A circular route of about 6 miles from Vicar Water Country Park across to Clipstone Drive then along Squires Lane to Kings Clipstone before returning down Bog Lane to the Country Park.

1.  Starting at Vicar Water Country Park, take the right hand exit from the car –park.

2.  Continue in the same direction until you reach Newlands Farm. Here the path detours round the B&B .  You turn right and follow the track straight up the shallow hill to the road.

3.  Turn right to reach the road, cross it and resume your journey in the same direction.  

4.  You should now be on Newlands Drive. Ahead of you are the playing fields on Clipstone Drive.

5.  Turn right onto Clipstone drive, this runs very slowly downhill. The lane was the site of early car and motorbike speed and braking trials, as it was a private road and a 'straight mile'. George Brough made a commemorative run in 1959 on Old Bill, his 100 m.p.h. machine from the 1920’s. George was a famous designer and manufacture of motorbikes in the 1920s & 30s. After one event in 1923 he had to spend several months in hospital, he was racing his famous SS in a standing start half mile at Clipstone when the front tyre burst he was doing 110m.p.h. He crossed the line in a cloud of dust and stones a few lengths behind his bike. 

6.  From 1914 to 1920 Clipstone Army Camp, which was home to 30,000 men, stood on the land to the left of the lane. It included all the land where Clipstone including the new housing estate. It had its own hospital and railway station. The village of New Clipstone was not built until the 1920’s.

7.  The lane curves slightly at the bottom to skirt Cavendish Wood.

8.  Clipstone Drive ends at Cavendish Lodge where the barn contains two old horse-drawn wagons. Turn right onto Squires Lane.

Please remember that the barn is private property, you may only look from the path.

9.  At the bottom of Squires Lane turn left onto Main Street (the B6030). The separate village history trail gives a guide to the village.

10. Turn right at the Dog & Duck and follow Bog Lane back towards Vicar Water Park. The meadow to the right was for over 600 years the Great Pond of Clipstone, It came almost as high as the road and stretched for half mile along the valley.

11. At the start of the fields the course of Vicar Water can be seen. The stream was forced into a canalised channel when the Flood Dykes were built between 1819 & 1838.  At the back of the field is one of the few remaining parts of the Flood Dyke where the stream still flows in the original Flood Dyke.

12. The fields to the right of the path was part of the Great Pond of Clipstone as far as Waterfield Farm. The national cycle route passes through the farmland. It may not look it but the walk passes through a rich and varied habitat.

13.  At the country park you need to end up bearing right but the lake makes a pleasant diversion and there are very good views from the top of the hill if you are feeling energetic, be warned it is steep.  The shortest route up the hill is to go clockwise round the lake until you come to the path rising up the hill. Alternatively follow the route to site 1 where a track winds up the hill at a shallow gradient. Whichever way you got up the hill take the winding track down. The visitors centre which can be seen as you descend serves refreshments should you feel in need of recovery time.

 Kings Clipstone walks & rides    Route 4 -VWC