
The vast majority of our walks are arranged and published by walking clubs, historical and wildlife preservation societies, plus statutory bodies like the parish councils and Forestry Commission.
Join us on Facebook for the latest updates and walks information:
facebook.com/groups/nottsguidedwalks/
From Saturday 18th November twelve uniquely designed sculptures of Shaun the Sheep can be found at iconic locations across the park, and we’re inviting visitors to come and discover them all on this free art trail.
In collaboration with Aardman, and in partnership with global art producer, Wild in Art, each super-sized sculpture has been individually designed by artists from the region and beyond.
Shaun the Sheep: Find the Flock at Clumber Park continues Wild in Art’s mission to take art out of the gallery, making it free and accessible to all.
The trail is a glorious celebration of everything visitors love about Clumber as the wintery season is brought to life with bursts of colour, inspired by the much-loved star of film and television, Shaun the Sheep.
Plan your visit to find the flock now, ewe won’t regret it! More details here
With the start of September 2023 upon us it is time to put together the programme of Notts Guided Walks Wednesday Evening Walks for 2024.
We must thank all who took part in the 2023 programme of evening walks for supporting us. We appreciate the kind words of thanks from you so let us look back at this summer’s walks and remember them with much pleasure. The weather was in three periods, firstly in scorching hot weather then a period of rain before the good weather returned.
With the 2023 Wednesday evening walks now finished it is time to plan for next year’s evening walks and we are delighted to list a plan below for the dates and areas the 2024 Wednesday evening walks will take place. We hope to see you all again walking the countryside in Nottinghamshire on our programme of evening walks during the summer months from early May to the end of August.
Walk No. | Date | Month | Description of Walk |
1 | 1st | May | Lambley/Gedling |
2 | 8th | May | Vicars Water Clipstone Mansfield |
3 | 15th | May | Bramcote/Stapleford Broxtowe |
4 | 22nd | May | East Leake Hills/Rushcliffe |
5 | 29th | May | Edward Windsor Walk (Highfields/Clifton Bridge/Beeston Canal) |
6 | 5th | June | Bagthorpe near Selston |
7 | 12th | June | Nether Langwith Bassetlaw |
8 | 19th | June | Hardwick Hall Doe Lea, Chesterfield |
9 | 26th | June | Kelham/Debdale Hill/Kelham Hills Newark Sherwood |
10 | 3rd | July | Sharp Hill Edwalton Rushcliffe |
11 | 10th | July | Shipley Park near Heanor |
12 | 17th | July | Newstead Abbey Gedling |
13 | 24th | July | Ratcliffe on Soar/River Soar Rushcliffe |
14 | 31st | July | Pleasley Pit near Mansfield |
15 | 7th | August | Willoughby on the Wolds Rushcliffe |
16 | 14th | August | Colston Bassett/St Mary’s Church Rushcliffe |
17 | 21st | August | Wollaton Hall Circular Nottingham |
18 | 28th | August | Lowdham/Hoveringham Lake & Mill Newark & Sherwood |
From May to end of July all walks start at 6:45pm. During August walks start at 6:30pm.
Full details of all these walks will be listed on the website and also in the new 2024 Notts Guided Walks Brochure published late March 2024 subject to funding.
For further information please contact Chris Thompson, nottsrow15@outlook.com
The new Nottinghamshire Guided Walks 2023 programme is currently being distributed. But it is available as PDF file which you can print or view.
Click HERE to download
Please check out the What’s On pages of the website which now contain additional walks that have been added since the programme was created.
Inspire are offering a Map Reading Made Easy course across a number of Nottinghamshire Libraries over various times and dates. This course is suitable for anyone who wants to understand how to read a map and plan a walking route to enjoy the local countryside.
By the end of this course you will have an understanding of an ordnance survey map, know how to plan a route using grid references and basic knowledge of using a compass.
No previous knowledge is needed, just an interest in walking in the countryside.
If you are in receipt of certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course please visit the Inspire webpage for further information.
The courses and details will be added to the Notts Guided walk calendar but for a full list of venues, dates, times and further details see the Inspire website below.
https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/skills-learning/courses/?keywords=map+reading+made+easy&p=1
The Dukeries Trail runs across north Nottinghamshire, to the Derbyshire and Lincolnshire borders, through the former ducal estates of Clumber, Welbeck and Thoresby which were established using profits made from the regions industrialisation. The area, between Worksop and Mansfield is still known as ‘The Dukeries’; follow the waymarking along the trail to link sites of historic and industrial interest, and Sherwood Forest itself.
Covering a total of 32 miles, the route has been designed so that a round trip can be made using the train. The route consists of paths along a disused railway line, public rights of way and roads. The entire route is suitable for walkers, cyclists and sections can be used by horse-riders.
Click here to download a PDF copy of The Dukeries Trail leaflet containing a map and the route steps.
For more information visit the Visit Nottingham website.
A warm welcome to this year’s Nottinghamshire Guided walks programme 2023. A wide variety of walks across the County are available and I hope to see you on some of them. The pandemic made walking together difficult for a while. However, it highlighted the importance of getting out from home and walking freely in the green spaces. It’s good for all of us in so many ways.
