Nottinghamshire

I

Introduction

Nottinghamshire (abbreviated to Notts), county, east Midlands of England, bounded by South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Nottinghamshire is a county that combines industry with rural pursuits, and is home to one of the most potent of English legends, Robin Hood. Nottinghamshire was almost unchanged in the 1974 local government reorganization, losing only a small area in the north to South Yorkshire. In 1998, Nottingham City was made a unitary authority, while the remaining area of Nottinghamshire kept the two-tier structure already in place. For ceremonial purposes, however, Nottingham City is deemed part of Nottinghamshire. The area of the county is 2,161 sq km (835 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Nottinghamshire is roughly oval in shape, and is approximately 82 km (51 mi) from north to south, and 40 km (25 mi) from east to west. It lies on the eastern slope of the Pennine Hills. In the west are coalfields, to the far north are low-lying areas. The centre of the county lies on sandstone and pebble beds, and is largely infertile land covered by forest and heath. The eastern lowlands of the county, including the valley of the River Trent and the Vale of Belvoir, have clay and marl soils. In the south-west of the county is the main conurbation. The county has comparatively few uplands, and the northern and eastern areas are mostly flat. There are, however, some hills of modest height in the west. Sherwood Forest is situated roughly in the centre of the county. Stretching from Nottingham to Worksop, it formerly covered an area 32 km (20 mi) long and 8 to 14 km (5 to 9 mi) wide. Comparatively little of it is left, although some ancient and massive oaks still stand, and the area proudly retains its name.

The principal river is the Trent, which enters the county in the south-west, flows through Nottingham and on to Newark, and eventually forms part of the north-eastern border with Lincolnshire. The Trent is joined by the Soar, which forms part of the border with Leicestershire, the Erewash, which forms part of the border with Derbyshire, and the Idle. The Trent and Mersey canal runs westward from a short distance south of Nottingham, and is soon joined by the Grand Union Canal. Just north of East Retford is the Wetlands Waterfowl Reserve, with many varieties of ducks, geese, and swans.

The climate of Nottinghamshire is moderate, and comparatively dry. Average annual rainfall over the county is in the region of 635 to 760 mm (25 to 30 in).

III

Population and Administration

The population of the geographical county of Nottinghamshire is estimated at around 1,015,500, of which 748,503 (2001) live in the area administered by the county council. The principal urban areas are Nottingham (2001 estimate, 267,000), Newark-on-Trent (1991, 35,129), and Mansfield (1991, 71,858). Other towns of note are Beeston, Eastwood (1991, 19,363), Hucknall (1991, 29,160), Ollerton, Retford (1991, 20,679), Southwell (1991, 6,498), Stapleford, Sutton-in-Ashfield (1991, 37,890), and Worksop (1991, 37,247). Nottingham has city status.

The county is at present administered from County Hall, West Bridgford. It is divided into seven districts: Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe. On April 1, 1998, following the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, the Nottingham District Council that had previously administered the city of Nottingham in conjunction with Nottinghamshire County Council was created a unitary authority, an administrative body separate from the county. The police authority is the Nottinghamshire Constabulary, with headquarters in Nottingham. A Crown Court sits at Nottingham.

IV

Education and Culture

The University of Nottingham (1881) and Nottingham Trent University (established 1992, formerly Nottingham Polytechnic) are both in the city of Nottingham. Nottingham High School, a public school, was founded in 1513.

The Robin Hood legend is of considerable importance in Nottinghamshire’s cultural life, particularly in its contribution to the tourist industry. Sherwood Forest was the “greenwood” home of the popular folk-hero, leader of a band of outlaws, all victims of injustice, who robbed the rich to give to the poor. Such a person may indeed have lived in Sherwood (or perhaps, as has been suggested, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire), but it is likely that he and his companions were a villainous band of ruthless cut-throats, rather than the romantic and highly principled characters of the legend. As for Robin Hood’s arch-enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham, the office of sheriff has existed for some 800 years, although nowadays it is a high-ranking post in the city council. A statue to Robin Hood has been erected outside Nottingham Castle (which, despite its name, is not a castle but a 17th-century manor house), supposedly the scene of many of his encounters with the Sheriff.

Samuel Butler, author of Erewhon, was born in Langar, a village some 10 km (6 mi) south-east of Nottingham, in 1835. Sir Paul Smith, the English fashion designer, was born in Nottingham and actor Donald Pleasance was born in Worksop. Newstead Abbey, a short distance north of Nottingham, is an Augustinian priory dating from the 12th century that was the home of Lord Byron, and now houses Byron memorabilia. The author D. H. Lawrence was born in Eastwood in 1885, where both his birthplace and a later home are preserved as museums. Nottingham was the birthplace in 1829 of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, and there is a Salvation Army Museum in the house where he was born.

Every year in July/August a Robin Hood festival is held in Sherwood Forest, complete with costumed characters and adventure trails. In October the annual “Goose Fair” arrives in Nottingham. Nothing to do with geese, the fair (with fairground rides and stalls) has been in existence since at least the mid-15th century and is one of the biggest in Europe.

The home ground of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is at Trent Bridge, Nottingham; it is also used as a venue for Test matches. The county is also home to three professional football teams, Notts County FC, Nottingham Forest FC, and Mansfield Town FC. The market town of Southwell has a well-known racecourse.