| From the legend of the infamous outlaw Robin Hood, to the passionate verse of Lord Byron, to the working-class heroes of DH Lawrence, Nottinghamshire is proud of its contribution to world heritage and is crammed with historical attractions. The city of Nottingham itself has a notorious past, from ancient underground caves and famous lace industry, to the turbulent and dramatic history of the castle with its links to monarchs and legends. Creswell Crags, near Worksop, will take you back in time thousands of years. Cave paintings discovered at this unique site, in its network of limestone caves and rocky crags, have led to it being dubbed ‘the Sistine Chapel of the Ice Age’. In north-west Nottinghamshire lie the present day remains of Sherwood Forest, once the playground of kings and dukes. The landscape between Mansfield and Worksop originally comprised huge private estates, established by nobility in a 200 year shopping spree that used the profits from the industrial revolution: Clumber Park, Thoresby and Welbeck were the country seats of powerful dukes. Today, they are still known as ‘The Dukeries’.  | Formerly the seat of the Dukes of Newcastle, Clumber Park is now a National Trust property. The Victorian chapel, Gothic Revival ‘mini-cathedral’, stable yard and garages and ornate entrance lodges have survived. And at the heart of the estate is a magnificent serpentine lake, complete with balustraded bridge and Doric Temple. No longer a Royal hunting forest, Sherwood Forest is best known as the home of Robin Hood. It's also the site of the ancient Major Oak. Learn more about our well loved outlaw at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre. And don’t miss the Robin Hood Festival held each summer. Mr Straw’s House near Worksop offers a glimpse into the past. It's the family home of a well-to-do tradesman of the 1920s. Family letters, photos, clothing, Victorian furniture and household objects can all be seen in their rightful places, where their owners left them.
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