Southwell, Nottinghamshire

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Southwell, Nottinghamshire

Southwell is a small city

City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
(Due to the location of the Minster Cathedral) in Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is an Counties of England in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The county town is traditionally Nottingham, though the council is now based in West Bridgford, a suburb of Greater Nottingham ....
, England

England

Southwell Minster

Southwell Minster is a Minster and cathedral, in the England town of Southwell, Nottinghamshire in Nottinghamshire, six miles away from Newark-on-Trent and thirteen miles from Mansfield....
, the seat of the Church of England diocese

List of Church of England dioceses

This is a list of Church of England Dioceses. A diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, of which there are currently 44 within the Church of England. These cover all of England, and also the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and a small part of Wales....
that covers Nottinghamshire. Its population is about 6,900.

The origins of its name are not clear, but there a number of locations around the town which stake claim to being the original "well", most notably at GR708535 where a plaque also exists; in the Admiral Rodney public house; also on the south side of the Minster itself which in the 19th century

19th century

The 19th century began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar.During the 19th century, the Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Late Imperial China, and Ottoman Empire empires began to crumble, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, and the Mughal Empire empire collapsed....
was called Lady Well; and the right of the cloisters, hitherto called Holy Well.

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Encyclopedia

Southwell is a small city

City

Nottinghamshire

England

Southwell Minster

List of Church of England dioceses

19th century

Norwell, Nottinghamshire

Norwell is a village and parish near Newark-upon-Trent, in central Nottinghamshire, England. It is close to the border with Lincolnshire, and approximately 2 miles from the A1 road ....
(pronounced "Norrell") lies approximately 8 miles northwest, which may support the notion of there being original "south" and "north" wells in the area. The town lies on the River Greet

River Greet

The River Greet is a small river in Nottinghamshire, England.Rising close to the village of Kirklington, the Greet flows in a southeasterly direction past Southwell, Nottinghamshire and Rolleston to meet the River Trent at Fiskerton, Nottinghamshire....
, approximately 14 miles (22 km) northeast of Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is one of the three major city status in the United Kingdom in the East Midlands and is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England....
. In addition to the Minster

Minster (cathedral)

In current English usage, Minster is an honorific title given to particular churches in Great Britain, most famously York Minster.The term minster is first found in royal foundation charters of the 7th century; and, although it corresponds to the Latin monasterium or monastery, it then designated any settlement of clergy living a...
(more correctly The Parish Church of St. Mary of Southwell), there are a number of other historic buildings in the town, notably the impressive prebendal houses along Church Street and Westgate, and the town's Methodist

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by John Wesley and his younger brother Charles Wesley that sought to keep Methodism as a Revivalism movement within the Church of England....
church has the bizarre feature of an old right-of-way running underneath it, necessitating a considerably larger upstairs than downstairs seating capacity.

Early history

There is evidence of Roman

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
settlement in the area, with remains of a very large and opulent Roman villa

Villa

A villa was originally an upper-class country house, though since its origins in Roman Republic times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably....
being excavated beneath the Minster and its churchyard

Churchyard

A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
in 1959, with part of a mural found at that time now on display in the Minster. This villa is one of only three examples of its type to be found in the territories of the Corieltauvi (or Coritani) tribes - along with Scrampton in Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire is a Counties of England in the east of England. It borders Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire....
and Norfolk Street in Leicestershire

Leicestershire

Leicestershire County Hall, situated in Glenfield, Leicestershire, about 3 miles northwest of Leicester city centre, is the seat of Leicestershire County Council and the headquarters of the county authority....
. A section of the Fosse Way

Fosse Way

The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln, Lincolnshire in the East Midlands, via Ilchester , Bath, Somerset , Cirencester and Leicester ....
runs on the opposite bank of the River Trent

River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its Source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. It flows through the English Midlands until it joins the River Ouse, Yorkshire at Trent Falls to form the Humber, which empties into the North Sea below Kingston upon Hull and Immingham....
with evidence of a Roman settlement having been found at Ad Pontem ("to the bridge" or "at the bridge"), northwest of the current village of East Stoke

East Stoke, Nottinghamshire

East Stoke is a small village in Nottinghamshire nestled between the A46 Fosse Way trunk road and the River Trent. It lies about 6 miles southwest of Newark-on-Trent....
. There is no specific evidence however of a road link between Ad Pontem and Southwell. Other contributions to the speculation that there was a Roman settlement in the town includes the use of several Roman bricks in the construction of some of the prebendary

Prebendary

A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglicanism or Roman Catholic Church cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon . Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral....
buildings around the Minster, remains of a fosse

Fosse

Fosse is a Tony Award winning three-act musical theatre revue showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse.After 21 previews, the original Broadway theatre production, conceived and directed by Richard Maltby, Jr....
or ditch having been found on Burgage

Burgage

Burgage is a medieval land terms used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord....
Hill in the 19th century

19th century

The 19th century began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar.During the 19th century, the Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, Late Imperial China, and Ottoman Empire empires began to crumble, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, and the Mughal Empire empire collapsed....
and conjecture that there may be additional Roman remains beneath the Church Street site of the recently vacated Minster School.

