November promises to be an exciting month for heritage events. Check out some of the events happening in Nottinghamshire:

Throughout November: Head to Lakeside Arts for their new exhibition 'Secret and Sacred Libraries from East Midlands Parishes'. 'Step into the sacred libraries of the East Midlands parish priests through books that they owned and annotated across the centuries. Amongst the Bibles and theological texts are more surprising books, on poetry, history, politics, games, and the social duties that governed everyday life. Through their pages we can glimpse the intense local concerns and a broader intellectual curiosity that extended far beyond the parish boundaries. This is a unique opportunity to see the rare books from these long-forgotten libraries, which tell a story of the lives of people in parishes that still exist today, connecting the modern East Midlands with its vibrant and fascinating history'. This exhibition is open until the end of February 2027 so don't worry if you can't catch it this month! This event is free and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Friday 6th November: The National Civil War Centre will be hosting the 'Evening Talk: Cromwell's Nemesis'. 'Join Edward Davis for a lively and thought-provoking reappraisal of Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester – a man often overshadowed by Cromwell, but whose influence on the course of the conflict may have been far greater than history has traditionally recognised. Frequently dismissed as cautious and ineffective, Manchester has long been portrayed as one of Cromwell's principal opponents. But does the reality tell a different story? This fascinating talk explores Manchester's military campaigns, leadership style and political influence, revealing how he helped shape Parliament's war effort and ignite some of the most significant political debates of the age'. Tickets cost up to £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Monday 9th November: Creswell Crags is hosting an online talk 'In the Bleak Midwinter: The Folklore of Autumn and Winter Flowering Plants'. 'Join folklore expert, Icy Sedgwick, online to discover the fascinating folklore surrounding autumn and winter plants. From hellebores to autumn crocus, the colder part of the year has its own part to play in the botanical ecosystem. This talk will explore the folklore behind such plants, including cyclamen, hellebore, winter aconite, and gorse, among others'. Tickets are free but booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 10th November: Also at Lakeside Arts, 'Alison Milbank, the author of For the Parish, will describe some of the history and distinctiveness of this system, illuminating the social and religious ways of life which thrived in parishes. Alison Milbank is Canon Theologian at Southwell Minster and Emerita Professor of Theology and Literature at the University of Nottingham'. Tickets to this talk, 'Putting the 'Parish' in Parish Libraries', cost up to £4.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Illustration of Helleborus plant (Public Domain)

Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th November: Head to Papplewick Pumping Station for the next Krampus steaming event. This event includes entertainment such as Krampus characters, live entertainment, stalls and drumming workshops on top of the usual engine demonstrations occurring during the steaming weekend. Tickets cost up to £14.50 per person and booking is required (tickets are cheaper online than front of house on the day). Book your place here.

Tuesday 17th November: Join buildings archaeologist James Wright at Mansfield Central Museum for the heritage talk 'Discovering the Secrets of Nottinghamshire's Ancient Buildings'. 'Behind a Victorian façade is a Tudor house; beneath a Georgian frontage is a mediaeval cottage, or what is now a modern farm may once have been a castle. As Dr. James Wright will explain, buildings archaeology can offer us many clues for discovering the secrets of hidden historic houses'. Tickets cost up to £3.50 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 24th November: Nottinghamshire Archives will be hosting their new event 'Written Lives, Remembered Voices'. 'Discover personal stories, workplace experiences and everyday moments recorded across generations, revealing how people remembered documented and shared their lives through words and voices'. Tickets cost £6 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Thursday 26th November: The Nottinghamshire Archives is also hosting the event 'Making a Living - Trades and Occupations Workshop'. 'Join one of their archivists to explore the records in Nottinghamshire Archives that can highlight your ancestors’ working lives. Through documents such as apprenticeship indentures, wage books and court records, you can discover what their career prospects were, where they worked and how much they were paid'. Tickers cost £6 per person and booking is required. Book your place here. 

In a new segment, we’d love to highlight the continuously changing nature of the HER by showcasing some of the recent additions to our database.

Our team is always working to make sure that the HER reflects Nottinghamshire’s heritage as best we can by constantly adding new records and modifying existing records. New archaeological works and schemes help us to record previously undiscovered sites, features and finds. Information from other works like building surveys or recent HER projects, such as Project K, Miner2Major, or the NRHE project, mean we get to look back and update our existing records to make them as accurate as possible, as well as any identify any new records. And of course, local knowledge is always valuable in helping us add depth to the HER.

New in Ashfield:

- Hollinwell Golf Course, Kirby in Ashfield. An eighteen-hole championship heathland golf course founded in approx. 1887 and designed by Willie Park Jr.

- Sutton in Ashfield Central Station, Sutton in Ashfield. Site of railway station on the Kirkby Junction and Clipstone Junction Railway, used in the 20th century.

New in Bassetlaw:

- Wood Chemical Works, Worksop. Described as an important supplier of acetate of lime to the explosives industry during the Great War.

- Central Avenue Cricket Ground, Worksop. Early 20th c. cricket ground, home to the Worksop Town Cricket Club.

New in Broxtowe:

- Eastwood and Langley Mill Station, Eastwood. Site of railway station on the Great Northern Railway, used from the late 19th century until the mid 20th century.

- Tree-lined Avenue and Carriage Drive, Belle Vue Estate, Beeston. Carriage drive and tree avenue running from the entrance lodge and gates on Wollaton Road to Belle Vue/Beeston Fields House, now Beeston Fields Golf Club clubhouse.

New in Gedling:

- Gedling Wood Farmhouse, Gedling. An early to mid-19th Century former gamekeepers' cottage.

- Papplewick Moor Relief Landing Ground, Papplewick. Site of two small WWII airfields.

New in Mansfield:

- Strand Cinema, Market Warsop. The Strand Cinema was designed and built between 1937 and 1938. The Strand continued as a cinema until the 1950s or 1960s when it was used for a variety of uses before becoming a bingo hall.

- Field Mill Football Ground, Mansfield. Football Ground for Mansfield Town F.C. Previously used as a cricket ground until 1921.

- Mansfield Union Workhouse, Mansfield. Workhouse, built in 1837 and designed by Sampson Kempthorne. Later part of Victoria Hospital.

New in Newark: 

- Thynghowe Mound, Edwinstowe. Possible Norse 'thing', or moot mound, represented by a mutilated mound.

New in Rushcliffe:

- Roman Pottery near Margidunum, Bingham/Car Colston. An array of Roman pottery recovered near the Roman town of Margidunum.

Above: Eastwood and Langley Mill Station (By Chrisappleby99 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Explore where you live on our Nottinghamshire County Council HER website, with map and search functions, or get in touch with us at heritage@nottscc.gov.uk.