Retford

Cannon Square and the Market

A captured Russian cannon sits in Cannon Square, opposite St Swithun's Church. Known as 'The Earl of Aberdeen,' it arrived by rail in 1858 after the Siege of Sevastopol. During the Second World War it was removed, then rescued by Alderman Alfred Wilson and put back up in 1950. It sits there now as if none of that happened.

A short walk away, the Broad Stone stands in the Market Square outside the Town Hall. Its stone bowl rests on a plinth. Local tradition holds that it marked a boundary during the plague of 1665, when people left money nearby for food to avoid contact.

The square itself is broad enough that Bill Bryson called it "exceptionally large and handsome." Georgian townhouses line Grove Street, and the market runs there every Thursday and Saturday.

Lunch and Retford's Pubs

For lunch, the King and Miller's menu features Sticky Pig and K-Pop Crunch burgers, Moroccan-style Chicken and Chicken Katsu skillets, and a Berry Mess Sundae.

The Idle Valley Tap, on Carolgate, is a Grade II listed pub, formerly The Anchor Inn, with a pool table, dart board and six changing real ales. Dogs and children are welcome, and CAMRA members get 10p off.

The Black Boy Inn on Moorgate serves changing real ales from local breweries. The Turks Head on Grove Street retains original 1930s fireplaces and the rare pub game Ring the Bull. Down by the water, the Packet Inn sits beside the Chesterfield Canal in the former home of the Grafton Brewery.

Local Produce and the Cuckoo Way

Westlands Butchers, on Retford Road between Clarborough and North Wheatley outside Retford, makes its own pastry and pie fillings and sells locally sourced meat. At Grove, Home Farm Produce offers free-range pork and homemade pastries, and stocks locally baked Welbeck bread and locally milled flour.

The Chesterfield Canal towpath runs through Retford past Town Lock, with Kings Park and the Bay Tree café close to the water. It offers a way to continue a town-centre walk along the canal.

Pilgrims and Early Retford

Pilgrim Roots' self-guided trail treats Retford, Babworth and Scrooby as separate stops linked by the Mayflower story. At Bassetlaw Museum in Retford, the Pilgrims Gallery recreates William Brewster's study; a mirror display lets him tell the story from North Nottinghamshire to Leiden and the Mayflower.

The Domesday survey recorded West Retford in 1086, before Henry I established East Retford as a borough in 1105.

Rail and Coaching Connections

Direct LNER trains link Retford with London King's Cross, with some journeys taking under two hours.

On Bridgegate, the White Hart's carriage arch recalls its coaching days. William Dennett took over the inn in 1818, and the family continued to run it as coaches travelled through Retford.