Tour of Britain

The Tour of Britain cycle race is returning again and will pass through rural villages and towns across the district.

This year’s race returns to Nottinghamshire on Wednesday 6 September and will see the fourth stage begin in Edwinstowe at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre and will finish in Sconce Park in Newark.

The route will take in many of our towns and villages, from Budby to Boughton through Wellow and Bilsthorpe before taking in Southwell, Norwell, Collingham, Coddington and finishing in Newark.

A global television audience of millions is expected to watch the world-famous race, with the Nottinghamshire stage attracting 225,000 spectators in 2022.

It is the fourth time the sport’s leading names will grace the county’s roads following the staging of the Tour of Britain in 2017, 2018 and 2022 – leading to national and international interest in Nottinghamshire.

Live coverage of the race will be live broadcast daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world.

The Tour of Britain is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport’s global calendar.

Visit the Tour of Britain webpage for more information about this year’s race.

Take a look at a map of Stage 4 of the race as it travels through parts of the district on the Tour of Britain website.

Download the official guide here: https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/download-the-tour-of-britain-2023-race-guide/ 

Events taking place along the route

There will be spectator activities taking place at both the the start and finish of the stage at Edwinstowe and in Newark.

There is a fair being held in Southwell on the day of the race.

At Sconce park a viewing area, including a big screen to watch the race unfold, will be set up. There will also be various activity areas set up including a specially designed cycle track and cycling challenges in conjunction with the YMCA, a Tour of Britain promotional area and food and hospitality area.

Calling all bell ringers

St Mary's Church in Edwinstowe will be ringing the bells to coincide with the start of the race, it is hoped that other churches along the route will be able to join in as the stage passes through the villages. If your local church is able to join in, check out the times that the race will be passing through your village on the official Tour of Britain website: Tour of Britain | Stage Four Timetable.

Car Parking

For the start

The main car park is located on Swinecote Road NG21 9QB and has space for more than 250 cars. Access to the car park on the day will be from the A616 at the northern end of Swinecote Road only. An additional overflow parking area enables us to accommodate 700 vehicles.

There is also accessible car parking for disabled visitors or those with mobility issues in the main car parking area.

  • £5.00 Car Parking Charge applicable (normal payment options via the RSPB site machines—cash, card and phone)
  • The main car park will be accessible up to 10:45, as a road closure will be in place at 10:45 (or at the point at which the car park reaches capacity— whichever is earliest!) to allow the race build-up to commence safely ahead of the Start at 11:15.
  • Between 10:45 and 12:00 hrs the car park will remain closed to allow the race to start and team buses and vehicles to exit the car park safely. So 12:00 will then be the point at which spectators can leave.
  • ‘No Waiting’ Restrictions and appropriate enforcement measures will be in place along Swinecote Road to prevent parking along the road, in lay-bys and on the verges.

Please be considerate when parking, this is a conservation area so parking on verges and in laybys in the area is NOT permitted and vehicles doing so may be removed.

Full parking details can be found on the website here.

For the finish

Newark has a range of parking options including provision for blue badge holders, designated motorbike bays and charging points for electric cars. There is coach parking available in an accredited, secure coach park close to the town with two central drop off and pick up points in the town centre itself.

Full parking details can be found on the Newark and Sherwood District Council website here.

Temporary traffic measures for stage 4 of the Tour of Britain

For the safety of drivers, spectators and riders alike, temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced along the route.

The start, Forest Corner, Edwinstowe

The start of the race is being held at Forest Corner in Edwinstowe. Traffic will be able to access the car parks up until 10:45 when Swinecote road will be closed for the start of the race.

The road and car parks will remain closed until 12 noon, this is to make sure that all support vehicles can clear the area safely. Any spectators using these car parks will not be able to leave by car until after 12:00 noon.

During the race

As the race progresses through the district there will be a rolling roadblock in operation to keep disruption to a minimum. Spectators are of course welcome along the route, but they are asked to park with care and consideration, away from the main thoroughfare. As the race passes through some environmentally sensitive areas, parking on verges and in lay-bys especially on Swinecote Road will be prevented.

Southwell will have road closures and restrictions set up during the day, these will be clearly signposted in advance. Otherwise, there will be a rolling roadblock travelling through the district as the race progresses.

The finish, Sconce and Devon Park, Newark

In Newark, where the stage will end, the following roads will be closed during the day:

  • The B6166, Victoria Street and Portland Street,
  • Boundary Road, from the B6166 through to the Hawton Road roundabout, except for access up to 11:00am,
  • A section of Hawton Road from the Boundary Road roundabout to St Catherine's Close will be closed from 11am to 5pm,
  • Part of Lombard Street will be closed from 13:30 through to 16:00.

Parking restrictions will be in place in Newark and Southwell from 6pm on Tuesday 5 September, so residents along the route have been asked to find alternative parking for their vehicles from 6pm, Tuesday evening in line with the Temporary Traffic Order. Whilst we will make every effort to remind residents and help them to comply with the order, any vehicles still in breach of these temporary restrictions are at risk of removal and a potential fine through a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

The team from Via will be carrying out gulley cleaning whilst the roads are clear of parked vehicles.