Location: Retford
Top Things to do in Retford
Top 10 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. Hayton Castle Clay Shoot
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 24 reviews
2. 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.
3. 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
4. Retford Hub (NNATIC)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Tourist Information Centre with local arts and crafts from over 130 local artisans, a gallery with exhibitions, farm shop with local produce and cheeses and artisan workshops with a bookbinder, lino printer and several artist.We have a cafe serving sandwiches, homemade cakes and hot / cold drinks. Brand new for 2017 The Mayflower Pilgrim Museum with audio & visual, dress up, large story boards and activities.
Reviewed By davidharrylarder - Retford, United Kingdom
The Hub-a friendly little place which provides both a cup of tea and a sandwich and excellent cheese, is also the centre now of TOURIST INFORMATION in the old market town of Retford in North Notts. It was opened due to the enthusiasm, hard work and attention to detail of Chris and his wife Louise, supported by a number of volunteers.Chris thought it was an ideal way to spend his retirement from his high-level computing network job. He is happy now to use a paintbrush or wrap your cheese of many varieties-some local-or make you a delicious sandwich.I hasten to add that he is not doing both at the same time! He keeps very stringent hygiene behaviour in the tiny kitchen. The Hub is the centre of arts information particularly in the town. It also provides a place for working artists and crafts people to come and be seen by the public in the upstairs rooms. This was a derelict shop. But it provided the ideal venue for the couple who have turned it round for the benefit of the community and visitors. When the County Council were faced with cuts by the government they had to make choices as to which services should go. Tourist information in Retford did not survive. But Chris knew that businesses in the town needed people to visit the area and keep alive their genuine interest in its local history. So they and a host of volunteers cleaned and painted and renovated the old shop to turn it into what it is today-an unbelievingly pleasant place to go and find out at first hand as well as from tourist literature what you can do in and around North Nottinghamshire. Sherwood Forest is nearby. The happy volunteers will do their best to help you enjoy your visit. The Meal Deals are the cheapest in the town at £2.50 in the tiny cafe. On pleasant days you can sit out on comfortable chairs with a little table and look across the road at the old Parish Church and the great Canon that stands ominously in place ever since it was dragged to the town by local soldiers from the battle of Sebastopol in the 19th century With the 400th centenary of the Pilgrim Fathers (and mothers!) due soon, there is an exhibition of the Mayflower Pilgrims suffering and move to what became the United States You can have a costumed tour with children's activities and also get to know the links to 3 places in the vicinity-lovely villages-which you can visit that gave birth and sustenance to the Pilgrim Fathers before they left. The centre exists to promote local arts and has a well-lit gallery and an event space suitable for groups. Local artists take advantage of this facility and children have an arts club and classes on a regular basis Of course the great attraction for both visitors and locals are the delightful gifts and specialist local food that can be bought at inexpensive prices.You can find here in this non-profit making environment information about the many events and the arts in the town of Retford. To find out more send an email to [email protected]
5. 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.
6. The Chocolate Kitchen
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
7. Pilgrims and Prophets Christian Heritage Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
We provide guided tours of the Christian heritage sites linked to the 'Mayflower' Pilgrims (the 'Pilgrim fathers'), early Baptists and John Wesley's Epworth in Lincs and Notts. We also offer themed visits such as 'America's Christian Heritage' including visits to Boston, medieval cathedrals such as Lincoln, and wonderful country churches according to your needs. Tours can be tailored from half a day to two days or even three. You can combine a range of interests on our tours - so you could do Mayflower churches in the morning, Wesley's Epworth in the afternoon and then Choral Evensong at Lincoln Cathedral. We are an official Mayflower 400 tour operator, with significant expertise able to handle family, church, holiday and student groups. Read more about the places we visit in our book by Adrian Gray, 'From Here We Changed the World.' We are the only church-based community group operating as part of Mayflower 400. We can also provide FREE advice on where to stay locally.
8. Enigma Live Escape Rooms Retford
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Enigma Live Escape Rooms Retford is the first escape room company in Retford offering three different themes with more on the way.
9. 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.
10. Springhead Brewery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
The Bees' Knees is a warm and friendly Ale House and Eatery on the site of The Springhead Brewery.Good honest homemade food is available to compliment our range of fabulous beers. We are proud of our food, we make all our own pies with pastry made with flour from Leverton Windmill. Our meat,veg,cheeses,sausages,fresh fish, pickles and sundries etc. are all locally sourced.We have two function rooms available, we conduct brewery tours and will happily tailor any special event to your needs. We also have outside bar facilities and specialise in organising beer festivals.
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