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This coming September will be very exciting for heritage lovers in Nottinghamshire with the return of Heritage Open Days’ annual community festival!

The festival, which has been running for over 25 years in the UK, provides individuals with the chance to get involved in heritage through exclusive local events. This festival contributes to the European Heritage Days in which 50 signatory states celebrate diversity, culture, and heritage every September.

Heritage Open Days aims to celebrate heritage and community by organising talks, workshops, and tours of historical sites. All the events in this festival are free. This includes rare visits to selected sites that normally ask for an entry fee. For example, usually closed on Sundays, the DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum will be opening its doors to the public, for free, on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September. Other sites included in this festival are Trent Bridge cricket ground, Newstead Abbey, Bromley House Library, and the Workhouse and Infirmary. Visit the Heritage Open Days website for the full list.

Running from Friday 6th September until Sunday 15th September, there are over 70 exciting events happening in the Nottinghamshire area.

Above: 22 & 24 Kirkgate, Newark. To learn more about timber buildings in Newark, there will be a guided tour of Newark's timber framed heritage on Sunday 8th and Sunday 15th September. Visit the event information here.

Here are some of the events we’re excited about:

• Join the University of Nottingham’s Manuscripts and Special Collections team for a captivating journey through time. In a talk titled 'On the Road: Nottinghamshire's Early Tourists in Europe and Beyond', you will follow in the footsteps of early travellers from Nottinghamshire who ventured abroad on the 18th and 19th centuries. The talk takes place on Friday 6th September, booking is required. Book your place here.
• Nottingham Trent University will be offering an opportunity to visit the original Bramley apple tree in Southwell, Nottinghamshire on Saturday 7th September. No booking required. For more event information, visit the event page here.
• Join a guided tour covering the rich history of a beautiful community-owned wildlife site of Spa Ponds Nature Reserve that sits on the edge of the historic Clipstone Deer Park near Mansfield. ‘The site's story connects with Sherwood Forest, King's Clipstone, and King John's Palace’. The tour will take plan on Saturday 14th September, booking is required. Book your place here.
• A demonstration on how to maintain and repair historic buildings will be hosted in Newark by Nottinghamshire Buildings Preservation Trust and Newark Civic Trust. ‘There will be demonstrations of the skills and techniques required and the chance to get hands on with some of the skills. There will be stalls around the demonstration area related to the experts and the groups involved’. This event is due to take place on Saturday 14th September, no booking required. For more information, visit the event page here.
• ‘Celebrate nature and heritage at Mill Waters, Sutton in Ashfield, with free traditional crafts demos and activities, nature-based crafts for kids, story trail, heritage display, traditional games, abseil of England's oldest railway viaduct, live music and more’. This event takes place on Saturday 14th September, no booking required. For more event information, visit the event page here.

To find out about all the events being offered in Nottinghamshire, including dates and booking information, please visit Heritage Open Days.

Please be aware that free entry to some sites is only on specific set days and some events may require booking.

This educational article comes from our Spring 2002 newsletter:

In the late 1950’s, local authorities around the country were faced with the task of providing large numbers of new public buildings to cater for the growing local populations. There was a greater demand for primary schools at this date than at any other time in the 20th century and in Nottinghamshire, many areas experienced rapid urban growth as a result of the coal mining industry.

‘CLASP’ buildings were the result, it stands for 'Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme' and was in essence a collaboration between the architects of county authorities. Nottinghamshire County Council’s architects took a lead role from the outset, and in particular, Henry Swain led the way with new and innovative designs that answered the many demands they faced. These buildings had to be built quickly, to a high quality and within a tight budget. They were also faced with a considerable technical problem caused from mining subsistence, which the new buildings needed to be able to withstand. The solution up until then had been to use massive concrete foundations, but these tended to break-up under the pressure.

Henry Swain and his colleagues’ solution was revolutionary. They designed a lightweight steel frame that clipped and bolted together, with large panels between. These buildings were laid on foundations of sand so that if a wave of mining subsistence passed underneath, the building moved gently to accommodate it, as if surfing over the top. All the components were designed to be easily prefabricated allowing mass production and keeping costs down.

