Out of these 11 fascinating Mansfield facts – how many did you already know?
1. Unfinished memorial
Bentinck Memorial on Mansfield Market Place was erected in 1849 and is actually incomplete. A statue should have gone into the empty space on top, but that never happened as money ran out. This memorial is a tribute to Lord George Bentinck, a British aristocratic son of the 4th Duke of Portland. Photo: JPI
2. History of Mansfield
Mansfield is the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire and the largest market town in the area. It received its Royal Charter as a market town in 1227. Mansfield was the chief town of Sherwood Forest, the legendary home of Robin Hood. Photo: Chad
3. Life in the Rock Houses
Angela Roche is the great-great granddaughter of John Bramwell, the last-known cave dweller of the rock houses, which are cut out of the sandstone on Rock Hill in Mansfield. We have searched the archives and been given permission to share some fantastic photographs from Angela’s collection which show the rock houses through the years. Unfortunately the landslide in November 2019 has meant the condition of the rock houses is currently unknown, as work is ongoing to secure the rock face. This is part of our local history. Photo: John Bramwell, the last known rock house inhabitant outside his Mansfield property in 1894. Photo: Angela Roche
4. The Parliament Oak
The Parliament Oak is a veteran tree on Peafield Lane and is said to have been the site for impromptu-parliaments held by King John and King Edward I. Legends linked to the Parliament Oak go as far back as 1212, when King John is said to have quickly convened a parliament there to seek approval for the execution of 28 sons of Welsh chieftains who were being held hostage in Nottingham Castle. The tree is now cared for by the Sherwood Forest Trust. Image by Warsop Old Hall/Old Warsop Society. Photo: Warsop Old Hall