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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Edwinstowe
Go for one day, not a base: Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak are a half-day walk from the village, and most people sleep in Nottingham or Newark.
Edwinstowe is a small Nottinghamshire village of about 5,200 people that sits inside what is left of Sherwood Forest, the setting for the Robin Hood legend. The forest, the Major Oak and St Mary's Church are the reasons to come; the village itself is a short high street with a few pubs and takeaways. One night is enough, and a day trip from Nottingham is enough for most people.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (short days, facilities reduced)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £40–65 excl. bed · Mid £65–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · EU emergency number 112 · NHS non-urgent advice 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips takeaway | £9–14 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Bus fare, Nottingham to Edwinstowe | about £5 single (check) |
| Taxi, Mansfield station to Edwinstowe | £18–25 (check) |
| Forest visitor centre parking | £4, more during events (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EMA · East Midlands
- About 35 miles southwest; the nearest airport with good European connections. Car hire is the practical onward option.
- MAN · Manchester
- Wider long-haul choice; about 1 h 45 min by car.
- BHX · Birmingham
- About 1 h 30 min by car.
- LHR · London Heathrow
- About 3 h by car; train via London then Nottingham is often easier.
Typical fares
- Sherwood Arrow, Nottingham → Edwinstowe
- about 1 h, hourly Mon–Sat, every 2 h Sun (check)
- Bus 14/15, Mansfield → Edwinstowe
- about 30 min, every 30 min Mon–Sat, hourly Sun (check)
- Taxi, Edwinstowe → Mansfield station
- £18–25 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walking covers the village and the marked forest tracks; the Major Oak is about ½ mile from the visitor centre on a wheelchair-accessible path. Buses are limited: the Sherwood Arrow from Nottingham runs hourly Monday–Saturday and every two hours on Sunday, and Mansfield buses 14/15 run every 30 min Monday–Saturday, hourly Sunday. A car makes Clumber Park, Rufford Abbey and Sherwood Pines much easier. Local taxis exist but ask for a quote first.
See and do
Known for
- Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak
- Robin Hood legend
- St Mary's Church (1185)
- Former mining village, Thoresby Colliery closed 2014
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sherwood Forest visitor centre and the Major Oak | Walk from the village, or park off the B6034 north of the village | 10 min walk to the centre, plus 15 min to the Major Oak |
| Rufford Abbey and park | Car or taxi, about 3 miles south | About 10 min by car |
| Clumber Park | Car, near the A1/A57/A614 junction | About 20 min by car |
| Sherwood Pines | Car, off the B6030 near Kings Clipstone | About 15 min by car |
| Nottingham | Sherwood Arrow bus from the village, or bus to Mansfield then train | About 1 h 15 min |
| Newark-on-Trent | Car, or train from Mansfield with a change | About 45 min by car |
Sleep
- Edwinstowe village
- Walk to the forest centre and the Major Oak; a handful of B&Bs and the YHA hostel opposite the visitor centre.
- Center Parcs / Rufford Lane area
- Holiday-village and cabin stays a mile or two south; you need a car or taxi for everything else.
- Nottingham
- Best base without a car: 30 min train to Mansfield plus a 30 min bus, or the Sherwood Arrow bus direct.
- Newark-on-Trent
- Better mainline trains and a market town to come back to; weak bus links to the forest.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Parking at the forest visitor centre is charged (about £4, more during events) and the car park fills on school holidays and event weekends.
- Some Sherwood Arrow buses do not stop at the visitor centre: get off in Edwinstowe and walk 5–10 min.
- Sunday and evening buses are sparse; check the last bus before you set out or you will be calling a taxi.
- Forest tracks are muddy and uneven after rain; wear shoes you do not mind dirtying.
- There is no National Express coach stop in the village; the nearest is Newark.
A quiet, low-crime village; the real risks are traffic on the B6034 and unlit forest tracks after dark. Standard UK advice applies: 999 for emergencies, 111 for NHS advice.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Edwinstowe yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak
- Robin Hood legend
- St Mary's Church (1185)
- Former mining village, Thoresby Colliery closed 2014
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Nottinghamshire — Sherwood Forest: www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/
- Sherwood Forest visitor centre: www.visitsherwood.co.uk/
- National Trust — Clumber Park: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clumber-park
- English Heritage — Rufford Abbey: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/rufford-abbey/
- Stagecoach — Sherwood Arrow: www.stagecoachbus.com/
- Wikivoyage: Edwinstowe, revision 5321232 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321232
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Edwinstowe
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the village; the US Embassy is in London. Consulates and honorary consulates are in Nottingham and Birmingham (check addresses).
Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants if no service charge is added; not expected in pubs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/edwinstowe). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.