At the time, this CLASP system was acknowledged by experts for its innovation and was used throughout the country to great effect. CLASP technology won a number of Royal Institute of British Architects awards and Henry Swain’s contribution was acknowledged internationally with the Hold Medal at the Milan Triennale in 1960.

Henry Swain was the Deputy County Architect from 1958 and then County Architect from 1964-68, during which time he was also the vice-president of RIBA in 1967/68. He died in Nottinghamshire in January 2002, aged 77. His legacy of public buildings are all around us and make an important contribution to Nottinghamshire’s communities. Many people work, socialise, and learn in them every day.

Examples of CLASP schools can be seen in Ollerton, Carlton (Frank Wheldon), Bingham (Toothill), East Retford (King Edward VI), Skegby, Arnold (Redhill), Mansfield (Berry Hill). Health centres and other buildings include: Mansfield Health Centre (St John’s Street); County Hall extension, West Bridgford (the County Council’s own HQ); South Manor, Ruddington; Sherwood Lodge Police HQ; The Sutton Centre, Sutton-in-Ashfield. There are many more CLASP buildings across the county. To find more records, search 'CLASP' in our search bar here and look for the records that say 'Building'.

If you’re looking for something to do with the family this school holiday or just something special to do during the summer, take a look at our list of heritage events running in the county this August:

Every weekend of August: Head to Sherwood Forest for the special annual Robin Hood Festival scheduled for every weekend of August. Each weekend features a different themed event: ‘Knights Ride Back into Sherwood’ (3rd and 4th August), ‘Fantasy in the Greenwood’ (10th and 11th August), ‘Inspiring Wildlife’ (17th and 18th August), and ‘The Outlaws’ Return and Nottinghamshire Day Festival’ (24th, 25th and 26th August). Entertainment includes ‘displays of jousting on horseback and medieval hand-to-hand combat, archery, historical re-enactment, music, comedy, children’s entertainment and much, much more’. Please be aware there is a parking charge of £15. For more information on the festival weekend events, click here.

Throughout August: ‘The D.H. Lawrence Festival is coming very soon with a huge variety of events across heritage, arts and culture, music and literature and more’ at the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum as well as other locations across Eastwood and Broxtowe. For the full festival information, click here.

1st – 3rd August: Creswell Crags is hosting a variety of prehistoric workshops which gives you the opportunity to learn and practice a range of techniques used to manipulate natural material once practiced by our prehistoric ancestors with professional archaeologists. Tickets cost £95 per person. Here is the full list of workshops:

• 1st August: ‘Discover the ancient use of textiles through an exploration of techniques and discussion with experimental archaeologist, Sally Pointer. You will also make an antler needle (from naturally shed antler) using flint tools to take home’. Book your place on the Introduction to Prehistoric Textiles Workshop here.
• 1st August: ‘Create your own Stone Age jewellery using a range of techniques that would have been available to makers over 10,000 years ago’. You’ll begin with an introductory talk into personal ornamentation in the Stone Age. Next, take a closer look at what artefacts have been found in Britain. Then, you’ll doing some experiential archaeology, working with stone age tools to discover how these artefacts would have been made to create jewellery of your own to take home. Book your place on the Prehistoric Jewellery Making Workshop here.
• 1st and 3rd August: ‘Discover the art of the oldest craft in the world: Flintknapping. The aim of the day will be for attendees to go home with a variety of different stone tools they have made, new flintknapping skills and a new appreciation for prehistoric technology.’ Book your place on the Flintknapping Workshop here.
• 2nd August: ‘Bone and antler has been used from the start of prehistory up to the modern day for making tools and ornamentation. People in prehistory had a close relationship with the animals these resources came from, what does that tell us about the past? There is a huge selection of prehistoric objects including harpoons, needles, pins, spear points and fish hooks to name a few - which will you choose? Your tools to make these replicas will include sandstone files and flint tools, just like in the Stone Age’. Book your place on the Bone and Antler Carving Workshop here.
• 3rd August: ‘Explore the evidence for nets in prehistory, compare ancient and modern tools, and learn how to set up a rectangular or round net before starting work on a natural fibre net bag to take home with you’. Book your place on the Net Making Workshop here.

