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Need a weekend away? Nottinghamshire, known worldwide as the legendary haunt of Robin Hood, combines a great mix of city life and country relaxation. Here are ten top treats to enjoy in Robin Hood Country. With a population of over 270,000, Nottingham is one of England's big cities, a long-time manufacturing centre for bikes, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals and lace. It is, however, more famous for Nottingham Forest football team (or rather, for its mercurial ex-manager, Brian Clough), for the Trent Bridge cricket ground and for its association with Robin Hood , the legendary thirteenth-century outlaw. Unfortunately, the fortress-lair of Hood's bitter enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is long gone, and today the city is at its most diverting in the Lace Market, whose cramped streets are crowded with the mansion-like warehouses of the Victorian lacemakers. Destination Guides > Europe & Russia > Europe > England > East Midlands > Nottinghamshire The county town is flanked to the south by the commuter villages of the Nottinghamshire Wolds and to the north by the gritty towns and villages of what was, until Thatcher and her cronies decimated it, the Nottinghamshire coalfield. Both are unremarkable, but encrusted within the old northern Nottinghamshire coalfield are the thin remains of Sherwood Forest , the bulk of which is contained within The Dukeries, named after the five dukes who owned most of this area and preserved at least part of the ancient broad-leaved forest. Three of the four remaining estates - Worksop, Welbeck and Thoresby - are still in private hands, though Thoresby Hall has recently been turned into a Warner resort hotel, whilst Clumber Park is now owned by the National Trust and offers charming woodland walks. Also within the confines of the former coalfield are two fascinating country houses, Newstead Abbey , one-time home of Byron, and, even better, the wonderful Elizabethan extravagance of Hardwick Hall . Moving on, eastern Nottinghamshire is agricultural and its most important town is Newark , an agreeable, low-key kind of place straddling the River Trent. Newark has a castle, but the main attraction hereabouts is the fine Norman church at nearby Southwell .
 1. Rural Relaxation
North Nottinghamshire has some wonderful country parks. At Clumber Park (National Trust) hire a bike to explore 3800 acres of historic parkland, or stroll around the restored Victorian Kitchen Garden. Rufford Abbey has medieval ruins, a contemporary craft centre and Victorian style restaurant in the old Abbey kitchens. Close by is Sherwood Forest Country Park, in Robin Hood’s legendary forest home. Don’t miss the mighty Major Oak, reputedly 800 years old. Local Tourist Info: Tel. (01623) 824545.
2. Action!
For a different view on Sherwood Forest, take to the saddle. Local stables offer rides through the fields and woodlands of modern Sherwood Forest. Try Wellow Park Stables near Ollerton. If two wheels are more your style, hire a bike at nearby Sherwood Pines Forest Park, with 40 miles of off-road cycling to enjoy. Teenagers will love the park’s new ‘Go Ape’ tree-top assault course. For more extreme adventure contact Current Trends at Holme Pierrepont, who offer white water rafting, rapid running, harness sphering and other kicks for adrenaline junkies.
3. Pamper Yourself
Eden Hall Day Spa in a leafy setting near Newark offers Relaxation Days in a striking Victorian mansion. This is the ideal way to wind down from work stress, and lunch is included in the price. 360 Panoramic Images - part of the 360 Web Walks Series 4. Bag a Bargain
Staying mid-week? Newark Antiques Fair, held every two months, is the biggest event of its type in Europe and an Aladdin’s cave for bargain hunters.
Love designer labels? Bag bargains galore at East Midlands Designer Outlet near Mansfield. Just off junction 28 of the M1, this shopping village offers top brands at discount prices.
Alternatively, the city of Nottingham is tops for fashion shopping, with boutiques ranging from Paul Smith to Muji, Ted Baker and Hobbes. 5. Spirited Evenings
 Newstead Abbey, ancestral home of the flamboyant Romantic poet Lord Byron is one of Nottinghamshire’s most haunting spots – in more ways than one! Ghost tours give an insight into the darker side of this picturesque Gothic mansion. Alternatively, for urban shivers, try the Nottingham Ghost Walk. 6. Ancient Harmony
Discover one of England’s least known and loveliest cathedrals – Southwell Minster. Dating from the 12th century, the Minster has some wonderful medieval stone carvings. Children will enjoy hunting for the mysterious ‘Green Man’ faces hidden in the Chapter House.
7. Going Underground
Explore a hidden subterranean scene below the streets of modern Nottingham. City of Caves, open every day, lets visitors explore a labyrinth of sandstone caves and meet characters from their colourful past.
8. Down on the Farm
Nottinghamshire boasts many family farm parks were children can cuddle a rabbit, watch chicks being hatched. The White Post Modern Farm Centre has hundreds of friendly critters and Sherwood Forest Farm Park has rare breeds, plus wallabies and cute Kune Kune pigs. 9. Dickens of a Time
Every wondered what Oliver twist felt like asking for more gruel in the workhouse? Find out by visiting one of last of these grim institutions remaining in Britain, now run by the National Trust: The Workhouse, Southwell. Find out more about the dark side of history at Nottingham’s Galleries of Justice, where dank stone cells imprisoned convicts before they were transported to Australia. 10. Go Arty
 For top drawer modern crafts and arty exhibitions visit The Harley Gallery near Worksop. Rufford Abbey Craft Centre has some great exhibitions too, and pottery on sale by up and coming modern crafts people. Look out for the annual “Earth & Fire” potters fair there each June. For details of all the above, visit www.visitnottinghamshire.co.uk. For a free Nottinghamshire visitor guide call: Tel. 08444 775678 More About North Nottinghamshire Rural northern Nottinghamshire , with its easy rolling landscapes and large estates, was transformed in the nineteenth century by coal - deep, wide seams of the stuff that spawned dozens of collieries, and colliery towns, stretching north across the county and on into Yorkshire. Almost without exception, the mines have closed, their passing marked only by the old pit head winding wheels left, bleak and solitary, to commemorate the thousands of men who laboured here. The suddenness of the pit closure programme imposed by the Conservative government in the 1980s knocked the stuffing out of the area and only now is it beginning to revive. One prop has been the tourist industry, for the countryside in between these mining communities holds several enjoyable attractions, the best-known of which is Sherwood Forest - or at least the patchy remains of it - one-time haunt (allegedly) of Robin Hood. Byron is a pip-squeak in the celebrity stakes by comparison, but his family home - Newstead Abbey - is here too, there are some pleasant woodland walks in the NT's Clumber Park and, last but certainly not least, there's Hardwick Hall , a beautiful Elizabethan mansion. Destination Guides > Europe & Russia > Europe > England > East Midlands > Nottinghamshire > Northern Nottinghamshire |
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