Bleasby

With no hotels of its own, a stay near Bleasby usually means basing yourself in nearby Southwell, a handsome small town built around its Norman minster, just a few miles up the road. Southwell offers a range of guest houses, inns and small hotels within easy reach of Bleasby's riverside walks, the Trent Valley villages of Hoveringham and Gunthorpe, and the wider attractions of Sherwood Forest country. Nottingham, around 20 minutes away by car or a short hop on the train from Bleasby's own station, adds a much larger choice of city-centre hotels for those wanting more facilities alongside easy access to this quiet corner of the Trent Valley.

Staying nearby suits visitors who want to combine gentle countryside and riverside walking with easy access to Southwell Minster, the National Trust's Workhouse museum, and Southwell Racecourse, all within a short drive of Bleasby. It is also a practical base for exploring the wider Nottinghamshire countryside, from the market town of Newark to the edges of Sherwood Forest, while still being close enough to Nottingham for a day trip into the city. Whichever option you choose, Bleasby's direct rail link makes it easy to fit the village itself into a longer break based in Southwell or Nottingham.

Bleasby is small, but its riverside setting and position between Southwell and the Trent Valley open up plenty of good days out.

• Hazelford Ferry and the River Trent — the site of Bleasby's historic ferry crossing, in use until Gunthorpe Bridge opened in 1875, is now a favourite spot for riverside walks, picnics and coarse fishing along the Trent.
• St Mary's Church — a parish church built mainly in the 13th and 14th centuries, later restored by the Victorians, standing next to the village war memorial in the heart of Bleasby.
• Southwell Minster — around three miles away, this former minster church turned Anglican cathedral is celebrated for its Norman nave and the intricately carved medieval chapter house, known as the 'Leaves of Southwell'.
• The Workhouse, Southwell — a National Trust property and one of the best-preserved 19th-century workhouses in England, offering an evocative and sometimes sobering look at Victorian poverty and the poor law system.
• Southwell Racecourse — a popular all-weather and jump racing venue just outside Southwell, hosting race meetings throughout the year in an attractive rural setting.
• Trent Valley Way — long-distance riverside footpaths link Bleasby to neighbouring villages such as Hoveringham and Gunthorpe, making for an easy circular walk taking in ferry crossings, gravel pits and Trent-side meadows.
• Sherwood Forest and Nottingham — Bleasby's railway station puts the legendary Sherwood Forest country and the city of Nottingham within comfortable reach for a day trip without needing the car.

The Waggon and Horses is Bleasby's village pub, a traditional local with wooden floors, open fires and a relaxed atmosphere, serving pub food from Thursday to Sunday evenings and wood-fired pizzas cooked to order on Fridays and Saturdays. For a wider choice, Southwell has a good range of cafes, tearooms and restaurants around its historic Minster and market square, while nearby Gunthorpe is known for its riverside pubs looking out over the Trent.

Bleasby sits right on the banks of the River Trent, and the handful of small caravan and camping parks scattered along this stretch of the Trent Valley make the most of that riverside setting, offering pitches for tents, touring caravans and motorhomes within easy walking distance of the water. As with anywhere in England, wild camping on open land is not permitted without the express permission of the landowner, so it is always worth booking ahead at one of the established sites in and around the village rather than pitching up informally.

The terrain here is gentle and low-lying Trent Valley farmland, with flat riverside meadows giving way to orchards and arable fields further from the water, so campsites tend to be quiet, level and well suited to families and first-time campers as well as more experienced tourers. Being close to the river means some ground can be soft after wet weather, and a handful of local sites have in the past been affected by seasonal flooding, so it is worth checking conditions with the site directly if visiting outside the summer months.

Late spring through to early autumn is the best time to camp in the Bleasby area, when the Trent Valley is at its greenest, riverside paths are firm underfoot, and long evenings make the most of a pitch by the water. Many local sites also welcome dogs and offer good access to the Trent Valley Way for walkers, while a few in the wider area offer glamping options such as static caravans, pods or lodges for those wanting the Trent Valley setting without full camping kit. Given the proximity to Southwell and Nottingham, a Bleasby-area campsite also makes a handy, low-cost base for exploring further afield.