A circular route of about 8.5 miles along Bog Lane and Archway Road to Birklands, then via Sherwood Forest Farm Park and the Maun Valley before returning to Vicar Water past the Spa Ponds.

1.  Starting by the visitors centre at Vicar Water Country Park take the left hand exit from the car park towards the lake.

Alternative starting point Sherwood Forest Farm Park(13) - car park and tearoom which groups can be use by prior arrangement - phone 01623 823558.
(Open April to early October only)

2.  Skirting the lake continue going north on the national cycle route. 

3.  After Baulker Lane the route enters Kings Clipstone, the entrance on your left to Waterfield Farm marks the southern end of the Great Pond of Clipstone. The pond predates 1180 when it first appeared in records, when repairs were carried out. The pond stretched all the way to the road embankment you can see in front of you.

4.  On the hill to your left are the remains of King John’s Palace which served as a home to all the Plantagenet kings.  

5.  Follow Bog Lane to the Dog & Duck -cross the B6030 take Archway Road.

6.  The signal box is one of the finest examples left in the county. If you turn and look at the field you will see how uniform the slope is. Between 1819 and 1838 the Duke of Portland spent almost £40,000 on a 7.5 Mile irrigation scheme called the Flood Dykes to create water meadows on the dry and sandy land. Huge amounts of earth were moved to smooth the fields and move the river, with an irrigation canal being excavated along the top. The road now takes you under the railway. The smaller arch allowed the Flood Dyke to pass under the railway. At the junction ahead turn left under the railway bridge. All the fields on this side of the river were part of the irrigation scheme so show the same sort of uniform slope.

7.  The bridge across the River Maun is called Forge Bridge and is believed to be the site of one of the iron forges and slitting mills found along the river around 1650. Forges needed a good supply of charcoal and waterpower to work the hammers and bellows. In a 20 year period from 1640 the forest was plundered of most of the tress and fencing to make charcoal.

8.  Archway Lodge was built by the Duke of Portland to prove the durability of the stone from his Mansfield Woodhouse quarries after it had been rejected for the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament following the fire of 1835. The outside of the building is a copy of the Worksop Prior gatehouse but instead of saints the niches are adorned with figures from forest folk-law. This was supposed to be the first of several lodges spanning a private drive from Welbeck to Nottingham but no more were built. The lodge is arranged so that the centre tree 1.5 miles away along Green Ride could be seen through the arch.

9.  Follow the road up to the A6075 and cross. Take the track bearing left along the edge of the forest. This is the forest of Birkland. some sections have very old large oaks. When you reach a path crossing the track, turn left.

10. Follow the path along the edge of the forest (on the left) until you come to the cross marking St Edwins Chapel and Hermitage. 

11. Turn left at the next track which will take you back towards the A6075, crossing into King’s Wood, follow the permissive path through the wood.

12. The path emerges opposite the entrance to the Sunday Market and the Farm Park. There are good views over ancient Clipstone Park – the royal hunting park was 7.5 miles in circumference.

13. Follow the roadway down the hill to the  the Farm Park – they have a tearoom and car park that groups can use by prior arrangement phone 01623 823558.  Still going down hill you will pass through a gate with a sign stating that it is locked at dusk. There is a fine old wood to the left with Iron-age pigs roaming in an enclosure.

14. By the bridge over the River Maun turn right and take the track between the river and the lakes. The lakes have been created as a result of subsidence. Following the track to the end of the fishing lakes where it turns right and goes up the hill.

15. At the top turn left along the old Flood Dyke. The Flood Dyke snaked along the hill carrying water & sewage from Mansfield. Sluices then allowed it to flood the water meadows on the slopes below. The irrigation system took 20 years to built and involved moving huge amounts of soil to produce the smooth slopes. The bogs in the valley bottom, 9 feet deep in places, were the most expensive problem to overcome. There were numerous springs as well which required land drains to be laid deep under the surface.

16. The path you are following is crossed by Packman’s Road, turn left down the hill. Buried underneath the concrete on the bridge is the old stone bridge.

 17. At the river follow the path round to the Spa Ponds. The hill above the spar ponds is the site of Beeston Lodge (the pele gatehouse). Continue past the first pond, then turn left along the dam and right up the hill.  

18. Follow the path up the hill, with the field on your left until you come to the playing field. At the top of the playing field turn right take the 2nd on to Newlands Drive (past the middle of the playing field).

19. At the B6030 roundabout you need to go left, cross the road and follow the track down – to continue in the same direction as Newlands Drive.

Kings Clipstone walks & rides   Route 8 - VWCP       December 2006