I want to say a big thank you to all who have suggested walks and will lead them. We are always looking for more volunteers and walks. You can add more walks to our website and they will be fully promoted as are the brochure walks. For more information email Chris Thompson nottsrow15@outlook.com.
Thanks too to Nigel Sarsfield and Chris Thompson for all their work in designing the programme. Come along and enjoy their work.
Paddy Tipping
President Nottinghamshire Ramblers Association
Additional walks will be added later in the year as more groups publish their programmes.
Please check to see what’s added in the What’s On Section.
Most walks are free although a few walks by wildlife or preservation societies may charge a small fee. Details are given where this applies.
Please browse through our site and make sure you read the articles for more information about Wellbeing Walks being offered across Nottinghamshire.
The Notts Guided Walks Partnership is an independent funded group.
The vast majority of our walks are arranged and published by walking clubs, historical and wildlife preservation societies, plus statutory bodies like the parish councils and Forestry Commission.
The ‘Wellbeing Walks Initiative’ in Nottinghamshire is part of a move to improve the Nation’s health by walking.
There are many such groups, with trained and insured leaders who take parties out for a gentle 2 or 4 miles in their local area.
Although we mention many of these groups, it’s impossible to include all their walks. These are growing in number so visit the Wellbeing Walks section of the website for details and links to the groups offering walks.
This free publication relies only on grants and some income from advertising.
Any small contributions from walkers would be most gratefully received.
Donation details to follow soon…
Your help may ensure that our Programme appears again.
The Nottinghamshire Guided Walks Partnership is currently made up of:
Chris Thompson — Ramblers Area Tourism and Heritage Officer, promoter of the Robin Hood Way, Nottingham City Council Local Access Forum member.
Nigel Sarsfield — Ramblers and Nottingham City Council Local Access Forum member.
The Press and TV have been buzzing again with news of the Government’s further initiative to encourage more exercise. It’s the way to eat well and get fitter at the same time.
Have a look at this summary of recent research that makes it all quite clear…..
To measure the link between physical inactivity and premature death, and their interaction with obesity, researchers analysed data from 334,161 European men and women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study. Between 1992 and 2000, they measured height, weight, waist circumference and levels of physical activity. All were then followed up over the next 12 years, during which 21,438 of them died. The results were published January 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Exercise.
The researchers found that the greatest reduction in risk of premature death occurred between ‘inactive’ and ‘moderately inactive’ groups, judged by combining work activity with recreational activity. Just under a quarter of participants were categorised as inactive, reporting no recreational activity and a sedentary occupation. The authors estimate that doing exercise equivalent to just a 20 minute brisk walk each day – burning between 90 and 110 calories – would take an individual from the ‘inactive’ to the ‘moderately inactive’ group and reduce their risk of premature death by between 16% and 30%. The impact was greatest amongst normal weight individuals, but even those with a higher body mass index (BMI) saw a benefit.
Using the most recent data on deaths in Europe, the researchers estimate that 337,000 of the 9.2 million deaths amongst European men and women were due to obesity (BMI more than 30). However, double this number of deaths (676,000) could be due to physical inactivity.
Professor Ulf Ekelund of the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who led the study, says: “This is a simple message: just a small amount of daily physical activity could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive.
Although just twenty minutes would make a difference, we should really be looking to do more than this – physical activity has many health benefits & should be an important part of our daily life.
See more at: http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/lack-exercise-premature-deaths/
Also: https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-wellbeing/exercise-fitness/10-reasons-for-a-winter-walk
The shock news at the end of 2016 that those in the 40 to 60 age group are neglecting their health with poor lifestyle habits reinforces our guiding principle – just a small amount of regular exercise can make a huge improvement to a sedentary lifestyle.
Research on health levels in Nottingham City reveals
1. Life expectancy for both sexes is below the national average
2. Adult obesity is about the national average – and that’s not good!
3. Percentage of physically active adults is about the national average
For Nottinghamshire County
1. Life expectancy for both sexes is about the national average
2. Adult obesity is about the national average. Numbers overweight are more than this average
3. Percentage of physically active adults is slightly higher than the national average
The Nottinghamshire Guided Walks Partnership
Get the Comprehensive Guide to the ROBIN HOOD WAY
Brand New 4th Edition Includes the complete 105 mile route now fully updated and revised, plus: ‘Mansfield’s Route to Sherwood Forest’ & 14 Circular Walks based on sections of the route, mapping, colour photos and other useful info. Price £10.95 plus p&p £2.45 To order your copy go to www.robinhoodway.com or telephone 0115 920 4066
If your club or organisation has benefited from appearing here, we’d like to know as it really helps us to obtain grants.
These grants make an enormous difference to our booklet circulation. More people now eagerly await its publication and enjoy the walks.
May we also express our appreciation to Portland Print and Notts Area Ramblers for their help by advertising in our booklet. Thank you also to Nottinghamshire County Council for their web-site link, plus promotional, financial & distribution help.
The Partnership is very aware that we owe a huge debt to our walk leaders. A word of thanks at the end of your walk would be appreciated by every one we know.
Our thanks to all you leaders. We hope you enjoyed leading and will do so again for us. This is really an excellent opportunity to gain new members for your group. Our research confirms again that more than 3 out of ten of the people who join these walks are new, as a result of our publicity. Chat to them, make them welcome—sign them up.