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Ashfield and Mansfield Trails (East)
| Route type | walk/cycle/horse ride |
| Distance | 6.5 miles |
| Surface and gradients | mixed surface and some steep gradients |
| Parking nearby | yes |
| On-road sections | yes |
| Starting points | for the Mansfield Way, start at Racecourse Road.
for the Timberland Trail, start at Kingsmill Reservoir. |
Information
For directions, starting point and routes, see the attached leaflet.
The Mansfield Way
At Racecourse Road, the trail joins The Mansfield Way and traces the route of the Mansfield-Southwell railway to Rainworth. A small hamlet until the 1870’s,when the line was opened, Rainworth expanded with the development of Rufford Colliery, but the closure of the pit in 1993 has seen the town’s prosperity decrease.
Sherwood Pines Forest Park, 3300 acres owned by the Forestry Commission, is billed as the largest tract of publicly open Forest in the country and has many graded biking and walking trails, and other activities. Planted on former heathland, there is an increasing proportion of broad-leaved tree species among the commercial pine.
The Timberland Trail
Starting at Kingsmill Reservoir, the Timberland Trail runs around the southern edge of Mansfield town centre, joining the Mansfield Way at Racecourse Road.
Occupied since Roman times, Mansfield’s prosperity was fuelled by the industrialisation of coal mining in nearby villages, and the building of a local railway network. The River Maun also provided energy for textile and hosiery mills; the old mill ponds can still be seen in Quarry Lane Park and the trail runs alongside the Maun through Titchfield Park.
The trail joins the line of the former Mansfield - Southwell railway line at Fisher Lane Park.