3rd August: Southwell Minster has ‘teamed up Southwell Workhouse and the Town Council to bring you a Family Fun Day in celebration of 140 years since becoming a Cathedral town. There will be a Victorian theme throughout, with costumed characters to meet, tower tours, games, crafts and activities provided by the Minster team and Southwell Workhouse. The local shops and businesses are getting involved with a shops trail through the town, and we hope it will be an anniversary for everyone to enjoy’. No booking required and entrance to the Cathedral is free (Attendance on the Tower Tours requires booking, click here). For more information, visit the event page here.

15th August: At the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, ‘join Jonathan Smith as he offers a talk on his extensive collection of vintage postcards, pre- and post-Holocaust.’ Contemporary postcards showed ‘images of diverse and settled Jewish communities across Europe and the world. Postcards also show these in both prosperous or poverty-stricken detail.’ Please note that you will require both an admission and an event ticket (event tickets are £10 for adults). Not suitable for children under 14. Book your place here.

Above: Flint Knapping. (By Tonto National Monument - Flint-knapping Demonstration, CC BY 2.0)

Heritage sites hosting kids activities in the summer holidays:

From 27th July to 1st September: ‘Enjoy a range of events and activities for a great day out at Newstead Abbey and Gardens’. Entry into the historic house will be free for kids this summer and events include pirate days and pirate trails. Find out more here.

From 30th July to 30th August: Head down to the Bassetlaw Museum for amazing daily events for kids. Events include Notts Wildlife Trust Activities, CHAOS Science Roadshow, Legos days and many craft days. All events are free, and no booking is required. Find out more about what events will be on here.

This fantastic article comes from our Spring 2000 Heritage Newsletter:

When King John died in Newark Castle in 1216, the cause was believed to have been his overindulgence in a favourite food – lampreys. He was not the only king to have enjoyed the dish, Henry I reputedly died of a ‘surfeit of lampreys’ in 1135. Lampreys were a Medieval delicacy. The ones on which John feasted will have come from the river Trent, one of the few places in the country where they could be caught in abundance. They remained a Nottinghamshire delicacy for centuries but are now little known.

The lamprey looks like an eel. Its mouth is a round sucker. It has one nostril on the top of its head, seven round gills on either side of its head, and a pair of eyes. The gills and nostril when viewed from the side look like eyes, hence the creature’s Nottinghamshire name of the ‘nine eyed lomper’.

Two species of lamprey may be found in the Trent, the river lamprey which grows to about 30cm long, and the brook lamprey, shorter at 15cm. The river lamprey is a parasite of freshwater fish on to which it hooks with its strong sucker-like mouth and ring of sharp teeth. It will also feed on carrion. The adult brook lamprey does not feed at all. Anglers rarely notice the fish because they are not often caught with rod and line. Traditionally, the lampreys were netted or caught in baskets during their spring migration up stream where they went to spawn and then die. The weir at Averham was a favourite place for catching the lampreys, and sometimes they may be spotted there, hanging on to stones with the suckers of their mouths, tails streaming like a ribbon in the current.

While the deaths of both kings were ascribed at the time to their excessive fondness for the fish, other reasons are possible. Henry I was 67 when he died, old by the standards of the time. Only a few days before John reached Newark, he suffered the disastrous loss of his baggage train whilst travelling across the Wash, and his death may be a consequence of this accident. However, the specific mention of lampreys suggests that both kings had been presented with the delicacy shortly before they died. Lampreys live in unpolluted water. Where they are taken from polluted rivers, they can carry harmful bacteria. Could the Medieval fishermen of Newark have prepared a treat for the king, only to inadvertently kill him with food poisoning?

Above: River lamprey (By Tiit Hunt - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0).

Lampreys can be prepared in a number of different ways; stewed, potted, or baked into pies, but frying makes them tough and chewy. They may be treated as eels. Here is a recipe to try;

Lamprey Pie:

• 1-2 Lampreys
• 150g Lincolnshire sausage meat
• Salt and Pepper
• Packet puff pastry
• Juice of a lemon
• Parsley
• Nutmeg
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 200ml Bechamel Sauce

Cut the lampreys into pieces 5cm long. Line an oven proof dish with half of the puff pastry. Cover the bottom of the dish with the sausage meat. Cover with the lampreys. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, the shallot, lemon juice and a good sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley. Cover the pie with the rest of the pastry and bake until the top has risen and pale golden. Remove from the oven and through the vent pour the Bechamel sauce. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Whatever the truth behind the mystery of John’s death, this is certainly a dish fit for a king!

