Southwell

Southwell's hotels and inns lean heavily on the town's long history, with several central options occupying genuinely old coaching houses rather than purpose-built blocks. The Saracen's Head Hotel, a 14th-century former coaching inn on the Market Place, is the standout choice for anyone wanting a stay steeped in the town's past, having sheltered Charles I on his last night of freedom in 1646; its bedrooms mix exposed beams and uneven floors with modern comforts, and its restaurant and bar make it easy to eat well without leaving the building. Beyond the Market Place, Southwell has a small but useful spread of bed and breakfasts in Georgian townhouses and converted farm buildings, many run by locals who are happy to point guests towards the Minster's quieter corners or a good riverside walk along the Greet.

Because Southwell is a small town, hotel numbers are modest compared with nearby Nottingham or Newark, so it is worth booking ahead, particularly around race days at Southwell Racecourse or during the Minster's seasonal events. Staying in the town centre puts the Minster, the Workhouse and the Bramley Apple Heritage Trail within a short walk, while a handful of countryside guesthouses just outside Southwell suit visitors planning to spend more time exploring Sherwood Forest or the surrounding villages by car. For those who prefer a wider hotel choice, Nottingham and Newark-on-Trent are both under half an hour away by car, though staying in Southwell itself gives a much better feel for the town's unhurried, history-steeped character than a day trip ever could.

Southwell is compact enough to explore entirely on foot, with most of its principal sights within a few minutes of the Market Place.

• Southwell Minster — Nottinghamshire's cathedral church, begun in Norman times and celebrated for its Chapter House, carved with some of the finest naturalistic medieval foliage (the "Leaves of Southwell") anywhere in Europe.
• The Workhouse, Southwell — a National Trust property and the best-preserved 19th-century workhouse in the country, built in 1824 to a strict, cellular design that later shaped the harsh regime of the Victorian Poor Law; the walled garden has been replanted to show what paupers grew and ate.
• Bramley Apple Heritage Trail — a self-guided walk taking in Bramley Tree Cottage on Church Street, where the original tree, grown from a pip planted by a young Mary Ann Brailsford around 1809, still stands in the garden.
• Sherwood Forest — the famous ancient woodland, including the Major Oak, lies within easy reach to the north-east, making Southwell a quieter alternative base for exploring Robin Hood country.
• Southwell Trail — a traffic-free path along a disused railway line, popular with walkers and cyclists, linking Southwell to Farnsfield and Bilsthorpe.
• Southwell Racecourse — one of Britain's few remaining all-weather tracks, hosting regular flat and jump racing a short walk from the town centre.
• Southwell Market Place — a handsome cobbled square ringed with Georgian frontages, independent shops and cafes, and the starting point for most walks around town.

The Saracen's Head Hotel on Market Place is the town's best-known dining address, a Grade II* listed coaching inn dating to the 14th century where Charles I is said to have spent his final night of freedom in 1646; its restaurant uses local produce alongside a well-stocked bar. Southwell's Market Place and surrounding streets also hold a handful of independent cafes, tearooms and traditional pubs, making it easy to find a Sunday roast, a coffee stop between sights, or a quiet pint after a day spent around the Minster.

There are no campsites within Southwell itself, and it is worth remembering that wild camping is illegal in England without the landowner's express permission, so any pitch needs to be booked through a proper site. The wider Nottinghamshire countryside around Southwell, though, is gently rolling farmland and orchard country rather than dramatic wilderness, and it sits within easy striking distance of the sandy heaths and pine woodland of Sherwood Forest to the north-east, where a number of established campsites and glamping sites operate, some close enough to the Major Oak and the Sherwood Forest visitor centre to combine woodland walks with an evening around the fire.

Terrain in this part of Nottinghamshire is mostly flat to gently undulating, making it comfortable ground for family camping, cycling from the pitch, and walking the Southwell Trail's old railway path without serious climbs to contend with. The River Greet, which loops around Southwell itself, and the wider Trent Valley nearby add a bit of watery interest for anyone camping in the area, alongside the region's orchards, which are particularly attractive around blossom time in spring.

Late spring through to early autumn is the most comfortable window for camping here, with reasonably dry, mild weather and long evenings for exploring the Minster, the Workhouse gardens or the fringes of Sherwood Forest before dark. Nottinghamshire's campsites increasingly offer glamping options — pods, safari tents and shepherd's huts — for those who want the feel of a countryside break near Southwell without the full commitment of tent and sleeping bag, a useful option given the changeable nature of an English summer.