The Venerable Bede

Bede

Bede , , was a monasticism at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria....
records the baptism by Paulinus

Paulinus of York

Paulinus was a Roman missionary and first Archbishop of York in medieval England. A member of the Gregorian mission, Paulinus was sent to England in 601 by Pope Gregory I as part of the second group of missionaries sent to convert the Anglo-Saxons....
of numerous converts in the "flood of the Trent" near Tiovulginacester in the presence of Edwin of Northumbria

Edwin of Northumbria

Saint Edwin was the List of monarchs of Northumbria of Deira and Bernicia - which would later become known as Northumbria - from about 616 until his death....
whom he had converted to the faith in 627. There is no agreement on the exact location of Tiovulginacester, but Paulinus certainly visited the locale, and it is possible that he founded the first church in Southwell.

It is believed that this predecessor of the existing Minster existed in Saxon times, as it is thought the remains of Eadburh of Repton

Eadburh

Eadburg was the daughter of King Offa of Mercia and Queen Cynethryth. Married to King Beorhtric of Wessex, Asser's Life of Alfred the Great tells how she accidentally killed her husband by poison....
, Abbess

Abbess

An abbess is the female religious superior, or Mother Superior, of an abbey of nuns.In Roman Catholic and Anglican abbeys, the mode of election, position, rights, and authority of an abbess correspond generally with those of an abbot....
of Repton

Repton

Repton is a large village in Derbyshire, England between Derby and Burton upon Trent, situated at the edge of the River Trent floodplain.It was the traditional royal burial place of the kings of Mercia, one of the early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms....
, and daughter of Ealdwulf

Ealdwulf

Ealdwulf was a medieval Abbot of Peterborough, Bishop of Worcester, and Archbishop of York....
of East Anglia

East Anglia

East Anglia is a region of eastern England. It was named after one of the ancient Heptarchy, the Kingdom of the East Angles, which was in turn named after the homeland of the Angles, Angeln, in northern Germany....
are buried there. She became Abbess of Repton under the patronage of her King Wulfhere of Mercia

Wulfhere of Mercia

Wulfhere was King of Mercia from the end of the 650s until 675. He was the first Christian king of all of Mercia, though it is not known when or how he was converted....
, who was the husband of her second cousin, Eormenhild. She appears in the Life of Guthlac and is believed to have died around 700 AD, her remains being buried or later translated to Southwell Minster, where her relics were revered in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
- "There resteth St. Eadburh in the Minster of Southwell near the water called the Trent".

Eadwy of England gifted land in Southwell to the then Archbishop of York

Archbishop of York

File:Williamtemple1.jpgArchbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan bishop of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man....
, Oskytel

Oskytel

Oskytel was a medieval Bishop of Dorchester and Archbishop of York....
in 956 and there is evidence today in the tessellated floor and the 11th century

11th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century is the period from 1001 to 1100 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era/Common Era....
tympanum

Tympanum (architecture)

A tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculptures or other ornaments....
over a doorway in the north transept

Transept

Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.'For the periodical go to The Transept....
of the construction of the Minster from this time. This charter made by Eadwy is the first firmly dated reference to Southwell. The Domesday Book

Domesday Book

The Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror....
of 1086 has much detail of an Archbishop's Manor in Southwell.

