October 2026 Nottinghamshire Heritage Events

With autumn upon us, there are many heritage events to keep you entertained. Here are just some of what is happening in Nottinghamshire in October:

Wednesday 7th October: Head to the Lakeside Arts for their next heritage talk. 'Mustafa Barış Harmankaya, Culture and Tourism Expert and Archaeologist at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, will join in person, to discuss excavations at the remains of the Byzantine-era Church of St. Polyeuktos and Boukoleon Palace, sites set to become archaeological parks following their conservation work'. Tickets cost up to £4.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here. 

Friday 9th October: The National Civil War Centre will be hosting the talk 'Evening Talk: Tinker Fox and The Fight for the Midlands'. 'Join Professor Andrew Hopper, Professor of Local and Social History at the University of Oxford, for a fascinating exploration of the remarkable rise of John 'Tinker' Fox, one of the most formidable Parliamentarian commanders of the English Civil Wars. Following Prince Rupert's devastating assault on Birmingham, Fox seized his opportunity, becoming a key figure in a conflict fought not through grand battles, but through garrisons, raids and relentless skirmishes across the Midlands. This special event also includes the premiere of a brand-new short documentary film, bringing Fox's story and the realities of war in the region to life'. Tickets cost up to £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 10th October: Wollaton Hall and the Nottingham Civic Society will be hosting the illustrated talk 'Wollaton Hall - The Sale of the Century' at Nottingham Central Library.  Join them 'to uncover the fascinating history behind the sale of Wollaton Hall and Park to the Nottingham Corporation a century ago'. This event is free but booking is required. Book your place here.

Monday 12th October: Creswell Crags will be hosting the online talk ' Using palaeoproteomics & zooarchaeology to study Neaderthal canabalism'. Join Pauline Raymond (Collège de France) online to discover the scientific advancements being used in new research on Neanderthal cannibalism in France'. This event is free (donations suggested) but booking is required. Book your place here.

Friday 16th October: Head to Rufford Abbey for 'an immersive 1912 Titanic dining experience featuring interactive exhibits, dramatic storytelling, and a historic first-class dinner. Transport yourself back to April 1912 for an unforgettable, fully immersive evening in the Titanic’s lavish First Class Dining Suite. Guests are encouraged to dress in period attire or evening formal wear as Captain Smith and his first-class stewards welcome you aboard for a night of fine dining, history, and real human emotion'. Tickets cost £55 per person and booking is required. Click here for more information or to book your place. 

Above: Papplewick Pumping Station

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October: 'Papplewick’s hugely popular 1940s steam event returns for its seventeenth year' at Papplewick Pumping Station. The array of entertainment will involve re-enactors, trade stalls, and live entertainment as well as much more. Tickets cost up to £14.50 per person and booking is required, although you can buy tickets on the door at a higher price. Click here for more information or to book your place. 

Tuesday 20th October: Head to Mansfield Museum for the 'Heritage Talk: On Freedom's Wings - the Inside Story'. 'Experts from the Bomber County Gateway Trust take us on the journey from conception to completion. The talk includes the History of the Lancaster Bomber and the World War 2 airmen, how the project came about, the people behind the scenes, fascinating facts and figures, and what comes next? Visually appealing with video footage and archive material, this talk is for the curious about the story behind the sculpture'. This event is free but booking is required. Book your place here. 

 Wednesday 21st October: Head down to Worksop Library for the ' Heritage Talk - The Buildings Archaeologist: Discovering the Secrets of Nottinghamshire's Ancient Buildings. 'Visit any settlement in the land and there will be ancient buildings hidden in plain sight. Behind a Victorian façade is a Tudor house; beneath a Georgian frontage is a mediaeval cottage, or what is now a modern farm may once have been a castle. As Dr. James Wright will explain, buildings archaeology can offer us many clues for discovering the secrets of hidden historic houses'. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 24th October: 'Southwell's best loved food and drink fair returns for its annual autumn slot at Southwell Minster' to celebrate the famous Bramley apple. 'Dozens of stallholders offering all manner of food and drink including pies, chocolates, jams, chutneys, pickles, sausages and much much more'. There is a suggested donation of £3 and booking is not required. Click here for more information.

Saturday 24th October: Also to celebrate the Bramley apple, Southwell Workhouse will be hosting the 'Bramley Apple Day'. 'Running alongside Southwell's famous Bramley Apple Festival, join for the return of the longest Apple Peel Challenge and the pauper choir!'. This event is free and booking is not required. Click here for more information.

Tuesday 27th October: Southwell Minster will be hosting the lecture 'English Language in early medieval Southwell'. Join Dr. Christine Rauer (University of St Andrews) to shine a light on medieval language and answer the question: What did English sound like in early medieval Southwell? his talk will give an overview of the Mercian dialect of Old English using text examples written at the time, including Beowulf, The Peterborough Chronicle, The Lord's Prayer and place-names from the Southwell area. It will be fascinating to see how close our own modern form of English is to the earliest East Midlands dialect. All welcome — no prior experience with medieval language required'. Tickets cost up to £7 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.