Rufford Park

Rufford Abbey Country Park lies just off the A614 near Ollerton in north Nottinghamshire, on the edge of Sherwood Forest. The 150-acre estate is centred on the romantic ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey, later converted into a country house for the Savile family after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Today the remaining cellars and undercrofts can be explored, with interpretation panels telling the story of monastic life and the later Tudor mansion built on top of the abbey foundations.

Beyond the ruins, visitors can wander formal gardens, an orangery, sculpture trails and broad lawns that slope down to Rufford Lake, a long ornamental water dotted with wildfowl. Woodland walks lead through mature beech and oak, and there is a sizeable children's play area, a stable yard craft centre with independent shops, and a café in the old coach house.

The site is managed by Nottinghamshire County Council and is popular for relaxed family days out, with year-round events ranging from outdoor theatre to craft fairs. As part of the wider Sherwood Forest area, Rufford makes a natural pairing with nearby Clumber Park and the Major Oak.