to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Walking Trails
We love exploring Nottinghamshire on foot. There's no better way to find out more about Nottinghamshire's rich political, industrial and cultural past. We have rounded-up the below walking trails which will take you around some of the unmissable destinations during your visit.
Robin Hood & Sherwood Forest Trails...
The tales of Nottinghamshire’s legendary outlaw Robin Hood have been retold down the generations. For any keen Robin Hood fans a must-do experience is to walk around the city centre with Robin Hood himself on a Robin Hood Town Tour.
The Sherwood Forest Adventurer's Map is a new map which offers a tourist trail to visitors to Robin Hood country. Not only does it feature the landmarks associated with Robin Hood, but other nearby attractions like Newstead Abbey, Creswell Crags and Maypole village of Wellow.
What better way to explore the outdoors than Sherwood Forest, home to the famous Major Oak and their walks and trails give you the perfect opportunity to discover the forest. The Sherwood Forest trail map exists out of four different trails, whether you're in for a long walk or just a stroll amongst the trees.
For more walks and trails in Sherwood Forest and woodland areas, click here.
Nottingham City Centre
Want to make sure you don’t miss anything? Simply download and print the Nottingham Trail map or view it on the Guidigo app to see some of Nottingham’s most iconic landmarks and learn some fascinating facts about the city. From castles to caves, pubs to prisons and mirrors to masterpieces, there’s so much to see in Nottingham. The walk takes between 1-2 hours depending on your pace.
Click here for more about walking in Nottingham city centre.
Sherwood Voices Storytelling Audio Walks
Put on your walking shoes and step into Sherwood Voices! Get your headphones ready, put your best foot forward, set your own pace, and join the journey into the heart and soul of the Sherwood Forest area.
As the saying goes, you can’t truly understand someone, or the place that has shaped them, until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. That’s why this series of six audio walks was created, written and directed by Excavate's Andy Barrett, and led by Sherwood people, who will take you on a journey through the stories and culture of the Sherwood Forest area. These walks have been created through hours of conversation with people from across the area, and alongside the storytellers you will hear from shepherds, anglers, undertakers, park rangers, vicars, schoolchildren, and many others. Each walk responds to the sights and sounds that you will come across on your journeys, and each delves into the past, the present and something of the future.
Each walk lasts around two hours and includes detailed instructions on where to go as part of the audio. You shouldn’t need a map, but you can read a description of the walks in the booklet on this page along with a rough sketch of the route. To learn more and to listen to the first episode of each trail, click here.
Nottingham Parks
Visit Nottingham Arboretum and lose yourself in Neverland. Said to be the inspiration behind J.M Barrie’s Neverland, it has a collection of over 800 trees, some of which are from the original collection planted in the 19th century. A historic, beautifully maintained park that is home to an important collection of over 800 trees, some of which are from the original collection planted in the 19th century, award winning Nottingham Arboretum is Nottingham's oldest public park and the closest park to the city centre, opened on 11 May 1852. Make sure to enjoy the Tree Trail and Heritage Trail when at the Arboretum to fully appreciate the park’s rich history. See the trail PDFs on this page.
To find more Parks and Gardens, click here.
Celebrate Nottingham's LGBTQ+ heritage
LGBTQ+ heritage is everywhere around us. The history is embedded in the buildings and landscapes across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. You can now celebrate places of LGBTQ+ heritage across the city, ranging from pubs and clubs to the famous rainbow road of Hockley. Learn more with the LGBT Walking Tour of Nottingham.
To download and view the walking trail online please click here. You can also pick up a printed copy at the Nottingham Tourism Centre.
Something a little different
Go Quest Adventures offer a self-guided treasure hunt adventure through the streets of Nottingham! The Nottingham Quest is a fun, challenging and engaging way to explore the city centre from a whole different perspective. It's like no treasure hunt you've done before. During your Quest, you will unlock a hidden trail by finding clues, solving puzzles and completing group challenges, earing points along the way all self-guided through the Go Quest Adventures app. See the city's highlights, explore its hidden gems and learn some fun facts along the way. Conquer the Quest and be in for a chance to win a prize in the monthly drawings. It's like a walking tour with an escape room twist!
Treasure Hunt Nottingham is another fun option, to turn any day into an adventure. Discover the city together by solving clues, scouring the city and following treasure maps. You can expect to explore the city's beautiful hidden beautiful bits, sneak inside the oldest pub in Britain, and wander around a peaceful park in the shadow of the Castle. Spot things you wouldn’t normally notice, like the stone monkey, burdened by the weight of its mortgage. You can go at your own pace and because it works like WhatsApp, so it’s easy to use. You can even start playing in 60 seconds - it’s all on your phones, there’s nothing to print or collect.
The green lung tree trail
A tree trail at Digby Park, Mapperley, has officially opened as part of Gedling Borough Council’s commitment to protect and create a sustainable environment. More than 500 trees have been planted at the trail at Digby Park so far, including native trees and ornamental trees such as Pride of India, Tibetan Cherry and Large Leaf Lime, which can grow up to 100 feet.
The trail is lined with saplings of more than 30 different tree species and can be used by pedestrians and cyclists. When fully grown many of the trees will reach heights between 60 and 100 foot and become part of an area called the “Green Lung”.
Each tree along the trail is marked with a plaque featuring a QR code, which when scanned, takes the user to a webpage with detailed information about that species of tree. The trail leads from the entrance at Digby Avenue, Mapperley all the way to Arnold Lane and back.
Southwell Trail
This charming, small market town has many delights to offer the visitor. It is rich in historical and architectural interest and makes a great day out for the family. The Southwell Heritage Trail highlights some of the top attractions in and around the area including Rufford Abbey Country Park, Sherwood Forest and Sherwood Pines. Click here to view the PDF.
Vale of Belvoir Trail
From wooded hillsides to peaceful canal paths, there’s a wide variety of walking to be found in the Vale of Belvoir. Click here to view the PDF.
Gedling Tree Trail
There’s lots to do on a visit to Gedling Country Park! The children’s play area has a mining tower slide, zip wire, wheelchair accessible roundabout, mining train and more. Two viewing platforms have lots to look out for on a clear day, including Belvoir Castle and Lincoln Cathedral! The visitor centre shows the mining history of the park and you can get delicious food and drinks at Café 1899. Routes of varying length and difficulty around the park include a wheelchair-friendly path.
Download a PDF of the tree trail here.
Historic Walking Trails
There are many special trails in Nottinghamshire that are perfect for history lovers. Including the Civil War Trail and walks around some fantastic heritage sites like Bennerley Viaduct, visit our dedicated History & Heritage Trails page, here.
Hanwell Wine Estate
At Hanwell Wine Estate, keeping a balance with nature is essential. They rely on mother nature for a grape harvest each year, knowing that a good balance ensures no species becomes dominant. They allow hedgerows to grow high and grasses long for birds, hedgehogs and insects. In return they help keep the natural balance and protect grapevines, meaning they don’t need to use pest control measures. In fact, they have never used pesticides. Their Vineyard and Nature Self Guided Trail leaflet is available free of charge from the Rural Antics Barn or Lodge lobby or online here Self Guided Trail Guide. Be sure to check their opening hours before travelling.
