20 Attractions to Explore Near Brierley Forest Park

Kings Mill Reservoir was originally a medieval mill pond, in 1837 William Bentinck the fourth Duke of Portland increased it's size by building a dam and flooding 72 acres of farmland, this would supply water all year round to the mills further down the river Maun and was completed in 1839. This lake in Mansfield has a nice walking trail to follow around the perimeter of the water. The trail runs for just over a mile with nice views across the lake and lots of waterfowl to see too.

Hardwick Hall is one of the finest Elizabethan buildings in the country. Built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick, it was designed by the architect Robert Smythson, an exponent of the Renaissance style. It is fully open to the public and received 298,283 visitors in 2019. Ownership of the house was transferred to the National Trust in 1959.

Sherwood Observatory stands in a perfect position to explore the wonders of the night sky. Built in 1986 for the Mansfield & Sutton Astronomical Society it’s now set to reach new heights. With ambitious plans announced this week, the observatory is poised to develop a visitor attraction that’s out of this world. There is a club meeting room that hosts society meetings and lectures and also serves as a lecture theatre for the public on open evenings.

Baily House is a historic home located at Newark in New Castle County. It was built about 1835 and is a 2+1⁄2-story "L"-shaped frame dwelling with a three-bay front facade. It was probably constructed as a single-family dwelling that may have been formerly connected to a row of matching houses. Some believe that it was moved from Baltimore to Newark in the mid-19th century. It was the residence of Harriet Baily, who headed the Art Department of the University of Delaware from 1928 until 1956.

Mansfield Museum is a local authority museum run by the council in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The five galleries of Mansfield Museum contain a fascinating mix of contemporary and modern displays, from the exquisite Buxton watercolours and Pinxton porcelain to the hands-on XplorActive environment gallery.

A beautiful historic park which offers a mix of open grassland with mature trees, woodlands, gardens and rockeries with ornamental features from earlier periods including a Grotto and a Victorian Glasshouse and more recently a bandstand was erected which is located to the centre of the park. The house dates from the early nineteenth century, with the parklands set out to provide an appropriate setting for the building.

Thieves Wood consists of 200 Hectares of mainly Pine forests. The site is also suitable for cycling and horse riding nd walking. Hundreds of years ago,trees from these woods provided timber for the construction of Nottingham Castle.Since that time they have virtually remained untouched until 1976 when violent storms destroyed thousands of mature trees.

Felley Priory is situated in North Nottinghamshire, hidden just half a mile from the M1. You will find many rare and unusual plants, is one of Nottinghamshire’s best kept secrets – the house, its 2.5 acre garden, and Farmhouse Tea Room are nestled in beautiful rolling countryside. A domestic house, which still exists today, was built upon the former monastic site soon afterwards.

A beautiful historic house set in a glorious landscape of gardens and parkland within the heart of Nottinghamshire. Founded as a monastic house in the late 12th century, Newstead was home to the poet Lord Byron between 1808 - 1814. Inside the Abbey there is much to explore including Victorian room settings, and the poets private apartments.

Sherwood Forest Golf Club stands apart from all the other golf courses in Fresno. Since 1968, golfers have enjoyed playing these 18 holes along the banks of the Kings River through the beautiful grove of mature Oaks and Sycamores that makes up the “forest” at Sherwood. It was hand-built by former PGA Pro Carol Hansen and his wife, Jane. The Hansen family has taken great pride in developing Sherwood Forest into an immaculate “destination” public golf course with a country club atmosphere.

Codnor Castle, located near the village of Codnor, between Ripley and Heanor, was home to the powerful de Grey family for centuries during the medieval period, but now is regarding as a 'Building at Risk' by Historic England. The castle is a stone keep and bailey fortress and was established by William Peverel. The present fragmentary remains represent a three-storey keep and a strong curtain wall and ditch, flanked by round towers.

The Midland Railway was one of the most pre-eminent railway companies of its time. The Midland Railway - Butterley has a unique collection of railway locomotives and rolling stock and both Princess Margaret Rose and the Duchess of Sutherland are at the Centre. The railway is also home to the 2 ft narrow gauge Golden Valley Light Railway, which opened in 1991 and partially lies on the trackbed of a former plateway built by the Butterley Company in 1813 to connect its ironworks facilities in But

This hilltop castle was built as a fashionable retreat for 17th-Century courtiers to entertain influential guests. It was used by the Cavendish family of nearby Welbeck Abbey for short stays and day trips. Its experimental design and painted interiors represent an astonishing survival. The site is now in the care of the English Heritage charity, as both a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Vicar Water is a small river in Nottinghamshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Maun, and runs through an area which was once the royal hunting ground of Clipstone Park. It gained its present name in the early nineteenth century, and was dammed in 1870, in order to make a trout fishery, which was used to stock the lakes at nearby Welbeck Abbey. Since the cessation of coal mining, much of it has been incorporated into a country park, and is a designated Local Nature Reserve.

The Church of St Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. The church is Grade II* listed as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest. It is set in a peaceful churchyard overlooking the market place in the centre of the town. The building itself is of great architectural interest and is built on the site of an old Saxon church.

The Sherwood Forest Railway, home of Nottinghamshire’s only narrow gauge steam railway, nestled in a valley in between Mansfield and the historic village of Edwinstowe. The railway is still operated by its original two steam locomotives, 'Smokey Joe' and 'Pet'. The line has a light electric locomotive named 'Anne' used principally on works trains, and a light track inspection/works railtruck, 'Lottie Lister'

The D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum is the childhood home to the author D.H. Lawrence. The Museum is located in the ex-mining town of Eastwood and surrounded by the lovely landscapes that influenced Lawrence’s life and books. There is a small exhibition of Lawrence’s early original watercolour paintings and a DVD room that starts the tour providing an introduction to his life in Eastwood and thereafter.

Titchfield Park is an award winning Green Flag Park located 10 minutes’ walk away from Hucknall Town Centre. The park covers approximately 24 acres and includes provision for a range of formal sports and recreational activities. Informal recreation opportunities include a skate park, youth area and children’s playground as well as ball courts.

Papplewick Pumping Station, situated in open agricultural land approximately 3 miles by road from the Nottinghamshire village of Papplewick, was built by Nottingham Corporation Water Department between 1881 and 1884 to pump water from the Bunter sandstone to provide drinking water to the City of Nottingham, in England. Two beam engines, supplied with steam by six Lancashire boilers, were housed in Gothic Revival buildings.

Vicar Water is a small river in Nottinghamshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Maun, and runs through an area which was once the royal hunting ground of Clipstone Park. It gained its present name in the early nineteenth century, and was dammed in 1870, in order to make a trout fishery, which was used to stock the lakes at nearby Welbeck Abbey.