The market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England lies in the East Midlands of the country. It is about 31 miles in distance from the city of Nottingham, a much larger entity. Retford has a current population of about 21,400 people, and benefits in view from having the River Idle run through the center of the town.
King Henry III granted Retford its first charter, awarding it in 1246. This patent gave the town the right to hold a fair, which was later extended to the right to hold a market in 1275 by King Edward I ("the Longshanks"). The origins of the town's name are unclear, but many scholars believe it is derived from the name for an ancient fording point across the Idle. It was originally spelled 'Redforde,' due to the red-tinted clay riverbed and the reddish silt stirred up by river crossers.
Retford experienced a large fire in 1528 and languished until 1766, when the Great North Road was relocated to pass through the town's borders. It further benefitted from a canal in 1777 and then a railway line, which was laid down in 1849. This line ran the York to London route, with a stop in Retford. The road was relocated around the town in 1961, and part of the old road through the town is now mainly designed for pedestrian activities.
Of historical note, the town is home to the Bassetlaw Museum, which opened in 1983. There are also two theaters in town which host plays, music concerts and other stage-type events. Retford is near to an international airport (Robin Hood Airport), which was once a Royal Air Force airfield. This small airport has the longest runway in the United Kingdom, owing largely to its former military past.
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire, in which Retford sits, has a population of around 1.1 million people. It is also home to the famous city of Nottingham, of Robin Hood yore. It is also the ancestral home of Lord Byron. Both the town and county are steeped in English history and tradition.
King Henry III granted Retford its first charter, awarding it in 1246. This patent gave the town the right to hold a fair, which was later extended to the right to hold a market in 1275 by King Edward I ("the Longshanks"). The origins of the town's name are unclear, but many scholars believe it is derived from the name for an ancient fording point across the Idle. It was originally spelled 'Redforde,' due to the red-tinted clay riverbed and the reddish silt stirred up by river crossers.
Retford experienced a large fire in 1528 and languished until 1766, when the Great North Road was relocated to pass through the town's borders. It further benefitted from a canal in 1777 and then a railway line, which was laid down in 1849. This line ran the York to London route, with a stop in Retford. The road was relocated around the town in 1961, and part of the old road through the town is now mainly designed for pedestrian activities.
Of historical note, the town is home to the Bassetlaw Museum, which opened in 1983. There are also two theaters in town which host plays, music concerts and other stage-type events. Retford is near to an international airport (Robin Hood Airport), which was once a Royal Air Force airfield. This small airport has the longest runway in the United Kingdom, owing largely to its former military past.
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire, in which Retford sits, has a population of around 1.1 million people. It is also home to the famous city of Nottingham, of Robin Hood yore. It is also the ancestral home of Lord Byron. Both the town and county are steeped in English history and tradition.
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