Self Catering in Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire lies on the eastern slope of the Pennine Hills, with low-lying areas to the far north. The centre of the county is covered by forest and heath that includes the famous Sherwood Forest, which formerly covered an area 32 km (20 miles) long and 8 to 14 km (5 to 9 miles) wide. Nottinghamshire has few upland areas, and the River Trent flows through the county from the southwest, through Nottingham, to the northeast, where it forms a border with Lincolnshire.

The Angles settled parts of Nottinghamshire during the 5th century, but it was not until after the Treaty of Wedmore in 878, that Nottingham became the chief of the Five Boroughs of Danelaw (Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, and Stamford). After the Norman Conquest, William I built a castle at Nottingham which grew in size and importance over the following six centuries. It became an important possession of the Crown when Henry II seized it, and during the Wars of the Roses Edward IV used the castle as a garrison. Richard III later made his headquarters there before the Battle of Bosworth Field, where he was killed, losing the crown to Henry Tudor. In 1642, Charles I gathered his army at Nottingham, and raised his standard at the castle to start the English Civil War. Later in the Civil War, the Parliamentarians garrisoned the castle, before Oliver Cromwell ordered its destruction. A new castle was built on the site in 1674.

Mainly an agricultural county, Nottinghamshire's economy is supported by dairy farming and cereal production, and certain parts of the area are renowned for Stilton cheese and lace making, Nottingham itself being a fashion centre. During the Industrial Revolution Nottinghamshire became a leading source of coal. Although the coal mines have drastically reduced in number it remains a significant coal-producing area of England.