Walesby Forest

View prices & book 8.5 312 reviews
Kayak at the site
Kayak at the site
Swimming pool
The lake
Exterior of kemp lodge
Veranda and external seating area
Outside bar and shop
The outside bar area
Bar entrance
1/258
Swimming pool
The lake
Exterior of kemp lodge

  • Adventurous site set in 250 acres of woodland and other rural scenery
  • A mile from Walesby village and 35 minutes' drive from Lincoln
  • On-site bar and shop; over 40 leisure activities on land and water
If you're looking to alternate between relaxing in 250 acres of Robin Hood country and a whole host of adventurous activities for guests over the age of four, seek out a spot at Walesby Forest in leafy Nottinghamshire. The vast range of leisure activities here should help even those averse to alfresco exercise get moving, with popular options including watersports, climbing, archery and rifle shooting. A friendly team of dedicated instructors is on hand to make sure all that outdoor action takes place in a safe, low-pressure environment. The programme is updated daily, with a flexible play and pay policy to keep it all affordable. Time to swap sporty sessions for a bit of downtime? Take your pick from drinks or snacks at the bar, a poolside snooze or rambles through the site's wild woodland areas, where all sorts of animals can be spotted. Angling fans may find it similarly peaceful to take advantage of the free river Maun fishing opportunities available on site. When it comes to food, there's a handy catering barn (which, with advance notice, can sort meals for guests with special dietary requirements), plus a small shop that stocks plenty of sweet treats and souvenirs. If you'd rather step out for dinner, make your way into Walesby (a mile away), where two popular establishments are all set to serve up pub-cooked food. While there may not be a playground on site, there are 250 acres of space for ball games and adventures.

Site type

Tent sites 218
Caravan sites 64
Motorhome sites 4
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 4
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Facilities/activities including adventure activities are subject to extra charges payable on arrival.
  • The outdoor swimming pool is open between 02/05 and 31/08 (subject to weather conditions).
  • The restaurant is open between 29/03 and 31/10.
  • Entertainment and activities are available between 29/03 and 31/10.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Reception is unmanned after 5:30 p.m.. Please inform the campground while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • A cable measuring at least 20 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.
  • The bar is open between 29/03 and 31/10.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCaravan sitesMotorhome sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

8.5

Overall rating from 312 Pitchup.com customers

  • 48%
    10
  • 1%
    9
  • 31%
    8
  • 1%
    7
  • 12%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 3%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 1%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 6
Bush

88% would recommend this site to a friend

83% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spacious campsite, a hit with families for activities. Staff are friendly. Some reviews mention toilet/shower cleanliness issues and electric hook-up concerns. Still, many would happily return for the good value and fun times.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 32
Arrival date (latest first)

Spacious pitches. We requested a quieter area for our dogs with it…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Adam M.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Spacious pitches. We requested a quieter area for our dogs with it being their first time camping and we placed in a nice quieter corner of the dog friendly field. Ground was even and took pegs well!

Disliked Toilets were a little run down, but all in working order.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site, great activities, lots of space terrible toilets

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 8
Vinnett W.

Unpowered grass site

Liked Lots of space and great activities. Liked the fact uou turn up with wristband and don't have to book activities.
Staff were really friendly and helpful.
Gift shop was great

Disliked Washing facilities and toilets were poorly maintained and seldom cleaned. It really needs updating or at least a cleaning schedule throughout the day and evening. Some if them were horrendous.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent look forward to next stay

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Mark S.

Power optional grass site (no pets)

Liked Everything was great, nice warm welcome on arrival, clear instructions, site gives a real camping experience, our little boy loved playing in the woods, the children's disco was great. Will come again next year.

Disliked Price of a pint of beer too expensive at £5.60 per pint.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site, just gutted I missed last orders for food - info not given.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah D.

Power optional grass site

Liked Facilities, size of site and not cramped in together.
Friendly staff.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely big pitch. Plenty of open space. Very quiet after the 11pm…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Power optional grass site (large, no pets)

Liked Lovely big pitch. Plenty of open space. Very quiet after the 11pm cut off.

We enjoyed the family quiz night and teen enjoyed the pool tables in the bar.

Disliked Toilet and showers are not clean (lots of youth groups using toilet blocks unsupervised).

Teen was very disappointed with the activities on offer. Activities much more suited to younger children with no previous experience.

Lots of rubbish on site (glitter cannons, water balloons, cigarette ends).

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Tina P.

