Edwinstowe is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

Newark and Sherwood Newark and Sherwood is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest district by area in the county. The council is based in Newark-on-Trent, the area's largest town. The district also incl ...

district of

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, England, on the edge of

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is the remnants of an ancient royal forest, Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, within the East Midlands region in England. It has association with the legend of Robin Hood. The forest was proclaimed by William the Conqueror and ...

and the Dukeries. It is associated with the legends of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

and Maid Marian, and to a lesser extent

Edwin of Northumbria Edwin (; c. 586 – 12 October 632/633), also known as Eadwine or Æduinus, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from around 616 until his death. He was the second monarch to rule bo ...

, from where the village gets its name. The parish population at the 2021 census was 5,320.

Etymology

The etymology of the village name, "Edwin's resting place".

, King and Saint, was killed in the Battle of Hatfield Chase against his rival King Penda of Mercia. His body was buried in the forest, by the time his friends came to collect him to take him to be buried in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

in 633AD, a small wooden chapel had been erected. This chapel became St Mary’s Church which exists today. The church at Edwinstowe

History

Like Thoresby, Budby and

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...

, Edwinstowe was part of crown land. Edwinstowe belonged to

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...

and afterwards became the property of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

. Edwinstowe is referred to twice in

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

as having five households, in addition to a priest and his four bordars, in 1086. The village resided in the hundred of Bassetlaw. Edwinstowe in 1334 being close to Sherwood Forest was subjected to Forest Laws. Vicar John de Ryston of St Marys Church was convicted of Venison trespass and in 1340 Thomas Fox, vicar, was imprisoned in Nottingham for trespassing in Sherwood Forest. Legend has it that

married Maid Marian in St Mary's Church. Edwinstowe is known for the presence near the village of the Major Oak in

, a feature in the folk tales of Robin Hood, and Robin Hood's Larder. By the turn of the 20th century Edwinstowe consisted of a cluster of houses along Town Street, East Lane, Church Street and High Street. A hamlet called Hazel Grove was bordered by Mill Lane and the railway line and a cluster of houses at the top of Rufford Road was another hamlet called Lidgett. Lidgett was the site of a fireworks factory owned by F. Tudsbury and Co. before George Pinder, a local wine, spirit and porter merchant who resided at Lidgett House, took over ownership by 1886. These settlements eventually merged as the result of infills from World War I, much of it housing for colliers and named after the largest area.

Economy

Nottinghamshire County Council's Sherwood Forest Visitors' Centre is located near the village and was redeveloped and improved in 2017 at a cost of £5.3 million. This centre is operated in partnership by the Council and the

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

. Center Parcs' Sherwood Forest holiday village is a local employer established in 1987, close to the edge of the village. Sherwood Pines Forest Park Sherwood Pines Forest Park is set within Sherwood Forest near to Kings Clipstone and has activity walking/cycling trails, play areas and bike hire for the general public. Sherwood Pines is managed by the Forestry Commission. A Go Ape adventure area is on-site too. There was a post

windmill A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern period ...

south of the Mansfield Road with a small box-style roundhouse. It was driven by two common and two double-patent windmill sails.

Former Industry

Thoresby Colliery served as Edwinstowe's main source of employment until July 2015, when the mine was permanently closed and has been demolished. The loss of one of the last remaining deep coal mines in the country has left tourism as the main factor in the local economy. The colliery has now become a large housing development for 800 homes, to make use of the now brownfield site.

Amenities

The two schools in the village are St Mary's Primary School and King Edwin Primary School. The former Rufford School on the north side of the village closed in 2003 and has become residential housing by Barratt Developments, known as Friars Park. A skate park on the development proved controversial with concerns over noise and anti-social behaviour. The village has a business services provider, a

St John's Ambulance St John Ambulance is an affiliated movement of charitable organisations in mostly Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries which provide first aid education and consumables and emergency medical services. St John organisations are primari ...

amenity, an antiques centre, workshops, a fun park, a youth hostel, two arts and crafts centres, a village hall, and a community pest-control centre. Leisure facilities include Thoresby Colliery Band and Youth Band, a high-wire forest adventure course, a mountain biking, cyclo cross and forest walks centre, a forest fun park, and an outdoor adventure park. Environmental concerns are addressed under the Maun Valley Project Conservation Area.

Transport

Edwinstowe railway station functioned between 1897 and 1955. A goods line remains. The nearest passenger railway stations are at Mansfield Woodhouse and

, both about from Edwinstowe. The village is served by half-hourly daytime Monday–Saturday bus services to Mansfield and Ollerton, six buses a day Monday–Saturday to Worksop, and one bus a day Monday–Friday to Nottingham. Services run twice a week to Newark and once a week to Lincoln.

Demography

Notable people

In order of birth: *King

(c. 586 – 632/633) gave his name to the village. *The legendary

is said to have married Maid Marian here. * John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1662–1711), politician and landowner, was born here. * Henrietta Harley, Countess of Oxford and Countess Mortimer (1694–1755), noblewoman and heiress was born here. * E. Cobham Brewer (1810–1897),

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries. * The ...

, died at the vicarage, where his son-in-law was the vicar. * Henry Morley (1852–1924), first-class cricketer, was born and died here. * Fanny Jean Turing (1864–1934), politician and activist, was probably born in the village, where her father was vicar. *Charles Otway Alexander (1888-1970),

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

, was born in Edwinstowe Hall. * Fred Kitchen (1890–1969), countryside writer and autobiographer, was born here. *

Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Anglo-Irish poet and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudony ...

(1904-1972), Poet Laureate and father of

Daniel Day-Lewis Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957) is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Day-Lewis, numerous a ...

and Lydia Tamasin Day-Lewis, lived in Edwinstowe when his father, Frank Cecil Day-Lewis, was appointed vicar of St Mary's Church in 1918. * Francis Woodhead (1912–1991), first-class cricketer, was born here. * Philip Brett (1937–2002), musicologist and conductor, was born here. * Brendan Clarke-Smith (born 1980), Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw, was living in the village in December 2019, but now resides in nearby Retford.

References

External links

Edwinstowe Parish Council, residents' and visitors' siteEdwinstowe Historical Society
*GeoHack Edwinstowe {{authority control Villages in Nottinghamshire Civil parishes in Nottinghamshire Newark and Sherwood Robin Hood