From shortly after that period, a custom originated known as the Gate to Southwell. In 1109, the then Archbishop of York

Archbishop of York

Nottinghamshire

Mother Church

In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral...
in Southwell. The proposal was agreed and each year at Whitsuntide the Mayor of Nottingham and representatives from every parish in the county would carry their contribution, known as the Southwell Pence, to the Minster to help pay for its upkeep. The procession, travelling on horseback or foot with much singing and dancing from the accompanying crowds, would set off from the Old Market Square in Nottingham headed by the Mayor and Corporation in their best ceremonial robes. Following on behind were the clergy

Clergy

Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from the Greek language ?????? - kleros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "heritage"....
, who used the occasion to catch up on church business, and lay people combining a pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

File:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpgIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long quest or search of great moral significance....
with a holiday excursion to Southwell's grand Whitsun

Whitsun

Whitsun is the 49th day after Easter Sunday. In the Christianity calendar, it is also known as Pentecost, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples....
Fair. The Southwell Pence itself was paid in at the north porch of the Minster being received by the Chapter Clerk

Chapter Clerk

Chapter Clerk is the title usually given to the officer responsible for the administrative support to the Chapter of a cathedral or collegiate church in the Church of England....
. The curious name of this custom - the Southwell Gate - derives from the Scandinavian word “gata” meaning street or way to and in its original form it persisted well into the 16th century

16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 through 1600....
. In 1981 Dolphin Morrismen, a local Morris dance side, revived the tradition which survives to this day. More details are available from the Dolphin Morris web site below.

In 1189 Geoffrey Plantagenet came to Southwell to take up priest's orders; and on 4 April, 1194, King Richard

Richard I of England

Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Nantes and Brittany at various times during the same period....
along with the then King of Scots, William I

William I of Scotland

William I , known as the Lion or Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of Scots from 1165 to 1214. His reign was the second longest in Scottish history before the Acts of Union 1707 with England in 1707, ....
, was in Southwell, having spent Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

Image:Meister der Palastkapelle in Palermo 002.jpg|thumb|300px|'The Entry of Christ into Jerusalem' mosaic by the Master of the Cappella Palatina in Palermo .]]...
in nearby Clipstone

Clipstone

Clipstone in north Nottinghamshire is a small working class ex coal mining village, built on an old army base....
. The regal connections continued with multiple visits by King John

John of England

John reigned as List of English monarchs from 6 April 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I of England, who died without issue....
between 1207 and 1213, ostensibly for the hunting in nearby Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood....
, but also en-route with his troops on an expedition to Wales

Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
in 1212.

From 1300 to 1800

The building that is now called the Saracen's Head was originally built in 1463, after the land on that site had been gifted in 1396 by the then Archbishop of York, Thomas Arundel

Thomas Arundel

Thomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards....
, to John and Margaret Fysher. When built, the first floor overhung the roadway in the vernacular

Vernacular

Vernacular refers to the native language of a country or a locality. In general linguistics, it is used to describe local languages as opposed to Lingua franca, official standards or global languages....
of the time. The ground floor had subsequently been faced up to be flush with the floor above, but the original wall lines are still visible just inside the main arched entrance, along with the original half-timbered frontage.

In 1603, James VI of Scotland travelled through Southwell on his way to London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
to be crowned King James I

James I of England

James VI and I was List of monarchs of Scotland as James VI, and List of English monarchs and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Kingdom of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary I of Scotland....
.

The town featured on a number of occasions during the English Civil War

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Roundhead and Cavalier. The First English Civil War and Second English Civil War civil wars pitted the supporters of Charles I of England against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the Third English Civil War saw fighting between supporters...
, perhaps most notably the fact that King Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....
spent his last night as a free man in the public house

Public house

A public house, the formal name for a pub in Britain, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic beverage for consumption on or off the premises in countries and regions of United Kingdom influence....
now called the Saracen's Head
Saracen's Head

The Saracen's Head is the name usually given to a group of late medieval buildings in Kings Norton, Birmingham. The buildings, together with the nearby Old Grammar School, won the BBC Restoration series in 2004....
, but then called The King's Head in May 1646, before surrendering to the Scottish Army stationed at nearby Kelham

Kelham

Kelham is a small village in Nottinghamshire variously estimated as "3.36 miles," "3 miles," or "2.92 miles"to the northwest of Newark-on-Trent on a bend in the A617 road near its crossing of the River Trent....
. The fabric of the town and especially the Minster and Archbishop's Palace suffered at the hands of Oliver Cromwell's

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English people Military history of the United Kingdom and Politics of England leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
troops, as they sequestered

Sequestration

Sequestration may refer to:* Sequestration , the act of seizing property from the owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state...
the Palace as stabling for their horses, broke down the monuments, and ransacked the graves for lead and other valuables. As late as 1793, iron rings fastened to the walls to secure their horses to, were still in existence. The end of the civil wars left the original Archbishop's Palace in the ruinous state that can be still seen today, although the Great Hall remains. It is reputed that Cromwell also stayed in the King's Arms - in the very same rooms as Charles I.

