Nottinghamshire’s most famous son was first mentioned in William Langland’s medieval poem, Piers Plowman, but is Robin Hood fact or fiction? You can have a lot of fun trying to find out. The milling mathematician George Green worked in Nottingham, mixing flour with innovative theorem. On a literary note, the county was home to Lord Byron and author DH Lawrence. Newstead Abbey, the poet’s ancestral home, is a real gem, while DH Lawrence’s home town of Eastwood refutes any suggestion that it’s ‘grim up North’.


1 THE TALES OF ROBIN HOOD
The tours here are brimming with Hollywood gloss and tales of when good was good and evil was most foul. The best part is the chair ride, which takes you through the smells, sounds and sights of Robin Hood’s Nottingham. Suspend disbelief as scenes of poverty, fighting and festivity unfold before you.
A commentary piped into your car places you in the action, and implores you to hurry up and find the ‘secret passage’. At the conclusion of the ride look out for the mechanical, multi-coloured jelly. The harrier hawk is popular with children, as are the charismatic actors who help you on your way. Will Scarlet is rather nice, but the Sheriff can be a bit of a rogue. There’s a rather confused mix of information upstairs, ranging from the trite to the esoteric, as well as a bar and additional activities, such as archery.

2 ST MARY'S CHURCH, EDWINSTOWE
This is the church, rebuilt in 1175, is, according to legend, where Robin Hood and Maid Marion were married. This is celebrated on the parish map. St Mary’s is steeped in history. Look out for the carved heads of Thomas à Becket and Henry II. The King donated money to the building of churches, including St Mary’s, in penance for Becket’s murder in Canterbury cathedral in 1170. The author of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Cobham Brewer, is buried in the churchyard. Visitors are invited to attend services and are asked to remember that the church is, primarily, a place of prayer.

3 SHERWOOD FOREST
As the legendary home of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest has inspired visitors for centuries. A mile-long walk loops you around the ‘Major Oak’, a must for any Hood devotee. It was in this huge tree that Hood and his Merry Men supposedly hid from the Sheriff. The 800-year-old oak is cordoned off to prevent re-enactments, though it is still impressive at a distance. The short walk is fun for nature-lovers. Information boards explore forest wildlife and vegetation and if you’re feeling active, there are two longer walks and also cycle trails. The visitors’ complex contains numerous facilities, including a restaurant and video room, but the exhibition is particularly worth inspecting.

4 DURBAN HOUSE HERITAGE
The connection between DH Lawrence, the novelist, poet and painter, and Durban House is that he used to go there to collect his father’s wages. Today, the red-brick building is filled with Lawrence memorabilia. Helping you chart the author’s story are sensors that trip soundtracks and music as you follow the tour through. Although reasonably ‘interactive’, a fair amount of background research enhances the experience. Durban House also contains community exhibition and touring arts’ spaces, and a good café. The Birthplace Museum is a recreation of a one of Lawrence’s childhood homes. There are no information boards in this cramped miner’s cottage and it’s a museum that will appeal to true Lawrence fans. They can then follow the ‘blue line’ trail through Eastwood, which links places with connections to the great man. Leaflets are available in both museums and a blue line painted on pavements guides the literary pilgrim.

5 GREEN'S MILL
George Green is the ‘mathematical miller’ of Nottinghamshire. Born in 1793, he came up with Green’s theorem and function, despite leaving school at nine for the family trade of baking and milling. He only later attended Cambridge University in 1833. Green’s Mill is home to a small science centre and to information about the man. Look out for the ‘human battery’ experiment and for a documentary on Green by TV professor Alan Hart-Davis. This is a working windmill, producing award-winning white and wholemeal flour.

6 NEWSTEAD ABBEY
Ancestral home poet Lord Byron, Newstead Abbey is one of the area’s treasures. The library contains an intriguing portrait of the poet as well as some excellent information about his life and works. His four-poster bed is also worth inspecting: he had it brought down from Cambridge where it resided in his student digs (along with a pet bear). The tomb of his dog, Boatswain, is in the garden and has a beautiful epitaph written by the poet. Be sure to explore all the niches. Passages lead to beautiful roses and exciting grottos. The Japanese Garden, by African explorer Mary Ethel Webb, is a maze of layered greenery and sparkling water. The abbey, built in 1170 as an Augustinian priory by Henry II, still retains its medieval character.