Great British Dog Walks

Walk distance: about 4 miles

Difficulty: easy, but remember to bring your wellies as the paths can get extremely muddy!

Pub stop: None

Starting point: Laming Gap Lane (free parking)

Download the route map here.

This walk can get very muddy during wet weather, but the views over Nottingham and Trent Valley are worth getting a bit mucky for.

Cotgrave Forest itself is owned privately and although there are public footpaths and bridleways throughout, there are signs advising shooting takes place there, so it is a good idea to keep your dog on a lead if you haven’t yet mastered a good recall.

Follow Lambing Lane down in the car until the road bends to the right, here you will find a layby with space to park your car.

When you have parked up, follow the public bridleway sign down past a green barrier to the right of the forest. Follow the path until it reaches a fork in the road. Turn left and follow it downhill and over a stream.

Continue on this path until you find yourself leaving the forest and at the village of Clipston. You’ll pass a large farm shop- Harkers- which is open Tuesday – Saturday.

Go straight down the road (ignoring all other roads to the left) until it bends to the right and goes slightly downhill (this is a public road so watch out for cars). Keep a look out for a restricted byway sign on the right and follow it through an open field.

Keeping to the right of the field, walk to the top of the hill and carry on down a farm track. Keep on this track until you reach a crossroads (about 3/4 mile). Then turn right. Cross a stream and carry on walking until you read a bridleway sign to the right.

Turn right at the sign and walk back into Cotgrave Forest. Follow this track until you reach the fork in the road again. Go round the left hand bend and follow the road round until you are back to the starting point.