RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in | Sign up
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our History
    • Our mission
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • Connect with us your way
      Our activities
    • Gardening for wildlife

      Gardening for wildlife

      See our ideas to keep you connected to nature during coronavirus

    • Connect with us your way

      Connect with us your way

      From our regular emails to your favourite social media, there’s more than one way to keep in touch with nature

    • Our History

      Our History

      Discover how a campaign against feathers in fashion sparked a global force to save nature with more than a million members

  • Our work
      Nature conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Policy and Insight
    • Policy and Insight: England and Westminster
    • Casework
      Featured news
    • Mindful mornings

      Mindful mornings

      If you can’t get outside, why not bring the outside in by downloading our bird song radio app?

    • How nature can help protect our homes

      How nature can help protect our homes

      Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector.

    • Casework

      Casework

      Catch up with the RSPB’s own nature detectives on the case as they look to save some very special places.

  • Birds & wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • What is the Red List for UK birds?
    • Nature's Calendar
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Birds & Wildlife Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Bird songs
    • Which bird song is that?
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Bird migration

      Bird migration

      Migrating birds have travelled thousands of miles just to get here. Find out why.

    • Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help

    • In for a duck

      In for a duck

      It’s nesting season for our waterfowl too but what are the rules you need to follow for ducks, geese or swans?

  • Get Involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Nature on Your Doorstep
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Dolphinwatch
    • #MyClimateAction
    • Community & advice
    • Join our local groups
    • How green are you?
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Help nature thrive as a corporate partner
    • Our grant funders
    • Campaigning
    • Campaigning in Scotland
    • Campaigning in Wales
    • Campaigning in England
    • Campaigning in Northern Ireland
    • The nature and climate emergency
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Campaign with us
    • Top activities to do
    • Nature on Your Doorstep

      Nature on Your Doorstep

      Great ideas on how your garden, or even a small backyard or balcony, can become a mini nature reserve

    • How green are you?

      How green are you?

      See some of the ways you can get into green living.

    • Campaigning

      Campaigning

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events Find a reserve
      Top reserves this month
    • Marshside

      Marshside

      This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region.

    • Lytchett Fields

      Lytchett Fields

      The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & Learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • School outreach visits
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • School trip ideas
    • For kids
    • Fun factoids for all the family
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • Robin Robin
    • Cameron's Cottage
    • Your Support
    • About Cameron's cottage
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Wild Challenge

      Wild Challenge

      Nature is an adventure waiting to be had. Get out, get busy and get wild!

    • Fun factoids for all the family

      Fun factoids for all the family

      Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window.

    • Youth membership

      Youth membership

      As well as a free gift and magazines, you’ll get loads of ideas for activities to try at home.

  • Join & Donate
      Join us
    • Choose a membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership
    • Make a future richer in nature. Become a Life Fellow today.
    • Renew your membership
    • Donate
    • Philanthropy & Major Gifts
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • In Memory Donations
    • Plant a celebration tree
    • In memoriam booklet download form
    • Leave a gift to nature in your Will
    • Why Include a Gift to Nature in Your Will
    • How to Include us in Your Will
    • Information for executors & solicitors
    • Download your free guide
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Stamp out albatross deaths
  • Login to your account Sign up for an RSPB account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Budby South Forest

Budby South Forest

Due to essential Ministry of Defence work on land adjacent to Budby South Forest, the lay-by off Swinecote Road (B6034) is temporarily closed. Alternative parking is available at the main car park for Sherwood Forest, where parking is free for RSPB members. Please do not park on the verges on Swinecote Road, as this presents a danger to all road users and enforcement action may be taken. Budby South Forest can still be accessed on foot by walking through Sherwood. Some diversions will be in place, so please follow all safety signage on site and be aware of moving vehicles and heavy plant. To find out more about work being carried out at Budby South Forest, please see visitsherwood.co.uk
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
Address
RSPB Budby South Forest, Swinecote Rd, Mansfield NG21 9HN
Grid ref
SK627687
What3Words
adhesive.donor.lads

Budby is the largest area of historic heathland in the Midlands, blended with ancient woodland. Nightjars, woodlarks and tree pipits make the most of the heath through summer. In winter, crossbills and flocks of siskins flit through the remnant pines and ghostly birch trees.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Reserve: Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Car park cost

Free

Facilities

  • Car park
  • Nature trails

Accessibility

  • Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

How to get here

By train

Mansfield Woodhouse Rail Station is 7 miles away - a 40 minute cycle, or 20 minute taxi ride.

By bus

Stagecoach buses operate around the area. From Nottingham City Centre, take the 'Sherwood Arrow' service to arrive at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre in an hour. From Mansfield, take the 15A or 14 service to get to Edwinstowe village in 40 minutes.

By bike

National Cycle Route 6 runs along the western boundary of the National Nature Reserve. 

By road

From Edwinstowe village high street, follow the signs to Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, heading north along Swinecote Road. Drive for half a mile past the Visitor Centre Car Park on your left - 200m from the junction you will find the pull-in that serves as the main car park for Budby South Forest.

