Now that the summer holidays have arrived why not take the children out to explore the great outdoors and visit a local nature reserve or country park. We have a number in the district including some SSSI sites and they make an affordable day out especially if you take a picnic. Arm yourself with a book from the ‘Spot 50…’ range and learn how to identify butterflies, birds, trees or flowers. The more well known country parks include Sherwood Forest (NG21 9HN), Rufford Abbey(NG22 9DF) and Sherwood Pines(NG21 9JL), in all of which the kids can run around, play on playgrounds and explore the woodlands. Car parking charges apply to all three sites but all are free admission.
If you want to escape the crowds try visiting one of the nature reserves. Sherwood Heath is a 22 hectare SSSI site by Ollerton Roundabout (NG22 9DR) with picnic tables and a free car park. Explore the many paths around the site which, during the summer, are awash with colour from the bell and ling heather and gorse. The heath is home to many birds and butterflies as well as bats and glow worms.
Vicar Water is a Green Flag, designated Local Nature Reserve in Clipstone (NG21 9AA). It is reclaimed former colliery site consisting of rare heathland, woodland and grassland. The views from the top of the hill are spectacular and well worth the hike to get to the top! There is a wide array of wildlife including heron, kingfisher, fox and hare plus butterflies and dragonflies, so plenty to identify in your ‘Spot’ book. There are also bodies of water here – a fishing lake and a smaller pond which is home to many a duck. If you haven’t packed a picnic there are refreshments available in the Rumbles café along with toilet facilities. Entry is free with a small car park charge.
If you have older children, or you want to go on a bit of a ramble, visit Eakring Meadows (NG22 0AY). This SSSI site is a series of five wet meadows and is one of the best remaining neutral grasslands in Nottinghamshire. There are a variety of flowers including great burnet and lady’s smock and the site is home to many breeding birds such as the reed bunting and snipe. The meadow is an important habitat for butterflies and you may see the large and smaller skipper or a gatekeeper.
Dukes Wood near Eakring (NG220DR) is both woodland and an industrial archaeological site. It was the location for the UK’s first onshore oilfield and between 1939 and 1966 it produced 280,000 tons of oil. Older children may be interested in the history of the site and there is a small museum usually open on Sunday afternoons during the summer. As you walk along the nature trail you can see the restored ‘nodding donkey’ pumps. Among the songbirds you may hear the Nightingale, and if you are really lucky spot a red deer.
For details on all of the above sites call into your local Tourist Information Centre at Newark or Rufford Country Park