Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For foodie visitors, the
Nottingham Regional Food Market
brings the cream
of local produce to Old Market Square on the third Friday and Saturday of the
month.
Farmers' markets
take place across the county, including Mansfield (first
Tues of month), Southwell (second Fri), and Newark (fourth Thurs). Mansfield also
has a six-day-a-week open market dating back 700 years, while Newark holds a tra-
ditional street market (Wed, Fri, Sat) and antiques, craft, and bric-a-brac markets
(Mon and Thurs), in addition to the famous
International
Antiques and Collec-
tors Fair
(p. 544).
In the heart of Sherwood Forest, at Ravenshead,
Longdale Craft Centre
(
&
01623/794858;
www.longdalecraftcentre.co.uk) specializes in sculptures and
antiques restoration but also includes a recreated Victorian craft village where dealers
sell collectibles dated from 1960 onward. Also in the Forest, near Clumber Park,
Welbeck Abbey, home to the Duke and Duchess of Portland, is the site of the
Harley
Gallery
(
&
01909/501700;
www.harleygallery.co.uk) of crafts workshops in a for-
mer kitchen garden, plus the
Notcutts Dukeries Garden Centre
(
&
0844/879-
4166;
www.dukeries.co.uk) in the original glasshouses, and
Welbeck Farm Shop
(
&
01909/478725;
www.thewelbeckfarmshop.co.uk) and the
School of Artisan
Food
(
&
01909/532171;
www.schoolofartisanfood.org) in the former estate gas-
works. The Farm Shop sells Stichelton, the first organic raw-milk blue cheese pro-
duced in Britain since the late 1960s (Stilton is now required to be pasteurized).
Entertainment & Nightlife
Nottingham's large student population keeps it buzzing, with the Old Market Square
the meeting place for revelers setting out to discover the city's famous nightlife, espe-
cially the hip
Lace Market and Hockley
neighborhood, where late-night bars line
cobbled streets. The recently developed canalside
Castle Wharf
houses a Jongleurs
comedy club as well as lots of bars and restaurants in its former warehouses. Gay
residents and visitors are well catered for with gay and gay-friendly bars and clubs and
other venues. For events listings, pick up a free copy of
Left Lion
magazine from
selected venues, or see www.leftlion.co.uk.
Where to Stay
For rooms at
Restaurant Sat Bains
in Nottingham, see p. 548.
As we went to press,
Forest Holidays
was scheduled to open a new site in Sher-
wood Forest; some of its trademark Forest Cabins will include a bedroom in a tree-
house extension. There's also a
Center Parcs
holiday village (www.centerparcs.co.
uk) in Sherwood Forest, and the
Sherwood Forest Youth Hostel
(
0845/371-
9139;
www.yha.org.uk) at Edwinstowe.
Willoughby House
By virtue of its antiques market, Newark and its
surroundings are chockfull of delightful B&Bs of a standard you'd be very hard
pressed to find elsewhere. This lovingly run little spot in a handsome Georgian village
house 4 miles north of Newark mixes a certain modern boutique chic with quirky
antique touches to give it a wholly individual feel. The wonderful breakfast of local
fare is served on beautiful china in a cosy dining room with a roaring fire on chilly
mornings. Little treats such as homemade flapjacks, bathrobes, and a complimentary
DVD selection also set the place apart, although other excellent options in the vicin-
ity include
Bridge House B&B
(www.arnoldsbandb.co.uk;
&
01636/674663
,
The Hollies
(www.theholliesnewark.co.uk;
&
01636/676533
).
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