If travelling along the A614 between Nottingham and Doncaster, take the turn off onto the A616 from Ollerton Roundabout, again following signs for the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre. Follow the road towards Worksop for a mile before taking a very sharp left turn onto Swinecote Road. The lay-by and entrance will be on the right after 200m.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Information for dog owners

This reserve is home to vulnerable ground-nesting birds, such as nightjars and woodlarks that nest and feed on the ground through the summer months. These rare and amazing birds are easily disturbed by well-meaning people and inquisitive dogs which means they need our help.

The Open Access law is in place to protect these birds and requires dogs to be keep on a lead within the fenced areas during the breeding season between March 1 and August 31.

English Longhorn Cattle graze the heath through summer to help create the right conditions for the wildlife. Please keep your dogs under strict control around livestock. If you come across cattle blocking your path through grazing compartments, it is advisable to alter your route to give them a wide berth and keep your dog calm.

The public rights of way are exempt from the on-leads rule. Use the maps on the reserve signage to help you pick your route.

Outside of the breeding season and on the public rights of way, please be aware that the reserve is still home to a host of wildlife, ensure your dog is within sight and recall distance at all times and remember to clean up after them.

If you lose your dog or find a missing dog, please repot it to the RSPCA (0300 1234 999).

Downloads

Naturism Policy - Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest.pdf

Contact Budby South Forest

  • RSPB Budby South Forest, Swinecote Rd, Mansfield NG21 9HN
  • chloe.ryder@rspb.org.uk
  • 07718 248 953

What will you see?

Our star species

    Nightjar male illustration

    Nightjar

    Linger until dusk to encounter this amazing bird between May and July

    Tree Pipit

    Tree pipit

    In spring tree pipits migrate here to breed on our open heathland habitats.

    Woodlark illustration

    Woodlark

    Our earliest heathland bird to breed, listen to their melodious song from February.

    Male yellowhammer

    Yellowhammer

    In summer listen for the bright yellow males belting out their unmistakable song.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

In spring, the heath bursts into life when male woodlarks begin their fancy wooing displays; parachuting from perch trees and filling the air with beautiful song from February. They are soon followed by springtime songsters chiffchaffs and blackcaps, with percussion provided by drumming great spotted woodpeckers in oaks overhead.

During the summer months, warblers and yellowhammers will be in full song; look for them perched atop the sunshine yellow flowers of gorse bushes. You might also catch sight of common lizards basking on sun-baked surfaces before scurrying off through bracken fronds and heather stems. Take a walk at sunset to hear the nightjars in June.

In September, the heather is a sea of purple. Migratory birds may be leaving for warmer climes but keep your eyes peeled for passing or overwintering species like whinchat and great grey shrike. In October, fungi of all shapes and sizes pop up in damp autumnal conditions.

The winter brings a magical quality to the whole heath. Look up to see crossbills feeding on the pine cones making distinctive 'chip, chip' calls, and watch amazing flocks of lesser redpolls and siskins.

About Budby South Forest

Habitat

Budby is an extraordinary blend of historic heathland and ancient woodland and wood pasture; a snapshot of a medieval landscape. Nightjars, woodlarks and tree pipits make the most of the large expanses of open heath through summer, along with scrub-loving yellowhammers, linnets and willow warblers. In winter, you can see crossbills, goldcrests and large flocks of redpolls and siskins flitting through the remnant pines and ghostly birch trees.

A range of butterflies and moths flutter through grassy expanses and glide along sunny rides through sunnier months. Common lizards take advantage of warm basking spots among the heather. Native red deer and rabbits help the English longhorn cattle graze the heath and grassland mosaic, creating a rich tapestry for the plethora of invertebrates that live here, like the black oil beetles, rare spiders and mining bees.

Conservation

While it is already an incredible place for flora and fauna, there is still much work to be done to help it thrive rather than just survive. The RSPB are proud to be working with partner organisations, local communities and resident experts to benefit the special wildlife of Sherwood and inspire the future custodians of the countryside.

Sometimes the work we do to manage the heathland can look a little bare at first. It will recover in time and be better in the long run for vulnerable wildlife which often needs very particular conditions. If you ever have questions about our work, please get in touch.

Partners

Thanks to Natural England.

Natural England

Site information

Budby forms half of the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve (NNR); home of Robin Hood and the Major Oak. Surrounded by forestry and farmland, and in the middle of a landscape steeped in mining and military history, the NNR is a snapshot of a medieval landscape that would once have covered the county.

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/budbyforest

Share this

  • Facebook Facebook Created with Sketch.
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

You might also be interested in

RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us - legacy

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.
Sessile oak tree, Quercus petraea. Coombes Valley RSPB reserve. Staffordshire, England. May 2007.

Sherwood Forest Futurescape

The Sherwood Forest Futurescape is a mosaic of ancient woodland, heathlands and grasslands right in the heart of England
Willow works and roadside verge wildflowers, Beckingham Marshes RSPB reserve

Beckingham Marshes

Beckingham Marshes is a partnership project to create a thriving wet grassland and hay meadow reserve in Trent Valley.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Partnering with

BirdLife_logo

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site
  • Modern Slavery Act

Cookie Preferences

Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience

Edit settings
Accept all

Essential cookies are required

These cookies are required for basic web functions

Enable analytics cookies

Allow us to collect anonymised performance data

Enable marketing cookies

Allow us to personalise your experience

Save settings
Read our cookie policy