Last week we had the the pleasure of seeing our daughter get married. The marriage took place in Norwood Park in Southwell just outside Nottingham. I’m not ashamed to say I cried like a baby during the ceremony! It also gave me the chance to finally visit Southwell. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before, even though I lived in Nottingham for 25 years before our return!
Norwood Park
Norwood Park is an exclusive private country estate in Southwell, Nottinghamshire. The first mention of it is in the inquisition of Archbishop Neville’s property in 1388. Norwood Park has remained privately owned since the 1770’s. It has been the residence of many families including the Marquis of Carmarthen, Lord Edwin Hill, and presently, the Starkey Family.
We had never heard of Norwood Park until our daughter and husband booked it. They definitely made the right choice. Stepping inside was just like stepping back in time.
I may be biased, but the staff were amazing and couldn’t do enough to help. If you’re looking for a wedding venue in Nottinghamshire, this should be on your list!
Southwell
Southwell is arguably one of the prettiest towns in Nottinghamshire. As soon as you get near the town you can see the imposing figure of Southwell Minster above the other rooftops of the centre.
It has one of the finest Norman naves in Europe and only a stone’s throw from the narrow high street and beautiful pubs. The town is famous for for its Bramley Apple heritage. It is here that the apple was first propagated more than 200 years ago from the garden of a cottage on Church Street. The Bramley Apple festival will take place on Saturday 29 October 2022 at Southwell Minster. I have already marked the date in my diary!
The town played its own role in the English Civil War. King Charles I spent his last night as a free man in Southwell in May 1646, when he stayed in the Saracen’s Head, which is still there today. It is also said that Oliver Cromwell later stayed there too. Much of Southwell Minister and the Archbishop’s palace were ransacked during the Civil War. By the end, only the Great Hall still stood in the Archbishop’s Palace.
If you want to part with your hard earned cash, there are many good pubs and shops in Southwell. However, our particular favourite is The Wine Bank on Church Street. They have lots of good quality bottles of whatever alcoholic drink you prefer. We came away with a bottle of single malt and a bottle of craft gin we’ve never heard of. We hope to return soon, and also to interview them for our podcast.