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/
2024 programme now available to download
The new Nottinghamshire Guided Walks 2024 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.
Click here to download the previous 2023 programme.
Walking with The Snowman at Clumber Park
Take a wintry walk and relive the magic of Raymond Briggs’ heart-warming picture book, The Snowman.
There is a currently a Walking with The Snowman Trail at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. There are 12 Snowman sculptures which can be found at iconic locations across the park, each decorated with designs inspired by the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. The trail is roughly around 5 miles in total to see all the sculptures and is free for NT Members, parking fee applies for non members.
Paper maps are £1 from the visitor centre or support the NT sustainability campaign and take a picture of a map board along the trail as shown below. Click image to enlarge.
The sculptures are there until 5th January 2025.
For more details vist the Clumber Park Event Page.
National Trails launched in-app
Lace up your walking shoes and navigate through the beauty of the UK's National Trails with ease on Go Jauntly.
Are you ready to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature? Go Jauntly have announced an exciting partnership that will take your outdoor adventures to new heights. England and Wales’ National Trails are now seamlessly integrated into the Go Jauntly walking app, thanks to TOG24.
From the rolling countryside of the South Downs Way to the tranquil woodlands of the Cotswold Way, these National Trails showcase the best of the UK’s natural beauty.
See https://www.gojauntly.com/blog/2024/5/9/explore-national-trails-with-go-jauntly for more info.
Big Green Book Update
A directory of nature-based activities and Green Spaces
Notts Guided Walks are again featured in the new edition of the Big Green Book. Developed as part of the GreenSpace Green Social Prescribing Project it is a directory of nature-based activities and opportunities across Nottinghamshire. This is the eighth edition of the book (April 2024) which is updated at regular intervals (currently at least quarterly) and the latest version can always be accessed from this page.
https://www.nottinghamcvs.co.uk/projects/greenspace/big-green-book
Byron 200 launches across the city
A varied programme that celebrates the life and legacy of Lord Byron
‘Byron 200’ has launched across the city with a programme of exhibitions, events and activities that celebrate the sensational life and legacy of Lord Byron who died in April 200 years ago.
Activities kicked off back in February at Newstead Abbey where Byron once lived. In March ‘Byron: a Sensational Life’ showcases unique objects and artworks that tell new and surprising stories about his life.
Byron’s Bash follows in April, where visitors will have the opportunity to dress as Byron to join in the celebrations, with activities throughout the historic house and gardens, inspired by his times at the Abbey. Meet some of his people, his dogs, hear songs, his poems, go on trails and tours, write pledges to nature and maybe catch a glimpse of the man himself!
In June and July, there will be a series of talks and events at the Central Library, Nottingham, in collaboration with the University of Nottingham. More details about these will be on the University of Nottingham and the Nottingham City Library websites in the run up to the events.
Throughout August there will be ‘Summer Seas Abbey Adventures’ for families to climb aboard and get ready for some fun adventures through the school holidays at Newstead Abbey.
In September, Newstead Abbey welcomes ‘Heritage Open Day’ on Saturday 7th September, where visitors join us at Newstead to see Byron’s ancestral home and look inside the tomb of Lord Byron’s favourite pet, his beloved dog Boatswain.
To complete the Byron 200 year, Newstead Abbey will launch ‘Magical moments, memories and mayhem!” with Christmas installations inspired by Byron’s last year at Newstead.
For more information visit: https://newsteadabbey.org.uk/Beeston and District Civic Society Guided Walks
Join us on one of our summer walks series Walk With An Expert
Beeston and District Civic Society have just published a program of 7 guided walks starting in May. Details for all these walks have been added to the Notts Guided Walks Website. For around 90 minutes a local expert will guide you around areas of Beeston and nearby on an interesting theme. A chance to discover something new about places you may walk past everyday.
The programme of walks runs between May and October. Everyone is welcome! FREE for members Non-members: Please just make a donation you can afford. Just turn up – no need to book.
Routes are generally fully accessible and suitable for all abilities. Please ensure you wear suitable clothing, and footwear, for a short walk in British summertime (sunblock, brolly, bottle of water, waterproofs, jumper in the bag…. the permutations are endless).
Visit https://beestoncivicsociety.org.uk/walks/ for more information.
Nottingham Civic Society Guided Walks
Guided Walks 2024 Leaflet now available
Nottingham Civic Society have just published a program of 18 Guided walks starting in May. Details for all these walks have been added to the Notts Guided Walks Website.
No booking is required for any of the walks and, other than in exceptional circumstances, they will go ahead regardless of the weather. Civic Society Members free or non-member adults £3. Accompanied children under age 16 yrs and students are free.
