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The festive season and the end of 2025 is upon us! Whether you are looking to learn or spend time with family and friends, there are plenty of heritage events in Nottinghamshire to keep you occupied this December! Here's a list of just a few of the events happening in December:

Sunday 7th (and 14th and 20th) December: ‘Join the Creswell Crags Stone Age guides this Christmas and venture into their deepest, darkest cave to hear tales of winters long ago [before Santa!]. Take part in an interactive cave experience and meet their mysterious (but friendly!) Abominable Snowman - he may even have a magical gift for each child!’ Tickets cost £10 per adult and £8 per child (not suitable for children under 5), and booking is required. This event is set to occur on multiple occasions so if you can't make one date, don't worry! Book your place here.

Sunday 7th December: Head to the National Holocaust Museum ‘for a virtual tour available both in person and online, of our newly re-created exhibition ‘The Journey’. Through a series of immersive period rooms, you’ll step into the world of a German-Jewish family in 1930s Berlin, witness the aftermath of Kristallnacht, and follow young Leo’s escape to Britain. You will then meet Kindertransport survivor John Fieldsend, who will share his memories of making this journey, and whose testimony has shaped "The Journey" exhibition. You will also hear from Dr Amy Williams about her spectacular re-discovery of archival documents, which have cast new light on individual stories of the Kindertransport.’ Ticket prices vary but booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 10th December: A talk at Beeston Library will delve into the history of the Christmas Radio Times. ‘In this talk, local historian Robert Mee will look at the changing nature of the magazine, from the first edition in 1923 until 1999. He will also look at the programmes offered by the BBC on Christmas Day - there will no doubt be an element of nostalgia for days-past, but broadcasting trends and improvements in technology will also be covered’. Tickets cost £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Christmas Radio Times,18th December 1931, Southern Edition (By Rex Whistler, Public Domain)

Thursday 11th December: 'Join David Marsh and Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust for a Christmassy journey through plant history and imagery' in this online talk. 'Once you start exploring the history of mistletoe it becomes more and more complex and lost in a web of legends. But how did it became to be associated with Druids? This talk tells the story of the plant and the man who almost singlehandedly invented most of what we think we know about the Druids…and that includes mistletoe too!' This talk event costs £5 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 11th December: 'Zig Zag’s Christmas City Quiz Crawl to save The People’s Hall!' 'Join Zig Zag Tours for a classic Zig Zag pub crawl with the added twist of quizzing your way around several historic pubs...You’ll be guided to various pubs, where you’ll meet a Zig Zag quizmaster who will test your knowledge while you wet your whistle. The evening will conclude with the winners being announced, trophies awarded, and possibly the best raffle ever to take place on the banks of the canal.' 'All profits will be going towards the new roof at the Peoples Hall'. Tickets cost £13 (this includes 5 raffle tickets and a chip cob), you may come solo or as a team, and booking is required. Book your place here.

Friday 12th December: ‘Back by popular demand, A Merry Noyse will be regaling us with a feast of music from Christmas past [at the Palace Theatre, Newark]. A joyful mix of history, poetry and musical performance, the perfect cosy historical start to your Christmas season!’ Tickets cost up to £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 13th December: Head to the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington for a magical step back in time at their Victorian Christmas — a festive day packed with music, traditional crafts, food heritage, and family-friendly activities in their beautiful historic setting’. ‘Try your hand at their historic circular knitting machines’, ‘discover how the Victorians made mince pies and what festive food looked like in times gone by’, browse ‘unique gifts and local goodies’ and much more! This event is free and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 15th December: In association with Creswell Crags, join Dr Helen Fewlass online to discover how new fieldwork & science are developing understanding of Homo sapiens and Neanderthal encounters’. This event is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 20th December - Sunday 4th January: ‘Step into the heart of Sherwood Forest this Christmas and join Robin Hood and his Merry Band for a seasonal adventure! Follow the trail through the winter woods, completing merry tasks and solving clever Christmas dingbats along the way. Collect hidden letters from the Yule Log Challenge to crack the final festive code for a Christmas surprise!’ It’s £4.50 to enter but booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

November is upon us. A month of fireworks, bonfires and orange leaves but also a great month to get involved in some Nottinghamshire history! Here is a list of some of the events happening this coming November.

Monday 3rd November: In association with Creswell Crags, ‘join folklore expert, Icy Sedgwick, online to discover the fascinating legends of Bonfire Night. From penny-for-the-guy to parades and public bonfires, this talk will explore some of the customs surrounding the 5th of November. You'll also dig into a couple of the legends about the events of 5th November 1605 to see why it became such an important date in the British calendar’. This event is free, but booking is required. Book your place here.

