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Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest
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Sherwood Forest has a fascinating history and is the legendary home of
Robin Hood. Sherwood Forest Country Park contains some of the oldest trees in
Europe, veteran oaks five centuries old and the world-famous Major Oak,
still producing acorns after standing at the heart of Sherwood Forest
for an estimated 800 years! Follow one of the family
nature trails, browse the Visitor Centre or relax in the Forest Table Restaurant.
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Former home of the poet Lord Byron, Newstead Abbey's intriguing period rooms include
a neo-Gothic Great Hall and the Henry VIII bedroom, fitted with carved
panels and painted house screens imported from Japan. Some
are much as they were when Byron lived here and in the library is a
small collection of the poet's possessions. The surrounding
gardens are delightful, a subtle combination of walled
garden, lake, Gothic waterfalls, yew tunnels and Japanese-style
rockeries.
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Housed in five 17th century cottages, the Brewhouse Yard Museum of Nottingham Life
depicts the social history of Nottingham over the last 300 years, with
a mixture of reconstructed room and shop settings, and gallery displays. A 1920's row of shops
includes a barbershop, pawn shop, ironmongers, doctors, cobblers and
music shop. You can also see the unusual
rock-cut caves at the rear of the buildings that were converted for use
as air raid shelters during the Second World War.
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Clumber Park is an extensive and varied area of parkland and woods, and
is famous for having the longest avenue of lime trees in Europe. It's
an ideal place for a relaxing lakeside walk or afternoon out. There are
regular events for kids such as the teddy bears picnic and spider
walks. Hire a bike and ride along one of the woodland trails, or sample tastes of the past in the refurbished restaurant which uses produce from the kitchen garden. Visit Clumber Chapel - a Gothic cathedral in miniature. Other facilities include a shop and plant sales.
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Rufford Abbey Country Park is one of Nottinghamshire’s most popular visitor
attractions. At its heart are the picturesque remains of a
12th century Cistercian monastery and a fine country house. Around them
lie gardens, meadows and woodland.Visit the contemporary craft centre, take a peaceful walk around the lake, or admire modern
sculpture in the Formal Gardens. Free events include a WWII re-enactment and an
international ceramics fair. Facilities include a restaurant, cafe and play area.
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Nottingham Castle is a magnificent 17th century ducal mansion built on
the site of the original Medieval Castle, with spectacular views across
the city. A museum and art gallery houses collections of silver, glass,
armour and paintings, and explores 1500 years of Nottingham's history. Beneath the Castle are manmade caves and tunnels, some of which
date back to medieval times. Descend through hundreds of years of
history, and learn gruesome tales about Roger Mortimer and
King David of Scotland.
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Visit the award winning Galleries of Justice, located in historic Shire
Hall, at the Lace Market in the heart of Nottingham City. The
child friendly "Crime and Punishment" tour features a lot of
interactive role-play. Alternativley, you can wander round the building
indepenently to see the two superbly preserved Victorian court-rooms,
an Edwardian police station, some extremely unpleasant old cells, a
women's prison with bath house and a prisoners' exercise yard.
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On weekends throughout the summer, public cruises operate from
'The Steamboat Inn' at Trent Lock, Sawley. Cruises run for
approximately 30 minutes along this beautiful stretch of the River
Trent. The first trip departs at
approximately 12.00pm and the last trip at approximately 5.00pm. The Soar Bottom Lady is an open sided launch with roll
down windows in case of bad weather, licensed to carry up to
twelve passengers. There's a crew of 2, an onboard
sound system and a mini bar.
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Nottingham has a long tradition of ice skating dating back many years, starting in 1895 with skating on the frozen River Trent. The
National Ice Centre is located near the Lace Market in Nottingham city centre, and has two Olympic sized (60 x 30m) ice rinks, offering
everything from public ice skating to a top class training facility for
elite athletes. There are a range of ice skating
sessions on offer to suit all ages and abilities, from the loudest
disco to quieter sessions for beginners and families.
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Southwell is a sedate Nottinghamshire market town distinguished by
Southwell Minster, whose twin towers are visible for miles around, and
the fine Georgian Mansions facing it along Church Street. Southwell Minster was built at the beginning of the 12th century - a notable feature is the chapter house which is embellished with naturalistic foliage, some of the earliest carving of its type in
England. The nearby Minster Centre contains a refectory serving light meals and excellent home made cake!
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