Within the East Midlands, Nottinghamshire has one of England’s top cities for tourists as well as a myriad of villages and towns in which legends and history are often difficult to discern.
In the west region of the county, industrial and agricultural landscapes mix in the region in which writer D.H. Lawrence grew up and wrote the majority of his best works. It is also in the region where is where the Byron family vaults are situated.
The southeast was also where the Royalists were located during the English Civil War, and the memorials in cities like Newark and Southwell remain in ruins from the ferocious combat that occurred here in the bloodiest war ever that was fought in English soil.
Let’s take a look at the best destinations to visit within Nottinghamshire:
1. Nottingham
In England’s top ten destinations for city breaks, Nottingham is a city with food, shopping entertainment, culture and entertainment that you expect from a historic tourist destination. The new centre has been pedestrianized and it is easy to walk around.
Nottingham also is home to the type of attraction that doesn’t appear often, such as those at the Galleries of Justice, which allows visitors to explore the Victorian gaol and courtroom where prisoners were sentenced and executed.
The City of Caves invites you to discover the 1000-year-old tunnels that were constructed by humans beneath the city’s centre. Wollaton Hall is an enchanting Elizabethan Palace that’s been awe-inspiring guests since 1580.
2. Newark-on-Trent
In the eastern part area of Lincolnshire, just far from the border to Lincolnshire, Newark is a town that a lot of students studying English history will recognize from the Civil War in the 17th century.
In the midst of Britain’s bloodiest conflict Newark was a stronghold for the royalists and the basis on which they ruled was Newark castle that is in great condition considering that it was destroyed in part and then left to fall apart when the war ended.
The heart of town of Appleton Gate is the National Civil War Centre which will take you through the main causes and incidents in the war and there’s also an Civil War trail around this charming old town that will guide visitors to the numerous riveting locations.
3. Southwell
In what could be Nottinghamshire’s most beautiful town The main attraction located in Southwell is the stunning Norman and Gothic Minster. The western towers are regarded as among England’s most beautiful romanesque structures, and the 14th-century choir screen also an absolute masterpiece due to its intricate traceries.
Southwell witnessed bloody battles during that Civil War and landmarks like the Minster and Episcopal Palace bear 400-year-old damage from the conflict.
When you wander around these streets, lined with local businesses and pubs that are flat-fronted or timber-framed homes, keep the Saracen’s Head in your mind.
This was the place the location where The King Charles I spent his last night in freedom in 1647 before the end of the war.
4. Mansfield
If you are familiar with and enjoy the work by D.H. Lawrence you can look at a small slice of industrial Nottinghamshire depicted in novels such as Sons and Lovers around Mansfield. Just a short drive west of just a short drive to the Pleasley Colliery, which operated from 1983 until the present and the time it has been cleaned and preserved as an art museum.
The Victorian engine chimney stack, house and headstocks form part of the area’s history which has been almost wiped out. A tour through Mansfield will be centered around Market Place, where the market that dates back to the year 700 is held.
In the 1800s, this was removed to The Buttercross towards the West. This was indicated with a square stone structure during the 1500s.
5. Sherwood Forest
Everyone has heard about Sherwood Forest from the Robin Hood stories, but you may not realize is Sherwood was actually referred to by the names of Birklands and Bilhaugh in the medieval era.
It was a huge royal hunting forest that spanned across multiple counties and covered nearly a quarter of the present-day territory of Nottinghamshire.
Around 43 hectares of heath and woodlands made up of pines, birch and oak have been conserved in the vicinity of Edwinstowe.
The county is determined to make fun of its Robin Hood angle, putting on the medieval-themed Robin Hood Festival in August including jousts, market stalls and minstrels.
At any other time, be certain to visit the historic Major Oak, cited as one of England’s natural wonders dating back in the eleventh century.
6. Worksop
On the northern edge of Sherwood Forest, Worksop is also bound by a region of stately residences, referred to the Dukeries and we’ll come to later. A single of the more intriguing attraction in Worksop is a more modest structure: The House of Mr. Straw. This is a typical Edwardian home , which was left to two brothers after their parents died in the 1930s.
It was left undiscovered for another 60 years, until it was reopened as an National Trust property in the 1990s. It is the perfect record of a middle-class family during Edwardian times.
Outside Worksop you can trek through Creswell Crags, a limestone canyon that is home to caves once which were once inhabited by ancient humans.
The caves are the most northern Cave art examples found in Europe.
7. The Dukeries
It’s not easy to find better than this region located in northwest county Four ducal estates are situated close together to the south of Worksop.
If grand houses and country-style gardens are appealing to you, it is advisable to include the Dukeries part of your plans. The issue of Worksop Manor, Clumber House, Thoresby Hall and Welbeck Abbey is choosing just one or two places to visit as they each have something that is worth mentioning about they can be praised for, whether it’s historical filled with intrigue or stunning kitchen gardens that are walled.
A different property Rufford Abbey was not a seat for the ducal court however it is part of the trail being converted into an estate house following the dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1500s.
8. Laxton
In the middle of Nottinghamshire’s motorways and main roads, Laxton would be any other quiet country town except for the land management system that comes straight from the medieval era. Laxton is the only open-field system in Europe in which the village’s three fields are split into strips and cultivated by various landowners.
It’s hard to understand however there’s a history centre in Dovecote pub in the village. Dovecote Pub in the town that explains all you need to know about the village. To the north of Laxton there are the foundations of what used originally Laxton Castle, a Norman castle with a bailey and motte at the time of the mid-2000s.
9. Tuxford
A beautiful village with a unique story, Tuxford was once vital to the transportation system of the East Midlands.
It’s situated on it’s Great North Road, a coach route that was a route that ran between Smithfield Market in London to Newcastle. Today, the A1 road follows a large portion of the route.
Tuxford was a town for coaching where stagecoaches could change mounts and where travelers on the cross-country route would stay the night.
It’s not necessary to look for signs of this job There is a Museum of the Horse is situated in a former coachhouse and teaches you everything about the story of the horse-drawn transportation in England. The most notable landmark in the countryside in the northern part of town is the famous Tuxford Windmill that still grinds flour to sell and also has a delightful tea room in the outbuilding.
10. Retford
In the northern reaches of the county, Retford is a distinguished market town that is centered around the market square, which is large and has grand Georgian townhouses and quaint shopping streets that beckon you to discover what are able to discover.
In the event that you think the Town Hall on the square seems a bit off-putting, it’s because it’s a bit older than the other buildings and was constructed in Victorian times, in the French Renaissance style. The youngest holidaymakers will be excited about Sundown Adventureland, an well-known amusement park targeted towards u10s.
For those who are older, There’s also an adult-oriented Bassetlaw Museum where you can examine the links between the northern part of Nottinghamshire as well as the USA.