Friday 7th November: At the Palace Theatre, Newark, ‘the creators of ‘The 17th Century Show’ bring you, ‘The Amazing Exploding Girlfriend and Other Tales of Mad Science: A Professor Edvard von Goosechaser Comedy History Lecture’. The year is 1669, and it’s time for the annual Professor Edvard von Goosechaser lecture. This time the subject is mad scientists, fool hardy inventors and heroic herbalists. Find out which Royalist super soldier liked to dabble in science and how a hole in his head lead to a spectacular innovation in fashion. Discover which inventor built the first ever lighthouse on a rock, in the middle of a war with France and during the worst storm in England history. And hear about how an amateur herbalist challenged the might of the medical establishment and almost got himself arrested for witchcraft. But which one of them had and amazing girlfriend, and why on earth did she explode? Join the Professor to find out’. Ticket prices vary up to £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Friday 7th November: ‘Enjoy a taste of Victorian decadence, with an evening viewing of the gas-lit D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum followed by a sampling of gins’. In this Gin and Gaslight event, ‘the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum is lit with original gaslight, making an evening visit charming and atmospheric. Guests will have time to engage with the hosts and learn more about D.H. Lawrence and his literary legacy. Then, guests will be offered several gins to sample and learn about their history and flavour profiles’. Tickets cost £17.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 13th November: Also at the Palace Theatre, Newark, a ‘talk by Michael Rayner, chair of the Battlefields Trust's Battlefield Panel, will look at how landscape is crucial to understanding why and how battles were fought. This will include looking at how terrain influenced commanders, as well as how landscape studies are used to interpret what happened. Examples will be drawn from a range of periods and across the country’. Tickets cost £10 per person, and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 13th November: Lakeside Art currently have a free exhibition in their Weston Gallery titled ‘The Leen – Nottingham’s River’. A public event on the 13th invites you ‘help preserve the history of the River Leen for the future, by sharing your own memories, all while exploring historical archival photos! Examine images drawn from the archives of local businesses such as Gerard’s/Cussons and institutions such as the QMC. Reminiscences collected at the event will be mapped to the course of the River Leen to examine how its meaning for local residents has shifted over time’. This is a free drop-in event throughout the day (10am-4pm) and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Tuesday 18th November: Mansfield Central Library is hosting the heritage talk: ‘Sherwood Boys, Biography of a Battalion’. ‘Hear the story of how the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters, a Territorial battalion, developed during the Second World War from a group of untrained young men from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire into a hardened unit of veterans from every corner of Britain, capable of facing, and beating, the might of the Wehrmacht’. Tickets are £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 19th November: The heritage talk ‘Worksop’s WW1 VC: William Henry Johnson’ will be held at Worksop Library. ‘William Henry Johnson was a miner at Manton Colliery and a bell ringer at Worksop Priory before enlisting for service in the First World War. In this fascinating talk, learn more about the man, his life, and his remarkable act of bravery in the field which earned him Britain’s highest military award, the Victoria Cross. Following his talk, which will last approximately 45 minutes, there will be chance to explore historical records relating to WW1 servicemen from the local area, including newspaper reports, photographs and more’. Tickets cost £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 19th November: Beeston Library will be hosting the talk: ‘Women of the British Civil Wars 1642-1659’. ‘Women played a significant role in the conflicts known as the British civil wars, and Nottinghamshire women certainly played their part. As local historian Sandra Berrington demonstrates, they helped defend castles, wrote pamphlets and propaganda, raised funds, spied, nursed, preached and even contributed on the battlefields. From highborn ladies to ordinary housekeepers, these remarkable women showed, as was said at the time, “A courage beyond their sex”’. Tickets cost £3 per person, and booking is required. Book your place here.

Monday 24th November: At Newark Library, you have a chance to explore local parish registers with the Inspire team. ‘Join one of their librarians for a small group session to talk about the history of Nottinghamshire's parish registers and look at some of the fascinating stories they contain. Parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are a major resource for anyone beginning their family history’. This event is free, but booking is recommended. Book your place here.

October is jam-packed with exciting events aimed at celebrating a wide variety of Nottinghamshire's history, including the Bramley Apple, the 1940's, and our rivers and the mills associated with them. Whatever your interest and no matter your age, we're sure there's something for you to get stuck into! Here's a list of just some of the events happening this October:

Monday 6th October: In association with Creswell Crags, ‘join Dr Ceren Kabukcu (University of Liverpool) online to discover Palaeolithic plant diets in Southwest Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean’. This online evening talk is free, but booking is required. Book your place here.

