Today’s walk: Sherwood Pines and Vicar Water Country Park

We combined two green spaces for this walk: Sherwood Pines and Vicar Water Country Park. We chose them in part because we wanted to keep Breezy as cool as possible on a hot day. She tends to overheat quickly and the temperature wasn’t doing her any favours, so we put her in her cooling jacket and headed off.

Partway through the walk we caught sight of the Clipstone headstocks in the distance. They’re striking structures, left behind from the area’s mining past. I hadn’t realised this was once a colliery site, so seeing those remnants of industry arise behind the woodland and wildlife was a bit of a treat. They’re open for guided tours once a week, which didn’t match our timing, but it’s great they’re still there. A visible reminder of what came before.

The cafe at Vicar Water is run by Rumbles Catering Project, whose mission is to “train and educate young people and adults in the county of Nottinghamshire, who are disadvantaged whether by disability, social or economic circumstances”. A brilliant project that seemed to be run with care and support — the manager was clearly concerned about the heat in the kitchen and had stopped taking orders for hot food. There’s a dog-friendly section inside, where we sheltered from the sunshine while we ate our snacks. One of the staff seemed to enjoy the gusto with which Breezy devoured a treat. I enjoyed watching a couple of them sit down for their lunch and attack their fish finger sandwiches with similar enthusiasm.

There were a few busier stretches on the walk, especially around the water’s edge, but it never felt overwhelming. The shade under the pine trees helped take the edge off the heat, and we stayed close to the water where we could in the country park.

A walk full of contrast. A bit of shade, a bit of water, some history, some art, and a lot of good space to wander.