Things to do > Heritage & history > Cathedrals and churches

Heavenly Heritage

Southwell Minster is one of England’s loveliest cathedrals. With its majestic Norman nave and glorious 13th century Chapter House, it’s one of the least known jewels in the crown of Nottinghamshire. 

Children will enjoy hunting for the mysterious ‘Green Men’ faces among the carved stone foliage of the Chapter House and the ten carved mice created by modern craftsman, Robert Thompson.

St Mary’s
Located in the oldest parish in Nottingham, St Mary’s is mentioned in the Domesday Book but the foundations are believed to date from Saxon times. The main body of the present Church (the third on the site) dates from the end of the reign of Edward III (1377) to that of Henry VII (1485-1509), the entire nave being finished before 1475.

Many local organisations hold their special services and celebrate major events in this remarkable city church.

St Peter's is the oldest building in continuous use in Nottingham. The most famous Traquair Murals which decorate the chancel of this 12 century church are the largest work of art in the east of England.  It has been a place of worship since the 11th century and lies immediately outside the original Anglo-Saxon settlement. It is a good example of the Early English style of architecture and belongs to the concluding years of the reign of Henry II, sometime about 1180.

St Mary's Church Edwinstowe

The impressive 12 century building is said to be the place where Robin Hood married his true love Maid Marian. Attractions include a beautiful parish tapestry, the carved stone heads of Archbishop Thomas a Becket and King Henry II, and a mystery face in the stained glass East Window.   

The canons of St Augustine worshipped together in the special part of the Great Priory Church.  They lived and worked together as priests, scholars and teachers: in fact, England’s first elementary school was founded here in the 16th century.

Saint Barnabas' Cathedral
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was the architect of St Barnabas’ Cathedral, Nottingham. A convert to the Catholic faith with little formal architectural training, Pugin’s architectural theories and practice transformed English Church building. Despite his death at just 40, he both galvanised the British Gothic Revival and stimulated Gothic revivals internationally. Within a few years of his death, Gothic revival architecture had become a worldwide movement. Saint Barnabas’ Cathedral in Derby Road is considered to be one of his three best churches.

St. Mary Magdalene, Newark The church has one of the best and largest collections of stained glass by the Victorian artist CE Kempe. The church houses many carvings and masaics and is the burial place of the poet Lord Byron and his daughter Ada, Countess of Lovelace.  

Hucknall Parish Church, the burial place of Lord Byron and his daughter Ada, the computer pioneer. It also boasts 18 stained glass windows by Victorian artist, Kempe. 

Meanwhile, at Babworth and Scrooby, quiet parish churches hold mementos of the Pilgrim Fathers, who set out from north Nottinghamshire in search of religious freedom and the New World.

If you're staying over in the city then check out our list of approved Nottingham hotels. Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest are great options for UK family holidays and our Robin Hood breaks website has everything you need. For that home away from home try our range of Nottingham bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) or our approved Nottingham holiday cottages.

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