Sherwood Pines
Blooms Gorse Cottage is in a small clearing off a forest track in the heart of Sherwood Forest in an area known as Sherwood Pines. Sherwood Pines is well known for its miles of walking and mountain bike trails which crisscross the forest. You can step out of the door into over 3000 acres woodland and may glimpse fallow deer on early morning walks around the cottage. The Sherwood Pines ‘Family Cycle Trail’ and ‘Adventure Trail’ pass just 50 yards from the cottage and the popular downhill mountain bikers trail can be joined a mile further along the track.
Go Ape, Adrenaline Jungle, the Gruffalo Orienteering Trail and other family forest activities are all within a 30 minute walk or 15 minute cycle ride along forest tracks.
15 minutes walk on a track toward Go Ape you will find an open grassy area great for kicking balls and picnics where you can find Disc Golf/Ultimate Frisbee baskets.
The forest has marked 5k and 10k running routes. At 9am every Sunday the Sherwood Pines Parkrun sets off from the Sherwood Pines Visitor Centre and every year in September there is a 10k Sherwood Pines run.
August is a great time to pick blackberries in the forest – why not bring ingredients to bake a blackberry and apple pie or crumble!
Sherwood Pines was used as a training centre to build trenches in WW1 and you may come across a reconstruction on your walks.
The Sherwood Pines Visitor Centre is on the north side of the forest; a 15 minute bike ride, 30 minute walk or 15 minute drive (NG21 9JL) from Blooms Gorse Cottage. Facilities at the Visitor Centre include:
- The Sherwood Pines Café
- Public toilets
- Children’s play areas for children of all ages
- Large grassy areas for picnics and games. There is also a designated BBQ area.
- Bike Hire – Sherwood Pines Cycles hire out bikes for all ages.
- GoApe – Tree-top adventures for everyone with tree-top high rope courses and zip wires. GoApe pride themselves on enabling people with disabilities to access their courses. They also do all-terrain segway hire and provide instructors to guide you through the forest.
There is good disabled access to all the forest facilities. See access information here.
Sherwood Pines Visitor Centre & Cafe
Sherwood Pines Cycle Hire
Adult and child bikes can be hire for an 1, 2, 3 or 4 hours or for a whole day. Helmets are included.
Go Ape
Tree-top adventures for everyone with tree-top high rope courses and zip wires. GoApe pride themselves on enabling people with disabilities to access their courses. They also do all-terrain segway hire and provide instructors to guide you through the forest.
Gruffalo Orienteering
A fun, family map reading challenge. Following the easy to read map to find twelve Gruffalo markers hidden in the deep, dark wood. Gruffalo orienteering leaflets with a certificate and map can be bought from the Sherwood Pines Visitor Centre.
Children's Play Areas
The 'Mushroom Village' and the 'Fort'.
Robin Hood Hideout Play Area
A huge natural climbing frame with two treehouses.
Sherwood Pines Parkrun Start
The Sherwood Pines Parkrun is held at 9am every Saturday morning at 9am. The start point is just past the Sherwood Pines Visitor Centre.
Re-creation of World War I Trenches
Sherwood Pines was used as a training centre to build trenches in WW1. Here you will find a life size reconstruction of a WW1 trench system and an exhibition showing what it was like to be in the trenches.
BBQ Area
Big area of open grassland where BBQs are allowed. Great for a picnic and a game of cricket or rounders.
20-30 mins walk from the cottage.
Robin Hood's Whetstone & Ancient Coach Road
Whetstones were used for sharpening blades and arrow tips. Robin Hood’s Whetstone was recorded on the 1630 estate map of the parish as a boundary marker or ‘meer stone’. The stone can be found next to this old Mansfield to Tuxford (Great North Road) coach road.
Remains of Original World War I Training Tenches
The remains of the original WWI training trenches. They are little more than scars on the forest floor in the undergrowth now but still visible. What3words ref is ///washable.flattens.ends.
The Bike Park - Dirt Jumps & Downhill Area