In 1656, the original Bridewell was built on the Burgage, and enlarged in 1787 as it became a prison for the county at large. There is also evidence, however, that a house of correction

House of Correction

The House of Correction was a type of building built after the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law . Houses of correction were places where those who were "unwilling to work" including vagrants and beggars were set to work....
was built in the same area in 1611, so the Bridewell may itself have been an enlargement. Towards the end of this period in Southwell's history, two as yet insignificant, but soon to be important persons in its heritage were born: Mary Ann Brailsford

Bramley (apple)

The Bramley apple is a cultivar of apple which is often eaten cooked. Raw, most people find its flavour too sour, and it is either loved or hated....
, baptized at Southwell in May 1791, and Matthew Bramley

Bramley (apple)

The Bramley apple is a cultivar of apple which is often eaten cooked. Raw, most people find its flavour too sour, and it is either loved or hated....
in 1796 in Balderton

Balderton

Balderton is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. The parish, which then included Fernwood, Nottinghamshire had a population of 10,298 as of 2001....
.

The 19th century and later

By 1801, the population of Southwell was 2,305. In 1803, Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron

George Gordon Byron, later Noel, 6th Baron Byron Royal Society was a United Kingdom poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. Amongst Byron's best-known works are the brief poems She Walks in Beauty, When We Two Parted, and So, we'll go no more a roving, in addition to the narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and...
began his brief flirtation with Southwell, staying with his mother in Burgage House during his holidays from Harrow

Harrow School

Harrow School, commonly known as "Harrow", is a world-famous boys' independent school in United Kingdom. Harrow has educated boys since 1243 but was officially founded by John Lyon under a Royal Charter of Elizabeth I in 1572....
and then Cambridge. His mother rented the house; although by that time he had become 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale

Rochdale

Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester....
, the family home of Newstead Abbey

Newstead Abbey

Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, originally an Augustinian priory, is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron....
required significant remedial work, which they could not afford.

Southwell once had a railway station on a branch line of the Midland Railway

Midland Railway

The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, running from Mansfield

Mansfield

Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived....
to Rolleston Junction, a station on the Nottingham-Newark

Newark-on-Trent

Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England....
-Lincoln

Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of around 101,000 - the 2001 census gave the entire urban area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
line. The Mansfield to Southwell section, which passed through a mining

Mining

Mining is the extraction of value minerals or other geology materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, Sodium chloride and potash....
area, was an early casualty, closing in August 1929. Southwell to Rolleston Junction hung on till June 1959 before closing. Rolleston Junction station remains open, now called simply Rolleston

Rolleston railway station

Rolleston station is around half a mile from the small village of Rolleston, Nottinghamshire, one of the River Trent side villages close to Southwell, Nottinghamshire in Nottinghamshire....
, and is very close to Southwell Racecourse

Southwell Racecourse

Southwell Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England. It is one of only five racecourses in the UK to have an all-weather track ....
, which in turn is about three miles southeast of Southwell itself. The village of Rolleston was once home to children's illustrator

Illustrator

An illustrator is a graphic artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text....
Kate Greenaway

Kate Greenaway

Kate Greenaway was a children's book illustrator and writer. Her first book, Under The Window , a collection of simple, perfectly idyllic verses concerning children who endlessly gathered posies, untouched by the Industrial Revolution, was a best-seller....
.

Southwell today

As the site of an Anglican cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop. It is a Religion building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Orthodox Christian and some Lutheranism churches, which serves as a bishop's seat, and thus as the central church of a dioc...
, the town is sometimes considered to be a city, and was treated as such in the 1911 Encyclopedia. However, its city status

List of cities in the United Kingdom

This is a list of cities in the United Kingdom, as of 2008. Cities which have held such status since time immemorial are indicated with TI in the column headed Year granted city status....
is not recognised by the government.

The town is something of an oddity for north Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire

Newark-on-Trent

Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England....
and Mansfield

Mansfield

Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the county, lying on the River Maun, from which the name of the town is derived....
. Whereas agriculture and coal respectively have seen the fortunes of the other two towns fluctuate over the years, Southwell has remained an area of residence for many of Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is one of the three major city status in the United Kingdom in the East Midlands and is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England....
's richest residents. The local secondary school

Secondary school

Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place....
Southwell Minster School

Southwell Minster School

Southwell Minster School is a state funded comprehensive school in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire, England....
is often mistaken for a private institution, but is in fact state-funded. It gets the best GCSE results in Nottinghamshire (including Nottingham). The school supplies the Minster choir

Choir

A choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral Music, in turn, is the music written specifically for a choir to perform....
, and until recently there was a boarding section for choirboy

Choirboy

A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.As a slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious....
s in the town.

