Location: Retford
Top Things to do in Retford
The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Retford, England
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, 31 miles (50 km) from Nottingham, and 23 miles (37 km) west of Lincoln. The population at the 2011 census was 22,013. The town is in the valley of the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal passes through the centre. The village of Ordsall, west of the River Idle and the East Coast Main Line railway, and the former hamlet of Thrumpton are suburbs. Retford is administered by Bassetlaw District Council in neighbouring Worksop and twinned with Pfungstadt, Germany.
Restaurants in Retford
1. Majestic Theatre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 83 reviews
Reviewed By d_taylor83 - Derby, United Kingdom
Went to see Alistair Macgowan and Jasper Carrot in their travelling show. Very impressed by the theatre, seats are comfortable, view is good from most places, volunteer staff are great, decor of theatre is truly splendid. From outside it's a bit like an old brick warehouse, with a burglar deterrant door, but inside it's charming. The bar is small and it's not easy to get a drink, but that is part of the quirky charm of the place. Criticism-- not enough toilets, especially for the women.
2. North Leverton Windmill
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Martin1959 - Kirkby-in-Ashfield, United Kingdom
On a cold and miserable November day , what would we expect ? A 200 year old working windmill and a miller who had time and a great deal of knowledge about the history and workings of this classic piece of engineering Very rustic and interesting, plus we were also able to purchase oats and flour produced on site A very worthwhile tour which doesn’t require a huge amount of time to enjoy
3. Gamston Flying School
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 167 reviews
We're a friendly and professional flying school based just off the A1 near Retford, Nottinghamshire. We're less than an hour from Doncaster, Sheffield, Newark, Gainsborough, Mansfield, Nottingham and Lincoln. We offer trial flying lessons, alongside training towards licences or additional ratings.
Reviewed By sureshome
Excellent 30 minutes flying lesson. Enjoyed every minute of it, thanks to the Gamston Flying School especially the instructor Steve who was inspiring mostly due to his friendly nature and clear instructions in which I could learn a lot and gained confidence in yoke and rudder pedal controls in that short time. Thanks to Steve. This unforgettable 30 minutes give me enough excitement to come back to flight training ASAP.
4. Sundown Adventureland
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,781 reviews
“Come on kids, there’s lots to see and do. Your adventure is just beginning!” Bet you’ve never heard a goat yodel or a potato talk, but you will at Sundown Market, and with your help all the animals in the musical pet shop will join in the chorus of their very own song. Explore the Rodeo Corral Indoor Play Area and climb aboard the Rocky Mountain Railroad, but hold onto your hats folks, those pesky bandits are popping up everywhere. Be careful not to wake the dragon as you enter the Lollipoppet castle with all its smells of candy. Then its on to the Tractor Ride for a trip around the countryside before talking to the animals on our Animated Farm. Grab those bows and arrows and climb aboard the Robin Hood Ride to join Robin and his merry men as they travel through Sherwood Forest. Then its onto Crash Landings – our fantastic four storey indoor play area and cafe, climb and explore the jungle where you may get a surprise from a cheeky monkey or a slippery snake. Run, swing and play in our bright and colourful Angry Birds Activity Park. Take a spin on the Okie Yolkie ride and bounce along on the Giddy Piggies ride. Don’t Forget to sing and dance along with the Monkeys at Monkey Mischief. Ahoy there! Time to take to the Jolly Pirate Ride – but you better watch out, for who knows were those wicked pirates are lying in wait with a surprise or two! Don’t forget your buckets and spades – you’ll need them in Captain Sandy’s Play Cove. But no one can be scared of the delightful little friends whose lovely scenes lead us through the seasons on to the magical Sleigh Ride through Santa’s traditional winter wonderland, hey, what's that reindeer doing in bed?! when your ready for a break, take the kids for a snack or a treat in one of our cafes or shops where there are lots of goodies available. Also don’t forget, we’re open at Christmas, so come along and ride our fantastic night before Christmas ride before visiting Santa in his Lovely home and receive a free gift for all children aged 2 to 10 years .
Reviewed By DavidH2470 - Wakefield, United Kingdom
This really is a brilliant theme park for young children, with lots of fun, stimulating, exciting things to do, from adventure playgrounds to mini-houses to explore, to rides, to themed areas with interactive zones. We went a little out of season and during the Covid restrictions, so not everything was open but what was available was great for our son (age 4), and the Park as a whole has plenty to suit all ages from toddlers to probably about age 7-8. He came away very tired after over 5 hours, still wanting to play some more. The Park's management has clearly thought a lot about how to make the place both enjoyable and as safe as possible during Covid times, and I think has done both. Visitors are temperature scanned on entry, rides are cleaned between uses, hand sanitiser is widely available throughout and so on. That level of thought exists throughout the whole experience though, including the rides and attractions. We will certainly be back.
5. Bassetlaw Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By kensmoon - Lincoln, United Kingdom
Before you enter the museum spend a few minutes looking at the little display on the steps of hand painted rocks and pebbles with different designs and messages. Once inside I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the different exhibits, especially the World War II section and the vintage games, one of which I still have from a family Christmas four to five decades ago! Some of the art work in the gallery was beautiful and captivating. The agricultural display was interesting and The Pilgrims Gallery was superbly presented with plenty of information combined with an interactive element.
6. Idle Valley Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 314 reviews
Reviewed By heeza2106 - Carlton in Lindrick, United Kingdom
Situated along the western bank of the River Idle, Idle Valley Nature Reserve (also known as Lound/Sutton Gravel Pits) is both a Local Wildlife Site and a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is 450 hectares of land consisting of a network of lakes, wetland, grassland, woodland, and scrub. As you can imagine it's home to a diverse range of wildlife, but it's also recognised as a brilliant birding site in the region. In fact, the lakes within the nature reserve were gravel extraction pits 70 years ago, flooded when the land was given to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and nature reclaimed the land. It's now one of the largest sites for nature conservation in the East Midlands and the multitude of walking routes really reflects that. Today I took my dog for a good four mile walk around the reserve, through all the different terrain. My dog even went for a swim in the River Idle to cool off! It really is a beautiful place to walk, so many different things to look at. Definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good walk. Just to note - the centre and car park are closed until further notice due to the pandemic situation, but the reserve and it's footpaths remain open to the public. There is ample parking space just outside the car park though for non-locals. The centre (when open) boasts toilets, gift shop, and cafe.
7. Chesterfield Canal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
Reviewed By happytraveler676 - Retford, United Kingdom
Take a walk along the tow path of this beautiful Canal from the Basin by the Locks and wave to a passing Canal boat , the silence is almost deafening as you wander along and see somedays dog walkers and somedays just be at peace by yourself , it is beautiful , just take a look , well worth a little visit :)
8. Kings Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By O9594RKjuliec - Nottingham, United Kingdom
I am so glad that kings park is still open you really appreciate the park in this situation .it is so nice to walk through the gardens are fantastic .the only thing I was annoyed about were people sunbathing and playing football I thought we were not supposed to do that in this lockdown .
9. The Barrister’s Book Chamber
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
A unique bookshop offering an eclectic collection of antique, vintage and used books. Pop in have a drink in the Tea Room and browse for books in unique comfort.
Reviewed By frankier374
This shop is so cute! Love the vintage feel and it's well placed within Matlock to pop in and have a browse. No suprise they moved from Retford, the people of that town didn't appreciate what they had!
10. Mattersey Priory
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By freddiedoncaster
Although very rural, these ruins of an abbey are well worth a visit. A little tricky to get to, but once there it’s quite surreal, so let your imagination run away with yourself !
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