There are some wonderful heritage events scheduled for July, check some of them out below:

Throughout July: The D.H. Lawrence Museum is hosting ‘The Pentrich Revolution in Art’ exhibition throughout the month of July. ‘The Pentrich Revolution of 1817- England’s last armed rebellion. The story of the Derbyshire men who stood up to a repressive government demanding political rights and an end to enforced poverty. This hidden tale of Eastwood's connection to this pivotal moment in English history is told in visual interpretation boards and paintings by several local artists, and can be found within the Gallery Space at the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum’. Visit the website here Throughout July: The D.H. Lawrence Museum is hosting ‘The Pentrich Revolution in Art’ exhibition throughout the month of July. ‘The Pentrich Revolution of 1817- England’s last armed rebellion. The story of the Derbyshire men who stood up to a repressive government demanding political rights and an end to enforced poverty. This hidden tale of Eastwood's connection to this pivotal moment in English history is told in visual interpretation boards and paintings by several local artists, and can be found within the Gallery Space at the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum’. Visit the website here.

Tuesday 2nd July: At Clumber Park, ‘discover the history of the 18th century walled kitchen garden and see how the Gardens team continue to work this space using a variety of traditional horticultural methods’ by joining ‘Walled Kitchen Garden’ tour. No booking is required, and the event is free. For more information about how to join the tour, visit the website here.

Wednesday 3rd July: Thursday 25th July: The Workhouse and Infirmary in Southwell will be hosting a special ‘Written on the Workhouse Walls’ trail for the majority of July. ‘Find the bricks, solve the riddles and discover how vagrants used secret symbols to pass on messages in the 1800s’. Trails are £2 each and no booking is required. Visit the event information here.

Friday 19th July: Opening at the end of the month and running until January 2025, the University of Nottingham Museum will be hosting an exhibition titled ‘Bronze Age Offerings in the River Trent’.  ‘Around 3000 years ago, the rich warriors of the East Midlands made offerings in the River Trent, and about 200 of these bronze objects have been recovered from the river, making it one of the biggest such collections in Europe’. No booking required and admission is free. For more information about the exhibition, visit the event page here. Check out some of our HER records of the finds: Colwick, Stoke Bardolph/Shelford, Wilford Bridge, Bleasby and Trent Bridge. 

Above: River Trent and Trent Bridge, West Bridgford. (By Insignia3, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saturday 20th July: Head down to the National Civil War Centre in Newark for a festival of archaeology! ‘Meet Catherine and Richard, The Field Detectives, and discover how community archaeologists find traces of the past in the most unlikely places! Chat to them throughout the day and enjoy an interactive look at the materials and practice of history in the field’. Handle real artefacts, look at the tools of treasure-hunting, and much more. No booking is required, just drop in. Visit the event page for more information.

Sunday 21st July: Join Alison Milbank, Professor of Literature and Theology at the University of Nottingham, for a lecture focusing on Lancelot Andrewes at Southwell Minster. Lancelot was a bishop and scholar active during the reigns of Elizbeth I and James I. No need to book, just drop in. To find out more about the lecture, visit the event page here.

Thursday 25th July: Wollaton Hall will be hosting a special performance of open-air theatre. ‘This summer, Three Inch Fools present a brand-new comedy of their own about one of England’s most epic monarchs, Henry VIII’. Tickets cost £20 (adults) or £12 (Children aged 5-16), family tickets (2 adults, 2 children) costs £55. To book your tickets, visit the event page here.

Saturday 27th July: ‘Come and find out about recent archaeological work at Southwell Roman Villa with the Southwell Community Archaeology Group’ during a special workshop at the University of Nottingham Museum. ‘In this free drop-in workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to handle archaeological artefacts. You can also explore Roman frescos. Find out how the Romans made their paint pigments and have a go at creating your own design using stencils’. The workshop is free, and no booking is required. For more information, visit the event page here.