Best of Nottinghamshire, Central North England

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The Old Vicarage

Retford, Nottinghamshire

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The Old Vicarage is a 17th-century house in a small village conveniently located just off the A1, 6 miles from Worksop and 25 miles from Nottingham. Pitches are located around the grounds, which run down to the banks of the Poulter.

There's plenty of space around the site for traditional outdoor activities, with a rope swing and stepping stones over the shallow river and a bridge that's perfect for playing Pooh Sticks. In the surrounding area there are animal parks and nature reserved to walk around, or you could follow one of the trails in the historic Sherwood Forest.

Guest facilities on the site centre around the Cave Bar, at the foot of an exposure of 500 million year old sandstone, and with a chillout room, TV room and games to play open Bank Holidays.

Other amenities include a washing-up area and bathrooms with showers, toilets and baby changing facilities. Family friendly. Groups welcome. Barbecues, campfires & dogs allowed. Recycling available. Free WiFi. Ice pack freezing. Parent & baby washroom and disabled facilities. Grass pitches. Electric hook ups available.

Twin Axle vehicle onwers please speak to owner at time of booking and note the length restriction.

The Old Vicarage is a 17th-century house in the village of Elkesley, six miles from Worksop and 25 miles from Nottingham. Its grounds run down to the banks of the Poulter river, and are lined with stands of acacia, sycamore, ash and oak trees which were originally donated to the first vicar by the Duke of Newcastle in the 1830s. You'll sense the history all around you, from the old house to the remains of the water mill in the river bed.

There's plenty of space around the site for traditional outdoor activities, with a rope swing and stepping stones over the shallow river and a bridge that's perfect for playing Pooh Sticks. In the surrounding area there are animal parks and nature reserves to walk around, or to head back further in time, you could take one of the trails through ancient Sherwood Forest, around quarter of an hour's drive away.

Guest facilities on site centre around the Cave Bar, at the foot of an exposure of 500 million year old sandstone, children's play area and zipwire, washing up area, fire pits and wood.

Other amenities include a washing-up area and bathrooms with plentiful hot showers, toilets and baby changing facilities.

Open all year.

Facilities:
1 Disabled access, 1 Family park, 2 Pets allowed, 1 Log cabins, 1 Children's play area(s), 1 Campfires, 15 Electric hook-ups, 1 Take away food, 1 Washing up facilities, 20 Wireless internet, 1 Bar, 1 Breaks near water, 1 Glamping accommodation, 1 Walking breaks

300 year old pizza oven open at busy weekends


Accommodations:
1 Log cabins, 5 Motorhome pitches, 20 Tent pitches, 5 Touring pitches, 1 Campfires, 1 Breaks near water, 1 Glamping accommodation, 1 Walking breaks

Nearby attractions:
Fishing, Swimming (Outdoor), Internet Access

Nearby attractions and activities include:

Golf course: 3 miles
Clumber Park (National Trust-owned country park): 5 miles
Idle Valley Nature Reserve: 6 miles
Walking and birdwatching in Sherwood Forest: 7 miles
Wetlands Animal Park: 8 miles
Creswell Crags Museum and Heritage Centre (archaeological museum in a limestone gorge): 10 miles
Sundown Adventureland: 10 miles
Lace Market, Nottingham Comtemporary Art Gallery and Nottingham Castle: 25 miles
Sherwood Forest and The Major Oak
Bolsover Castle
Thoresby Park
Rufford Park
Hardwick Hall - Bess of Hardwick
Newstead Abbey - one home of the poet Lord Byron
Nottingham City can be reached by train on the Robin Hood Line at Whaley Thorns station which is within walking distance.
Newark, with its antique shops - and time your visit to coincide with one of the Newark Antique Fairs (or visit Hemswell Antique Centre)
Chesterfield with its Crooked Spire.
Nearby Leisure:

Canoeing/kayaking, climbing, cycle hire, cycling, fishing, golf, horse riding, indoor pool, leisure/theme park, mountain biking, restaurant, sailing, tennis, watersports.
Nearby Amenities:

Bar, farmers' market, public transport, shop.

The surrounding countryside offers cracking opportunities for walks and wildlife-spotting, with trails around the lakes and wetlands of Idle Valley Nature Reserve (15 minutes' drive) and lakes for fishing too.

Then there's Sherwood Forest, 25 minutes away: some 450 acres of wildlife among ancient oak trees, alongside a wealth of biking and walking trails to take you through them. Adventure seekers can see it all from the tree-tops on ropes and wires at Go Ape, and the kids can clamber about at Robin Hood’s Hideout, an acclaimed natural play area.

For family antics out of the forest, Sundown Adventure Park (20 minutes) has rides and themed playgrounds for the under-10s and families can also make tracks for Ferry Farm Country Park (45 minutes), to feed lambs, meet pigs and zoom about on go-karts and the adventure playground.

An hour away and a major hub since Robin Hood's days, Nottingham still draws the crowds. Tour the castle and the caves, stop for a snifter in Ye Trip To Jerusalem (oldest pub in England, perhaps...), skate on ice at Motorpoint Arena and see what law and order meant in the Sheriff’s days at the National Justice Museum.

For further historical wanderings, Creswell Crags presents an array of prehistoric caves in a cracking limestone gorge and Newark's castle, Air Museum and National Civil War Centre sum up the centuries very entertainingly, all around half an hour away.


The Old Vicarage

The Old Vicarage, Twyford Lane, Elkesley
Nottinghamshire, Central North England
United Kingdom
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