Accessibility Guide for Sherwood Pines

Travel by public transport

Travel by taxi

Parking

The main car park (Woodlark) has blue badge disabled parking on the first row opposite the Visitor Centre. There are four further car parks, Goshawk, Nightjar, Crossbill and Sparrowhawk with a total car park space for 2200 cars at peak times.

In addition there is a coach parking bay to the eastern side of Woodlark car park which can provide ample parking for three 60 seater coaches.

The car park is on a 'Pay on Exit' system - this means you dont need to do anything when you arrive, you just have to go to one of the wooden paystation huts as you are about to leave, follow the instructions on one of the touch-screen pay machines, and they will know how long you've been on site and how much you must pay. You can pay by coin, card, or Apple pay. The charges are; up to one hour £2, up to two hours £4, anything over two hours £6.

Path to main entrance

Main entrance

Ticket/ information desk

Visitor Centre

There are double doors at the visitor centre main entrance; one door is usually secured open, except during extreme weather. When the door is closed it is a light, easy-to-use glass door, measuring 950mm wide x 2100mm high, with a lever handle. The second door can also be opened, creating an opening of 1900mm.

Sherwood Pines Cycles

Sherwood Pines Cycles has a wide range of bikes for sale or hire as well as clothing, components and accessories. They also offer a workshop service with two Cytech qualified mechanics.

Public toilet

Unisex Accessible Toilets

There are 5 unisex accessible toilets. Four have automated doors operated by a push button to the left of the doorway and locked electronically from the inside. These doors open outwards. Inside each has a hand rail, emergency pull cord and sink with hot running water.

The fifth disabled toilet door (also measuring 900/2050/44mm) is operated by handle and opens inwards, this is a larger space for individuals with specific needs/need of a carer. These too have hand rails, emergency pull cords and a sink with hot running water.

Public toilet

Male Toilets

The male toilets have two external doors and one internal door. They have 8 cubicles, one large communal urinal and one single urinal. There are 10 sinks providing hot water with four hand dryers. The male toilets also have one baby change facility.

Public toilet

Female Toilets

The female toilets also have two external doors and an internal door. They have 18 cubicles and 12 sinks providing hot running water, they also have two hand dryers and a separate toilet with baby change.

Place to eat and drink

Sherwood Pines Cafe

The cafe has seating for 60 customers inside and approximately 30 more outside on the decked area. The café has wooden parquet flooring with an outside raised deck seating area. There are a number of large heavy wooden picnic benches in the immediate vicinity of the café.

Classroom

The classroom is a room available to hire for events/meetings.

Designated Walking Trail

Dragonfly Trail

An all weather surfaced trail, suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. This walk takes in some of the oldest trees in the forest with seating and a picnic bench along the way and at the Dragonfly pond. Follow the waymarkers with the white band.

Designated Walking Trail

Nightjar Trail

This unsurfaced trail follows the Dragonfly trail to begin with and then takes you through a variety of the habitats within the forest, ranging from mature pine to lowland heath land. Follow the waymarkers with a pink band.

Picnic Area

Mushroom Village picnic area

Go Ape

Go Ape is a High ropes course and nets experience, in the trees. Call in at the Go Ape cabin on site to discuss any accessibility needs that you or your group may have.

Play Areas and Equipment

Sherwood Pines has several out door play areas; Mushroom Village, Insects and the Spider, Play Huts, and the Robin Hoods Hideout. All of these are within 0.5miles of the Visitor Centre and are surfaced and walkable with a wheelchair.

Cycle trails

Sherwood Pines has three waymarked cycle routes which are colour coded to represent difficulty. The easiest route is the three mile surfaced family cycle trail, the moderate six mile Adventure trail is graded blue to represent it’s more challenging nature, a mixture of surfaced narrow track with often loose natural surfacing.

The red graded Kitchener trail is eight miles long, consists of narrow singletrack of natural trail and reinforced surfacing and features exposed roots, off camber turns, blind corners and technical trail features such as rocks, jumps and berms.

Cycling Skills Loop and Bike Park

The Bikepark is a dirt jump area and downhill trail, for accomplished cyclists.

The skills loop offers beginners and new visitors an opportunity to experience typical technical trail features found on the Kitchener trail.

World War 1 Replica Trenches

Walking from the visitor centre to the trenches is level access, however to walk through the trenches you have to go up and down several steps. There is some information about the trenches without needing to negotiate steps, attached to the fencing on the side.

Accessibility equipment

Emergency evacuation procedures

Customer care support