unrated)About Blue Trail
The blue trail is for the more adventerous walker. It follows the white trail round the pond then continues off up the hill to the pit top, past the Rotary Stone.
There are wonderful views of the Sherwood Forest area. Look out for Thoresby Colliery, Thoresby Hall and Wellow Wood. Can you see Clipstone Colliery's headstocks?
How to get there:
Blue Trail can be started from Newark Road car park in Ollerton Pit Wood. New Ollerton is the nearest town or village.
From Nottingham take A614 north towards Ollerton.
At the roundabout with the A616 and A6075 take a right into Ollerton.
At the next roundabout go left and continue on to Tesco.
At the roundabout outside Tesco go straight ahead (its kind of left – you don’t want to end up in Tesco car park!)
Take the next right, just before a zebra crossing into Rufford Avenue.
Carry onto the end of the road and turn right onto Newark Road.
The car park is just down the road on the left, signed Ollerton Pit Woods. If you go under a railway bridge you have gone too far!
The postcode for Newark Road is NG22 9PZ.
OS Grid Reference: SK 667673
For details of public transport visit http://www.transportdirect.info
Wildlife
Mammals: Keep your eyes peeled when walking round especially at dusk and dawn. Deer are seen regularly in the early morning and bats come out at dusk. Foxes and stoats are also seen running across paths and over or under fences.
Birds: Ollerton Pit Woods has a Sand Martin colony they feed along the wetland and over the pond. Look out for Green Woodpeckers when walking around Ollerton Pit Woods. They are often on the ground feeding and are scared up by passers by. They are beautiful birds and worth a look! The swan nesting platform on the pond is there for the resident pair of Mute Swans. After drainage changes the water level rose leaving the swans stranded. A local volunteer bulit the platform which is floated each spring ready for the swans to nest.
Insects and reptiles: Dragonflies and damselflies are resident in the pond and during the summer fly around in the sun. Green tiger beetles have been seen on the sandy soil - can you spot one?
Habitats: Ollerton Pit Woods is situated on the former Ollerton colliery spoil sites in Nottinghamshire and comprises Ollerton Pit Wood and Tip Top Wood.
It covers an area of approximately 91 hectares.
The site has been planted with a variety of broadleaf and coniferous trees. There are also open areas and wetlands.
| Newark Road car park Facilities. |
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| Grade of trail: |
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Trail waymarking:
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| Length of trail: 1.9 miles |
| Approximate time of trail: 1 to 1 and a half hours walking depending on how long you pasue to look at the view. |
| Open or closed: open |
| Click here to find out what else you can do in this forest. |
Contact: |
| Community RangersSherwood Forest Community Rangers 01623 822447 e-mail: enquiries.sherwood@forestry.gsi.gov.uk |
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