Opening Thursday 9th October: Opening this October, an exciting exhibition explores the connection the River Leen has with Nottinghamshire's history at the Lakeside Arts. ‘From its source in the Robin Hood Hills above Newstead Abbey to the River Trent at the Meadows, the River Leen connects places and communities. This exhibition puts the Leen at the centre of the story of modern Nottingham’. If you can't catch this exhibition this month, no worries as it will be open until March 2026! This exhibition is free, and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October: Southwell Workhouse and Infirmary is hosting four sessions of a ‘Workhouse Stories’ puppet show. ‘Based on the lives of people who lived and worked in Leeds Union Workhouse, Workhouse Stories is a puppet show suitable for all and aimed at 8+ years. Come and discover the stories of blind boat builder Thomas Bateman, the ghost of Asenath Batley and the perils of paperwork with John King, former Clerk to the Board of Guardians’. This event is free, and booking is not required, however places may be limited. For more information, visit the event page here.

Tuesday 14th October: Friends of the Framework Knitters Museum ‘are pleased to welcome Steve LeMotte, curator at the Trent Bridge Cricket Club Museum, for a fascinating talk titled; “Trent Bridge – It’s Not Just Cricket!” Discover the surprising and lesser-known stories behind one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues — from historic events to the people and moments that shaped its legacy beyond the boundary ropes’. Tickets cost £6 and are available at the Museum front desk. For more information, visit the event page here.

Tuesday 14th October: Lakeside Arts will also be hosting an Archaeology NOW Talk titled ‘Malindi: An Old Town with Rich and Diverse History’. ‘Join Doris Kamuye, Curator at the Malindi Museum, for this live-streamed talk from Kenya. Discover Malindi, at the Coast of Kenya, founded around the 7th century, with a rich history influenced by the Indian Ocean. Malindi is home to popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Gedi Historic Town and Archaeological Site, the “Mijikenda Kaya” forests, and the oldest European monuments in East Africa – the Vasco da Gama Pillar and the Portuguese Chapel’. This event is free, but booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 15th October: Head down to the Nottinghamshire Archives for their ‘Collections Care for Photographs’ event. ‘There will be examples of photographic conservation projects carried out at Nottinghamshire Archives. There will also be an introduction to the Inspire Picture Archive, including highlights of the collection and how to upload new images’. Tickets cost £6 and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 15th October: At Worksop Library, the ‘Heritage Talk: Historic Gardens of Nottinghamshire’ will ‘draw on the wealth of gardening heritage remaining in the county'. Join 'Philip Jones, a former local studies librarian, is now a freelance garden historian, currently researching the Victorian and Edwardian gardens at Newstead Abbey and its head gardeners’. This event costs £3 and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Harold Godwinson arriving in his longship depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saturday 18th October: Lakeside Arts’ Museum Explorers drop-in event for kids will explore 'the Viking Age by looking at the longboats that they built and travelled across the sea in, on their many voyages. Have a go at making your own model longboat to take home! Suitable for child aged 7+'. This event is free and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October: The annual 1940s Steam event returns for its seventeenth year at Papplewick Pumping Station. Activities include: ‘An array of military and civilian re-enactors, Displays and encampments, Period vehicles, Trade stalls, Live entertainment, and Live Action skirmishes’. Ticket prices and it is cheaper to pre-book online than on the door. Book your tickets here.

Starting Saturday 18th October: ‘Explore Sherwood Forest this spooky season with their Halloween family trail’. ‘Pick up your trail sheet from the Visitor Centre and follow the Major Oak trail. Immerse yourself in our Halloween adventure, complete with spooky scarecrows and a code to crack’! Prizes available upon completion. This spooky trail is available until Sunday 2nd November. Sheets cost £4.50 and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Tuesday 21st October: At Mansfield Central Library, ‘local historian Denis Hill looks at the dozen or so water mills that once operated along the River Maun’ in the Heritage Talk ‘Water Mills of Mansfield’. Tickets cost £3 and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 25th October: Southwell’s beloved ‘food and drink fair returns for its annual autumn slot at Southwell Minster with dozens of stallholders offering all manner of food and drink including pies, chocolates, jams, chutneys, pickles, sausages and much more’. The festival celebrates one of Nottinghamshire’s heritage treasures: the Bramley Apple! There is a suggested entry donation of £3, and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 25th October: Also celebrating our Bramley Apple history, the Workhouse and Infirmary is hosting a ‘Bramley Apple Day’. There will be many apple-themed activities including the ‘longest Apple peel challenge’, children’s yoga sessions, building tours and the return of the Pauper Choir. This event is free, and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 27th October: Join Dr Angharad Jones online to discover the evidence of mammal migrations during the Ice Age in association with Creswell Crags. ‘During the Ice Age, climates changed, ice sheets expanded and contracted, and sea levels rose and fell. Mammals responded to the changes in many ways, including migration. This talk will highlight examples of mammal migration and resulting species range shifts during the Ice Age. As well as species range shifts, this talk will explore the evidence for seasonal migrations of mammals. The talk will finish with a discussion of how mammal migrations are being impacted by human activity today’. This online talk is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

This coming September will be very exciting for heritage lovers in Nottinghamshire with the return of Heritage Open Days’ annual community festival!

