Sherwood Forest Country Park
The legendary stomping-ground of Robin Hood, this 450-acre country park is now part of the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve and home to a fascinating ecosystem. The forest has 900 veteran oak trees including England's Tree of the Year 2014, The Major Oak.
The Permanent Orienteering Course has controls throughout the Country Park and a range of courses are suggested from Short - about 40 minutes, to Long - about 2 hours.
The course Start is shown on the map with a purple triangle and can be used as the finish. Map updated 2024.
Please note that this course is now updated with new locations and markers, and revised courses - July 2024.
Have you tried smartphone orienteering yet? A MapRun course is available, see below.
Admission to the country park is free - car parking charges apply to non-RSPB members.
Dogs Accepted under control. Guide dogs permitted.
Getting there
Bus: Most bus routes stop on High Street in Edwinstowe, which is a 5 to 10-minute walk from the Visitor Centre and park.
Car: Details below
Train: The nearest stations are at Shirebrook (6 miles) and Mansfield (7 miles). Both are served by the Robin Hood line, operated by East Midlands Trains.
| Sherwood Forest POC map | FREE |
| Sherwood Forest POC map | FREE |
A new visitor centre opened in 2018, managed by the RSPB and their partners on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council.
Web site: www.visitsherwood.co.uk
Opening Times
Sherwood Forest Country Park & Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre is open daily from 10 am - 5 pm March to October. 10 am - 4 pm November to February. Closed Christmas Day. The forest is freely accessible all year round.
On a trip to Sherwood Forest look for birds including nuthatches, jays, woodpeckers and redstarts and marvel in the shadow of the historic Major Oak. On-site café/restaurant – refreshments available. Picnic Site. Toilets for disabled visitors
Use the MapRun app, details are found on the Virtual Orienteering Page
Start the MapRun app when in the car park, tap Events Near Me or Select Event and browse to the
UK/Nottinghamshire/Sherwood Forest folder.
We suggest that you download and print the POC map above that has all the control markers, but you can just use the one on your phone.
The following MapRun course is available based on the Sherwood Forest Permanent Course:
Sherwood Forest POC Score - This score course can be started at any of the controls and you can visit as many or as few of the controls as you wish. 20 points per control, there is no time limit.
Select the course and the map will appear.
Select Go to Start when ready.
When you are close to the Start (the triangle marked on the map) the phone will beep, the Start triangle changes to green and your time will begin.
Upload your results, your position can be found under Sherwood Forest on the Smartphone Orienteering page of the Nottinghamshire Orienteering Club website
Garmin watch owners may wish to use the companion app MapRunG.