For details see the Nottingham Civic Society website www.nottinghamcivicsociety.org.uk
A copy of the leaflet can be downloaded by clicking on the image below:
Rushcliffe Big Green Book
A directory of nature-based activities and Green Spaces in Rushcliffe
Notts Guided Walks are again featured in the new edition of the Rushcliffe Big Green Book. Developed as part of the GreenSpace Green Social Prescribing Project it is a directory of nature-based activities and opportunities around Rushcliffe. For more details visit the website.
GreenSpace NG app
New Walking App
The GreenSpace NG app aims to help boost the health and wellbeing of people across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, by encouraging them to explore more green spaces in their community and beyond. How many of these green spaces have you visited and can you recommend any more?
Download from the Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/greenspace-ng/id6464156638
Download from the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colton.greenspace_ng
Go Jauntly Walking app
Find local walking trails
Moving in green open spaces at your own pace is proven to be good for our mental health and wellbeing, as well as our physical health. Using the Go Jauntly app you will find lots of suggested trails with clear instructions of what you can expect to see on your walk and you can also create your own walking trails too!
Download from the Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/go-jauntly-discover-walks/id1150399087
Download from the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gojauntly.app
Time to Connect Nottinghamshire
Follow the Time to Connect Art Trail!
Discover six unique sculptures at six Nottinghamshire venues
In Nottinghamshire, British photographer Alistair Morrison worked with Inspire and Miner2Major to create a project that connects artists, venues and community groups to help leave a legacy of Time to Connect artworks in 6 key locations across Sherwood Forest.
Bestwood Country Park – The 28th Nottingham Boys Brigade and Girls Association
Newstead Abbey – Newstead Primary School
Papplewick Pumping Station – Beardall Fields Primary and Nursery School
Rufford Abbey Country Park – Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy
RSPB Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve – 1st Edwinstowe Rainbows and Brownies
Vicar Water Country Park – 1st Clipstone Beavers, Cubs and Scouts
Each Nottinghamshire artwork will be connected by the words:
Take ‘Time to Connect’ with this place and with each other.
Visit the Inspire website for further details and view the trail booklet.
https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/arts-culture/community/time-to-connect-nottinghamshire/
Slow Ways
Help create a network of walking routes connecting Great Britain
Slow Ways is an initiative to create a national network of walking routes connecting all of Great Britain’s towns and cities as well as thousands of villages.
Using existing paths, ways, trails and roads, people can use Slow Ways routes to walk or wheel between neighbouring settlements, and combine them to create longer distance trips. It’s designed to make it easier for people to imagine, plan and go on walking journeys.
There are currently over 8,000 Slow Ways stretching for over 120,000km. This network of routes was created by 700 volunteers during the Spring 2020 lockdown, creating a unique Slow Ways map in the process.
Visit https://beta.slowways.org/ for more information.
King Richard III Walking Trail
From Car Park to cathedral – a King’s Journey that took 530 years
In August 1485 King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, brought back to Leicester and after a lying in state for a few days was buried by the Grey Friars, a Franciscan Holy order, in their friary church.
In August 2012, 527 years to the day that King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, Leicester City Council, the University of Leicester, and the Richard III Society began the archaeological dig for the ‘Looking for Richard’ project, a search underneath a council car park in Leicester, to find King Richard III’s remains and the Grey Friars Church.
The archaeologists uncovered not only the old Greyfriars church, but a skeleton with battle wounds and a curved spine. After careful scientific examination of the remains the University announced to the World Press in February 2013 that the skeleton found was indeed Richard III.
Website: https://www.visitleicester.info/ideas-and-inspiration/trails/king-richard-iii
Trail PDF: https://www.visitleicester.info/dbimgs/5486%20LCC%20-%20UTS_Trails_KRIII.pdf
Map Reading Made Easy courses
Map Reading courses now running at local libraries across Nottinghamshire
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
Notts Guided Walks is a compilation of guided walks for those who want to improve their fitness with experienced walk leaders, enjoying our countryside, wildlife and meeting new friends.
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.
HAPPY WALKING!
Wellbeing Walks
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.
Help Support Us
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 Partnership
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.
Still sceptical?
Have a look at this summary of recent research that makes it all quite clear…..
WHY WALKING IS GOOD FOR YOU !
Research by the UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
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
We can do better than this, folks!
Join us on some of these walks.
Improve your health, lift your spirits and make new friends!
Walking is good for life – Life is good for walkers!
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 £3.05 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.
We are now being noticed!
May we also express our appreciation to Notts Area Ramblers for their help by advertising in our booklet. Thank you also to Nottinghamshire County Council for continuing to support Notts Guided Walks.
OUR THANKS TO ALL YOU LEADERS
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.
GALLERY FEED
