leisure time:

DIRECTIONS LOCAL ATTRACTIONS Leave the Club site via its main access TOURIST road. At the lane next to the site post Clumber Park(National Trust). Tel 01909 INFORMATION 1 turn right to the main road. Cross this, 476592 or see nationaltrust.org.uk. Parking: and continue straight ahead towards £5.20 per car. Walled kitchen garden: £1 Tourist (children free). Members enter and park for Information Centre, . free. Coarse fishing 16 June to 14 March: £4 Worksop Library, Memorial Continue along the road and pass per day ticket. Website nationaltrust.org.uk. Avenue, Worksop, through the village, but just before Toilets for disabled, but few trails are suitable S80 2BP. 2 you get to a large wooden shed with twin for wheelchair users Tel 01909 501148 metal doors turn right (sp Car Park and Toilets). Veer left through the car park Mr Straw’s House, 7 Blyth Grove, Worksop S81 0JG (National Trust). Tel 01909 482380 or see and pass around a wooden barrier with a nationaltrust.org.uk. Open: 19 March to 29 National Trust cycleway marker on it, October. Cost: Adults £4.60, children £2.30, towards the lake. families £11.50. A modest semi-detached Edwardian house, completely unaltered since On reaching the lake, turn left to 1923. Includes displays of family costume, walk along its perimeter, keeping it to 3 letters and photos. The nature of the building your right, and cross the bridge over the makes disabled access difficult and weir. Continue, following the edge of the impossible for wheelchair users lake, then veer around to the right where the footpath forks, keeping to the higher Rufford Country Park, , track. Continue circling the lake. Nottinghamshire NG22 9DF. Tel 01623 822933 or see ruffordcraftcentre.org.uk. 150- Go straight through another car park acre park is centred on the remains of a 12th 4and, when you get to the old stone century Cistercian monastery and country bridge, veer right to cross it. Turn house. There is also a craft centre. Disabled immediately right again, and continue facilities provided through the woods, passing through some breaks in the fence. Pass Clumber When you get to the main road, TOP AND ABOVE RIGHT: Grotto. Continue along the footpath turn right and continue along the Clumber Park closest to the lake. 11 disabled buggy mark) indicating a turnavenue of trees – there are footpaths on ABOVE LEFT: Hardwick village When you get to the Pleasure to the left. Take this turn, but note thatboth sides of the road. When you get to the low signpost is partially hidden bythe a crossroads turn left following the Ground (a landscaped area of Follow the arrows again to the right, 5 fir tree. campsite’s sign and then go left again to gardens), go up the steps to your left and and pass through the black iron gate 8 re-enter the site. continue across the grass towards the under a stone arch. Keep straight ahead buildings ahead of you. Go through a gap between two fences towards two chest- in the hedge and continue past the tea height stone pillars. Pass through them, rooms and plant sales (toilets are also and continue ahead following two arrows CLUMBER PARK: 5.8 miles (9.3km) here). (one with a buggy and one with a cycle). Start Walk on the Go through a gateway and, at the Continue heading straight along the 6crossroads, turn right. Keep straight 9track until you get to a wooden ahead past the car park and cycle hire. vehicle barrier. There’s a wooden post Turn right towards Clumber Chapel, but just ahead with a number ‘8’ written on just before its entrance, turn left up a it. Continue across the road and down path marked with green arrows and a the track on the other side. disabled buggy sign. Hardwick Wood Continue ahead again around WILD SIDE At the path junction continue 10another wooden vehicle barrier, Osberton 7straight ahead following the arrow. following the green arrow with a cyclist Round Don’t deviate from the track you’re on.upon it, after which the footpath White Pheasant P JO VAUGHAN FOLLOWS IN ROBIN HOOD'S Where there’s another post with two narrows. Go around another wooden Wood arrows (one veering to the right and onebarrier, cross another (smaller) road P straight on) continue ahead again. and then veer left to walk along the line Clumber Park FOOTSTEPS AND TAKES A STROLL THROUGH Where the path leads around to the of trees, still following the arrow with Ash right look out for a green arrow (with a the cyclist. Tree Hil WHAT WAS ONCE

lumber Park today is a The park was once home to GENERAL INFORMATION magnificent 3800-acre the Dukes of Newcastle, although Tank Wood parkland that is great for their house was demolished in 1938. NEAREST CLUB SITE:Clumber Park Caravan Club P C Site, Lime Tree Avenue, Clumber Park, Worksop Boat House walking, cycling or horseriding – and All that remains is a Gothic revival S80 3AE. Tel 01909 484758. Open: All year Plantation caravanning of course! Its long, snaking chapel, a walled kitchen garden lake is surrounded by woodland that and a visitor centre. It’s a fair trek DISTANCE:5.8 miles (9.3km) TERRAIN:Good footpaths and quiet lanes ABOVE: Clumber Park – would make Robin Hood feel quite at around the lake, but good footpaths Five Thorns once the heart of home, as this was indeed once the heart and fine views make this walk a NUMBER OF STILES:None Plantation Sherwood Forest of Sherwood Forest. The Club site here pleasure. Navigating among the ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT:OS Explorer 270 RIGHT: Clumber Park can be found just a 20-minute walk numerous paths can be hard, but Sherwood Forest (1:25,000) LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY:Easy Caravan Club Site from the water’s edge. Your entrance don’t worry – as long as you P CAR PARKING:Windermere Road Pay and Display into the park is via the longest avenue of continue around the lake and cross Claypit Wood lime trees in Europe, setting the scene at Clumber Bridge, you can’t car park REFRESHMENTS:Close to the Visitor Centre Thorney Hill of this spacious site to perfection. really get lost. Little Oak TOILETS:Close to the Visitor Centre Great Oak Square

30 The Caravan Club Magazine June 2005 www.caravanclub.co.uk www.caravanclub.co.uk The Caravan Club Magazine June 2005 31