The festival, which has been running for over 25 years in the UK, provides individuals with the chance to get involved in heritage through exclusive local events. This festival contributes to the European Heritage Days in which 50 signatory states celebrate diversity, culture, and heritage every September.

Heritage Open Days aims to celebrate heritage and community by organising talks, workshops, and tours of historical sites. All the events in this festival are free. This includes rare visits to selected sites that normally ask for an entry fee. Sites included in this festival are Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Newstead Abbey, the Adams Building, and the Workhouse and Infirmary. Visit the Heritage Open Days website for the full list.

Running from Friday 12th until Sunday 21th September, there are over 80 exciting events happening in the Nottinghamshire area.

Above: St Mary Magdalene, Newark

Some of our wonderful heritage team will be hosting events; our Senior Practitioner of Historic Buildings, Jason, will be hosting a talk in Newark about the timber-framed buildings of Nottinghamshire on 17th September (book here). Our Historic Environment Officer, Janine, will also be hosting a talk, celebrating the pre-eminence of the horse on Nottinghamshire’s country estates at Worksop Library on 12th September (book here).

Other events across the county include:

• 13th September: Guided tour of the old section of Mansfield Cemetery. 'A Guided tour around the old section of Mansfield Cemetery. Notable monuments will be pointed out and discussed, together with the history of the cemetery and its buildings. A leaflet guide to the Cemetery will be provided'. Booking is not required. Click here for more information.
• 13th September & 20th September: George Martyn's Barn. In Keyworth, visit the 17th century threshing barn which has opened for the Heritage Open Days festival for the past six years. 'This year CAAG is exploring the theme of 'Architecture' with an exhibition in the 374 year old Barn. Visitors can step inside and appreciate the original features and the skills and materials used in producing such a structure all those years ago. Also, learn about the Parish Church (grade 1 listed) and the historic buildings in the village centre related to farming and framework knitting. View works by local artists on the 'Architecture' theme'.
• 14th September: Walk with an Expert: Blue Plaques – Chilwell + Beyond. 'A guided walk around some of [Chilwell's] old and new blue plaques - led by local experts Dr Peter Robinson, and Alan Dance'. Booking is not required. Click here for more information.
• 18th September: Inspire Nottinghamshire Archives - Behind-the-Scenes Tours. 'Come and see behind the scenes and discover the hidden world of archives! An introduction to the Archives with a tour of the search room and storage areas. A chance to view some unique and incredible highlights from the collections, including architectural plans and building records. You will be able to interact in new ways with our collections via your own tablet or smartphone device. View pop-up versions of archival documents, explore 360 degree images of historic streets and listen to audio descriptions of the archives. Enjoy a display and tour of the conservation studio as an introduction to what conservation is, and learn the different types of materials treated, and the techniques used'. Pre-booking is preferred. Book your place here.
• 19th September: The Reawakening of St Mary Magdalene: A Sustainable Regeneration Project. 'Find out more about the major conservation project at St Mary Magdalene Parish Church in Newark. St Mary Magdalene in Newark is a Grade I listed church with a rich history dating back to the 12th century. The church is currently on the Heritage at Risk Register, and 'The Reawakening of St Mary Magdalene' is a project which aims to make vital repairs to the church to secure its future, while also opening up the building to the community for a variety of events and activities'. Booking is required. Book your place here.
• 20th September: The Original Bramley Apple Tree. In Southwell, 'Nottingham Trent University are offering visitors an opportunity to view the original Bramley apple tree and to learn about the history of the Bramley apple and why the tree is so special'. Pre-booking is not required. Click here for more information.
• 21st September: Echoes of the Erewash Canal - Sandiacre Lock Cottages. Head down 'for a free, family-friendly day of fun, stories, and discovery along the Erewash Canal! Explore hands-on activities, canal heritage, and beautiful waterside spaces. There’s something for all ages'. Pre-booking is not required. Click here for more information.

To find out about all the events being offered in Nottinghamshire, including dates and booking information, please visit the Heritage Open Days website.

