Doncaster Ramblers: Clumber Park never lets you down

The scenery is great and you can get away from the crowds, but there are toilets and a cafe handy at lunchtime if needed.

An added bonus today was that the threatened rain didn’t really materialise and we managed to complete most of our walk in dry if overcast conditions.

Tweny five of us (including Pearl and Tony from Retford and Catherine from Dearne 10 miles and 5 Valley ) met at the park entrance opposite to The Clumber Park Hotel and after ‘Happy New Years’, hellos and a briefing we set off across the field towards Hardwick Village; taking the lakeside path rather than crossing the ford over the River Poulter because the footbridge is still closed.

We struck north nearly as far as the A57 before swinging left along The Old Coach Road that heads westwards.

At this stage we were mostly on good tracks and minor roadways so the going was easy.

A short break for coffee, cake (thank you Teresa) and sweets (last week’s quiz

prizes) was enjoyed en-route.

Eventually we turned south along a long woodland path that would in time bring us to The Courtyard area and a late(ish) stop for lunch.

After lunch we carried on south, crossing the bridge over the lake and then diagonally left up a pleasant woodland avenue and then left and left again.

Taking some ‘interesting’ paths rather than the obvious routes we found ourselves at the far end of the south side of the lake opposite Hardwick Village once again.

From there it was a short hop back across the field to the cars.

Ten and a half miles and five hours had gone by without hardly noticing. Thanks to Neil for being a trusty backmarker and Steve and David for the photos.

P.O.I

Hardwick Village is a rural settlement located in the Bassetlaw administrative area of

Nottinghamshire. It is within Clumber Park, part of a greater area known as The Dukeries. It consists of former labourers’; cottages and a couple of farms, including Hardwick Grange.

The Dukeries is an area of the county of Nottinghamshire so called because it contained four ducal seats. It is south of Worksop, which has been called its “gateway”. The area was included within the ancient Sherwood Forest.

The ducal seats were:

 Worksop Manor: a home of the Dukes of Norfolk, and nearest to Worksop;

 Welbeck Abbey: seat of the Dukes of Portland;

 Thoresby Hall: seat of the Dukes of Kingston (later of the Earls Manvers); and

 Clumber House: seat of the Dukes of Newcastle, since demolished.

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