Tourist attractions Newstead

was designed by Robert Smythson (1536-1614) for Bess of Hardwick (1527-1608) and remains a landmark of 16C architecture. The six towers which surround the main rectangular building all bear the initials E.S (Elisabeth of Shrewsbury) and the inte..

A Norman cathedral with three towers is well known for the foliage carving by a late-13C master mason. It is the only cathedral in England to have a complete set of three Norman towers and dates from c 1108. The attractive west front flanked by two..

An abbey in name only, the medieval priory was converted into a private house in the 16C which was the ancestral seat of Lord Byron (1788-1824). The 19C rooms include the apartments of Byron and a selection of his manuscripts, memorabilia and portr..

The buildings that survived the riots and fire in 1831 now house a museum and art gallery containing Bronze Age, Roman and Greek antiquities, ceramic pieces, jewellery, glass and 16C Italian, 17C Dutch, 17C French and 18 to 20C English paintings. Dis..

During their hey-day in the 1920s, British trams transported 4.8 billion people a year. The Tramway Museum Society has preserved tram cars since 1955 and here proudly displays some lovingly restored models. You can admire the trams in the exhibitio..

Commissioned by the Earl of Shrewsbury, the husband of Bess of Hardwick, Bolsover is a fairytale castle, perched on a hill above the coal mines and pitheads. An extravagant monument, it was designed by the architect, Robert Smythson . The interior i..

This tiny, restored terraced cottage was the first of the Lawrence family homes in Eastwood. Exhibits and a video presentation in the museum give a useful insight into the writer's early life and influences in this small mining town.

Originally one of England’s 65 royal forests, Sherwood escaped the ravages of commercial forestry thanks to protective laws applying to royal hunting lands. This poachers’ paradise became an oulaws’ lair, notably for Robin Hood and his men. The fores..

Wollaton House, home to a natural history museum, is an exuberant display of Elizabethan grandeur, built by Robert Smythson, and was the architect's most important commission after Longleat. Like Longleat, the hall is outward looking and the inner co..

Denby Pottery is highly renowned. During the tour of the factory, visitors are shown the various stages, many done by hand, in the production of this local speciality. Visitors are given the opportunity to mould a figure and decorate a plate. Some be..

Adventure cars carry visitors through a recreated Sherwood Forest to illustrate the legend of the medieval outlaw using models, sound and smell effects. Archery lessons are also given on the Shoot the Sheriff of Nottingham range.

The museum is hidden behind an elegant 18C façade. The turnkey takes visitors down into the cramped prison conditions of the Middle Ages and provides a wealth of information on the country's penal and legal system.