Explore Sherwood and the Dukeries

Illustration (illustrative, not an exact depiction)

Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak

• About 15 minutes by car
• Dog-friendly

Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve is home to more than a thousand ancient oaks, many of them over 500 years old. The most famous, the Major Oak, is thought to be somewhere between 800 and 1,000 years old, and its huge spreading limbs have been supported since Victorian times. Local legend says Robin Hood and his men sheltered beneath it.

The Major Oak is about a 15-minute walk along a well-made path from the visitor centre, and there are longer waymarked trails through the oaks, birches and heathland. It's lovely in every season: bluebells in spring, deep shade in summer, and golden leaves and fungi in autumn. Entry to the forest is free, but there's a charge for the car park. Barbecues aren't allowed.

Dogs: Dog-friendly. Keep dogs on a lead near livestock and ground-nesting birds, and follow the reserve's signs.

Go early on a weekday morning, when the mist hangs in the hollows and the paths are quiet.

Sherwood Forest reserve information (RSPB)
Visit Nottinghamshire

Illustration (illustrative, not an exact depiction)

Clumber Park

• About 10 minutes by car
• Very dog-friendly across most of the park

Clumber Park is cared for by the National Trust. The great house was demolished in the 1930s, but the estate survives: a long lake, a Gothic Revival chapel, a walled kitchen garden and miles of quiet paths and lanes. The famous Lime Tree Avenue, a double row of lime trees around two miles long, is said to be the longest of its kind in Europe.

It's brilliant for an easy day out: flat-ish walks around the lake, family cycling (bikes can be hired), and plenty of space for dogs. The Clumber spaniel takes its name from the park, where the breed was developed. There's an admission charge for non-members; check the official site for the current details.

Dogs: Very dog-friendly across most of the park. Some trails and areas ask for dogs on leads or have livestock, so check the signs.

Drive in along Lime Tree Avenue in May for bluebells beneath the limes, or October for the colour.

Clumber Park (National Trust)

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Creswell Crags

• About 20 minutes by car
• Dogs on leads are welcome in the gorge, but not on cave tours (assistance dogs excepted)

The caves at Creswell Crags were used during the last Ice Age, and in 2003 archaeologists found engravings of animals on the walls of Church Hole cave. They're Britain's only known Ice Age cave art, around 13,000 years old. The caves are also known for the largest collection of 'witches' marks' (protective symbols) found in a British cave.

You can walk around the gorge and its small lake for free, and visit the museum and guided cave tours, which are well worth booking ahead. Some tours run seasonally, partly to protect roosting bats, so check before you go.

Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome in the gorge, but not on cave tours (assistance dogs excepted).

Book a cave tour for a rainy afternoon; it's one of the most memorable things to do in the area.

Creswell Crags official website

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Rufford Abbey Country Park

• About 20 minutes by car
• Dogs welcome in most of the country park; some areas such as the formal gardens and play spaces may be restricted

Rufford Abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in the 1140s and became a grand country house after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. What survives is said to be England's best-preserved Cistercian west range, dating mainly from around 1170; the remains are looked after by English Heritage and free to visit.

Around them, the country park has a lake, woodland walks, formal gardens, a sculpture trail and play areas, which makes it an easy half-day with children. There's usually a charge for the car park.

Dogs: Dogs welcome in most of the country park; some areas such as the formal gardens and play spaces may be restricted.

Combine it with Sherwood Forest on the same day; they're only a short drive apart.

Rufford Abbey (English Heritage)
Rufford Abbey Country Park (Nottinghamshire County Council)

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Worksop and the Dukeries

• About 15 minutes to Worksop by car
• Town centre and riverside paths are fine for dogs on leads; check individual attractions

The Dukeries is the old name for the cluster of grand estates south of Worksop, so called because several of them were the seats of dukes: Clumber, Welbeck, Thoresby and Worksop Manor. Today Clumber is open as a park, and you can glimpse the others from public roads and footpaths.

In Worksop itself, the Priory Church and its medieval gatehouse are worth a look, and the Chesterfield Canal towpath makes a flat, easy walk or cycle. Mr Straw's House, an Edwardian family home kept almost exactly as it was, is cared for by the National Trust and is visited by pre-booked tour, so plan ahead.

Dogs: Town centre and riverside paths are fine for dogs on leads; check individual attractions.

Worksop is the place for a big supermarket shop, fuel and a train station.

Mr Straw's House (National Trust)
Visit Nottinghamshire