Southwell Holy Trinity C of E Infants School, the smallest of the other three schools in Southwell, caters for children aged 4-7 who come from Southwell and the surrounding villages. Southwell's other infant school, Lowes Wong Infant School, was recently awarded the top rating in all 24 categories in its Ofsted report.

It was here that the well-known Bramley cooking apple

Bramley (apple)

The Bramley apple is a cultivar of apple which is often eaten cooked. Raw, most people find its flavour too sour, and it is either loved or hated....
was first seeded by Mary Ann Brailsford in 1809. The apple is now used across the cookery world, and is renowned for its sweet taste. The local football club, Southwell City, is nicknamed "The Bramleys", and the town's new library

Library

A library is a collection of information, sources, resources, books, and services, and the structure in which it is housed: it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual....
and youth centre is known as 'The Bramley Centre' in honour of the town's contribution to British cuisine

British cuisine

English cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate, its island geography, and its history. The latter includes interactions with other European countries, and the importing of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of World War II Immigration t...
.

The town is accessed from Newark and Nottingham by the A612

A612 road

The A612 road is an A-class road in the United Kingdom running between Nottingham and Averham, on the A617 near Newark.It starts in central Nottingham at a junction with the A60 road....
and from north Nottingham and villages to the west by the B6386. The A617 primary route passes 2 miles to the north of the town in Hockerton

Hockerton

Hockerton is a village in Nottinghamshire. The parish church of St Nicholas is Norman architecture with an aisleless nave and a 14th century chancel ....
, and the A1 and A46

A46 road

The A46 is a trunk road in England. It largely follows the course of the Roman road Fosse Way, from Lincoln, Lincolnshire to south Devon. However, large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development, and the present A46 is no longer a single, unbroken road along its entire route....
trunk routes are both 7 miles away in Newark. The railway station at the nearby village of Fiskerton

Fiskerton, Nottinghamshire

Fiskerton is a small village in Nottinghamshire on the west bank of the River Trent about 5 miles southeast of Southwell, Nottinghamshire. Regarding the old boat ferry from Fiskerton to East Stoke, "Up until the middle of this century there was a ferry boat service over to the other side of the River Trent at Stoke Field."....
has had a small car park built in recent years to cater for Southwell commuters. Southwell is also served by Nottingham City Transport

Nottingham City Transport

Nottingham City Transport is the major bus operator of the England city of Nottingham, running a comprehensive network of services in the Nottingham City area and a handful of services beyond the boundaries of the conurbanation to Southwell, Nottinghamshire, Loughborough, and East Midlands Airport....
's rural Pathfinder service to Nottingham and Newark, and Stagecoach Lincolnshire (Mansfield) service to Mansfield and Newark. There are other infrequent services to nearby villages.

Pronunciation controversy

The exact pronunciation of Southwell remains a subject of debate. The clergy of the town, the Minster and the broader diocese use the pronunciation South-well, and have done so for many decades. Contrastingly, the local farmers over quite a broad tract of country - as far as Newark and beyond to the east, refer to it as South-wull (not Suth-ull), and are adamant this is the correct form.

For many centuries Southwell (as it is now spelled) was actually written (and thus probably spoken) as Sothwell. In older records the town appears in older records as Sudwell, sud being French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
for south. Additionally, the Old English (pre-Norman

Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock....
) pronunciation of south is 'suth'. It is therefore likely that Suth-ull (or something similar) is the older form, though this is also open to debate.

Much time in Southwell public houses is spent discussing this issue.

Both pronunciations are acceptable, and there are no real guidelines.

Bus Services

Nottingham City Transport

100: Nottingham - Carlton - Burton Joyce - Lowdham - Southwell.

Stagecoach East Midlands

29: Mansfield - Rainworth - Southwell - Newark.

Veolia (Dunn-Line)

29B: Newark - Southwell - Bilsthorpe.
61: Nottingham - Sherwood - Arnold - Lambley - Lowdham - Calverton - Southwell - Newark.

Travelwright

227: Newark - Southwell - Bilsthorpe - Edwinstowe.

Premiere (Shoplink)

103: Lowdham - Southwell - Newark.
S9: Southwell - Lowdham - Burton Joyce - Victoria Park.

Sherwood Countryman Buses

CM2: Maplebeck Eakring - Kirklington - Southwell.

Southwell, Nottinghamshire

Early history

From 1300 to 1800

The 19th century and later

Southwell today

Pronunciation controversy

See also

Bus Services

External links