep your eyes peeled as after about 750 metres it’s a left turn into the wood.

Once over the small hump at the start the next section is a lovely straight fast downhill between two fields. It is called ‘Sandy Lane’ for a reason but if nobody is about don't hold back, just let the brakes go and enjoy. Make sure you look for the gate at the bottom.

The next section unfortunately is a road section through the Ravenshead Estate. Exit the track right onto the B6020 main road. This is a fast road so beware...keep the kids safe. Take the route 6 sign left into the Ravensheadestate. Then it’s a climb and a few rights and lefts to get through the estate. It’s well signposted so just stick to it. You will eventually enter a narrow footpath which comes out onto the A60 the road between Mansfield and Nottingham.

Look straight across and you'll see the entrance to Newstead Abbey.Take the pedestrian crossing to get you across safely and enter the Newstead estate. It does state there is a £3 charge for bikes but I have never been asked to stop or pay, but I am usually just passing through to get to Newstead village. If you are stopped you will be unlucky. Follow the tarmac road. Its turns into a nice downhill that eventually passes the car park and swings left just before the lake. Around the corner and you'll have first sight of the Abbey. Time to pull up and have a well earned drink or some food at the cafe, before locking the bikes up and having an amble around the gardens behind the Abbey.

Total mileage is just over 20 miles. After a walk around its back on the bike for the return journey all sign posted as route 6.