Unpowered grass site

Liked This is an amazing site, especially if you have children. The site is large so lots of places to roam and play. You are never too close to another camper as there is plenty of room. The activities on site are great and although some have an age restriction there is still plenty to do for the younger children. The staff are all lovely and welcoming. We have a lovely stay and would recommend to all.

Disliked Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A good first outing

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Joy M.

Power optional grass site (no pets)

Liked Space to spread out

Disliked Pitches weren't easy to find, electric points were first come first served (not explained that you could use whatever point is closest, so we looked for our number and it was taken)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice peaceful overnight stay not too far away.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 5
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 8
Vanessa L.

Unpowered grass site (no pets, wild)

Liked I love the space between each pitch. We had an end pitch so faced the wooded areas felt more like family camping away from it all.
Laser Tag, Archery, Climbing and Low ropes.
Free WiFi at the bar area.

Disliked Toilets and showers need regularly cleaning especially during summer holidays. And near the swimming pool.
Not having a drinks menu on the tables in the bar.
Not having a frée play area for younger children or sand pit.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The most amazing place can’t wait to return

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah W.

Unpowered grass site (no pets, wild)

Liked Everything was amazing, wonderful site clean and tidy where it needed to be and wild where it was supposed to be

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

You get what you pay for

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 5
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 3
Jennifer L.

Unpowered grass site (no pets, wild)

Liked The location was perfect for what we wanted

The price was brilliant

The dark sky's are awesome for stargazing we saw an incredible meteor shower and a fireball

Loved the cave and the lake walkable from the pitch

Disliked 30min time slots on peak times for swimming is just far too short and the showers where lukewarm at best and the cleanliness of the showers toilets and changing room left a lot to be desired

Flying ants swarms of them

Massive scout groups with noisy generators that went on until 11pm that really did spoil the tranquility

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Covered terrace area Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Baby-changing facilities Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Bush Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market

Type

Very large (over 200 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 85 cm) Level campground, no steep slopes Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac Step-free or level access

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Walesby Forest

Brake Road

Newark

Nottinghamshire

England

NG22 9NG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53.22455°N
0.99979°W

Nearest transport

Coach
10.3 km Hetts Lane
10.4 km Bingo Hall
11.5 km Bus Station
Rail
10.6 km Retford Low Level Rail Station
10.7 km Retford Rail Station
12.7 km Worksop Rail Station
Airport
28.5 km Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport
29.1 km Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport
31.8 km Sheffield City Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

With its tales of Robin Hood, ancient oaks, country houses and lush leafy landscape, Sherwood Forest has something to keep most sorts content. Clumber Park (15 minutes' drive) has long avenues of limes and open heath to stroll through, while over by the Major Oak (10 minutes) you can get acquainted with one of the area's stand-out trees before setting out on several waymarked hiking routes (maps available at the visitor centre next door). Similarly close to base is Go Ape Sherwood (10 minutes), where a medley of segways and zipwires nicely complement any on-site activities you've got up to during your stay. Kids not quite old enough for that kind of activity? Fear not, as families with younger members will find plenty of age-appropriate entertainment at Wheelgate Waterpark (15 minutes) or Sundown Adventureland (20 minutes). Spending time in town is also doable here, as Walesby Forest is just over half an hour from Lincoln's castle, cathedral and urban arboretum. Meanwhile, over in Newark (30 minutes), there's Civil War heritage, antiques shops and weekly markets in a handsome Georgian square, plus hovercraft tours if you fancy something a little different.

Must see

Sherwood Forest Country Park 4.9 km

Mansfield Museum 16.1 km

Bolsover Castle 19.6 km

Hardwick Hall 20.8 km

Hardwick Old Hall 21.5 km

National Trust

Clumber Park 6.5 km

Mr Straw's House 12.6 km

The Workhouse, Southwell 16.5 km

Hardwick Hall 21.5 km

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 21.5 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Bothamsall - Robin Hood's Cave - Walesby - Bothamsall 3.1 km

THORESBY PARK 3.1 km

The Major Oak and Sherwood Forest 4.9 km

The Major Oak - Sherwood Forest - Edwinstowe 4.9 km

Clumber and Surrounding Forests - Robin Hood Way 6.2 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Nottinghamshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Walesby Forest have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
  • Is Walesby Forest dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Walesby Forest? With its tales of Robin Hood, ancient oaks, country houses and lush leafy landscape, Sherwood Forest has something to keep most sorts content. Clumber Park (15 minutes' drive) has long avenues of … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Walesby Forest?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.

    Please call the duty manager on the number provided if you are running late.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Walesby Forest? From $40.43 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.