Please be aware that free entry to some heritage sites is only on specific set days and some events may require booking.

With summer in full swing, Nottinghamshire is hosting a treasure trove of heritage events this August. Whether you're looking for some family fun or looking to learn something new, there will be something for you! Check out our list of the events below:

Throughout August: Join National Trust volunteers in the Master's Office of the Workhouse and Infirmary ‘to learn all about the conservation threats they face, the specialised tools and techniques they use to manage them, and how they record their work to ensure high standards’. Sessions include ‘Completing Record of Monitoring & Plan of Care paperwork’, ‘Conservation window cleaning’, ‘Object marking project’, and ‘Conservation cleaning: vaccuming’. These are free drop-in sessions and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August: The Robin Hood Festival is back again this year at Sherwood Forest to celebrate our beloved legendary figure. Come to 'enjoy spectacular jousting displays, hand-to-hand combat demonstrations, historical re-enactment and much, much more'. Although this wonderful festival spans multiple weekends, this is the only weekend that you will be able to watch the jousting. Booking is not required, but a parking fee of £15 is in place. For more information, visit the event page here.

Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August: ‘Step back in time and experience the Ice Age’ at Creswell Crags. ‘Can you hunt for bison, light a fire or feed your tribe? Find out as you bring the Ice Age to life’ in their ‘Step into the Ice Age: Hands on Prehistory’ event. There are lots of fun activity to have a go at, including archaeological dig boxes, shelter building, cave art drawings, mammoth poo flinging and rhino horn Hoopla! There are Early Bird booking discounts if you book before 1st August (£7 per adult, £6 per child). Book your place here.

Monday 11th to Friday 15th August: Also at Creswell Crags, ‘learn how creatures that lived millions of years ago became fossils, and make your own salt dough “rocks” with real fossil imprints. Perfect for those fascinated by life on Earth long before the last Ice Age!’ Tickets cost £5, adults/carers accompany for free, and booking is required. For more information and to book your place, click here.

Saturday 16th August: Head to Sherwood Forest to ‘join William De Tankerville, The Sheriff of Nottingham’s Master at Arms, as he takes you on a tour of the majestic Greenwood, sharing stories of medieval life and the villainous Robin Hood’. ‘This walk will take you on a journey through the forest, hearing the tales of its most legendary inhabitant and medieval life’. Tickets cost £9 per non-member adult and £5 per non-member adult (member discounts apply) and booking is required. Book your place here. And if you can't make the 16th, there same event will be ran on the 30th August.

Above: Hyena skull found at Creswell Crags. By Enchufla Con Clave (Own work), CC BY-SA 4.0

Monday 18th to 22nd Friday August: Another event at Creswell Crags this August will allow you to explore ‘Stylish Stone Age Fashion’! ‘Join a Stone Age guide to learn all about the clothes, jewellery and decorations that people may have worn at Creswell Crags during the last Ice Age. Have a go at making your own Stone Age leather wristband, and even have your face painted, Stone Age style!’ Tickets cost £5 per child, accompanying adults/carers go free, booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 23rd to Monday 25th August: The Grand Finale of the Robin Hood Festival at Sherwood Forest commences. Combat displays, falconry, medieval stories and activities like archery await you. Booking is not required but a parking fee of £15 is in place. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 25th August: ‘Join archaeologist, historian and broadcaster, Dr Simon Elliott online, as he recounts his archaeological adventures around the world.’ ‘Dr Simon Elliott FSA is an award winning and best-selling archaeologist, historian and broadcaster. He has written 21 books on classical world and archaeological themes, frequently appears on broadcast and social media as a presenter and expert, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries…He is currently engaged in three major archaeological research programmes. One of these is focused on the local region’. This online talk, in association with Creswell Crags, is free (donations welcome) but booking is required. Book your free place here.

Monday 25th to Thursday 28th August: A final August archaeology workshop at Creswell Crags, ‘Archaeology Adventure’, gives you the chance to ‘become an archaeologist and excavate a mystery time period. Use your detective skills to work out when the artefacts in your trench are from, and design your own mini museum to show them in!’ Tickets cost £5 per person, accompanying adults/carers go free and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 30th August: ‘Found a mysterious object?’ Head to Mansfield Museum to meet the Finds Liaison Officer for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and ‘get professional insight into your discovery and help piece together the puzzle of our local past’. ‘Whether you're a metal detectorist, dog walker, gardener, or history enthusiast, if you've stumbled upon an intriguing find—bring it along to Mansfield Museum for expert identification’. This event is free but booking is required. For more information and to book your place, visit the event website here.