If you’ve ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, then a holiday in Nottinghamshire is definitely what you need! Nottinghamshire is home to the legendary Sherwood Forest. The best way to make the most of the region is to hire a holiday home and explore. Self-catering accommodation options include holiday parks, lodges, chalets, cottages and farm stays.

But there is more to Nottinghamshire than just Robin Hood. Many other literary figures, including Lord Byron, found inspiration here. And it has inspired people for millennia – you just have to look at the Ice Age drawings found in Creswell Crags.

There is a strong sense of history in many of Nottinghamshire’s towns and villages. In Laxton, for example, they still use the medieval allotment system for farming. Bassetlaw can perhaps be considered the birthplace of the United States of America, as it is from here that the Pilgrim Fathers started their journey to the new world.

You can buy your own piece of history at the antiques fairs held regularly at Newark. Or explore some of Nottinghamshire’s other delights, like the Goose Fair that still happens every year in the city of Nottingham itself! Or visit the world’s largest sundial at Sutton-in-Ashford. Or perhaps you’d like to visit the grave of Lord Byron at Hucknall. Other places of interest include The Dukeries at Clumber Park, Thoresby and Welbeck.

The market towns of Eastwood, Mansfield, Retford, Southwell and Worksop will provide plenty of shopping opportunities, from handcrafts to local gourmet specialities and antiques.

With country parks at Sherwood Forest (and its annual Robin Hood Festival), Rufford Abbey and Bestwood, there is plenty to keep the family entertained. Perhaps they’d prefer to take a day out from your hired holiday house and go to one of the two theme parks, or one of the three (soon to be four) nature reserves.

There are also local craft markets, like the one at Edwinstowe, where Robin Hood and Maid Marion are said to have married.

There are many things to do in Nottinghamshire: tours and trails, walking and cycling, canal boating and adventure sports.