Mansfield Historic Quarter

Mansfield’s rich history has made it famous for many things. A now extinct mining heritage, a brewery producing its own drink - Mansfield Bitter - and an ‘Oscar’ winning railway station, to name a few, but here Made takes a look at the vibrant Historic Quarter of Nottinghamshire’s largest market town, and its fascinating past.

Mansfield was first granted a market charter in 1227 at a time that coincided with the beginnings of smallscale quarrying and textile manufacture. Over the following centuries the town continued to grow, its geographical importance key to its progression, with direct routes to Nottingham, Newark, Worksop, Chesterfield and Rotherham, and of course as the original roots of Sherwood Forest. By the 18th century, the town had expanded to accommodate industrial advances. Malting of hops for breweries was overtaken towards the end of the century by framework knitting with an abundance of mills powered by the River Maun. This was followed by the development of iron foundries and the first coal mines were sunk on the town’s outskirts, and in the 20th century new industries such as metal box manufacturing and shoe making. Notably though, the town has retained its bustling market centre and trading quarter, and it is embraced still today by a proud community who cherish its heritage, and continue to enjoy the plethora of buildings and shops that have shaped its character.

Did You Know?

The Bowl in Hand was finished in 1900 but the first pub on this site dated back to the 1750s and was known as the Bowling Green. The Samuel Brunts Building features a statue of Samuel Brunts who died in 1711 leaving much of his wealth for charitable use. The Tribute to the British Miner sculpture is a celebration of Mansfield’s coal mining heritage, and a nod to the 35,000 men employed across Nottinghamshire’s pits during the mining peak in the early part of the 20th century.

Did You Know?

Moot Hall, built in 1752, was paid for by the Lady of the Manor of Mansfield, Henrietta Cavendish Holles, who lived at Welbeck Abbey. It was used as a trading place and social hub. Meetings often took place when there was a full moon so that people could find their way home afterwards in an age before street lighting. The Bakehouse Building is a wonderful reminder of early Mansfield and was a former backyard bakehouse. The Town Hall was built in 1835 and it attracted huge interest in 1837 when an illuminated clock was installed on the building, lit by gas. The Swan Hotel was once the foremost coaching inn in Mansfield, dating back to 1586. The railway viaduct remains one of Mansfield’s landmark buildings and was built in 1875 by the Midland Railway company. 15 brick and stone arches span the heart of the town; a testament to the Industrial Age.

The historic quarter is made up of Leeming Street, West Gate, Market Place and Church Street, and visitors interested in discovering more should pay a visit to Mansfield Museum. There is also an excellent town centre heritage trail, which starts from the museum, perfect for combining the two activities in one day. The trail will take you approximately two hours on foot and there are maps and audio options available.

Leeming Street The street offers an insight into different historical periods and the remains of medieval patterns of streets can still be seen. Late 17th century grand houses and tiny framework knitter’s cottages sit alongside the remains of the town’s industrial past, such as waterpowered mills and maltings. Sadly though many of the timber framed buildings that once adorned the area were destroyed by two 16th century fires. Have a wander and keep an eye out for the Miner’s sculpture, the Bowl in Hand public house, the Old Library and the Samuel Brunts building. Mansfield Museum is also located here.

Market Place By the turn of the 19th century, the Market Place was a maze of small streets bustling with life and filled with an assortment of shops, pubs and street traders. It was the vibrant centre of the town where you would come to trade and buy wares and socialise. Such was its popularity that it was often hard for horses and carts to pass through. Inevitably a re-development was needed and in 1823 it was demolished and replaced with a much more open market place, which we now see today. Some interesting buildings to look out for include the Town Hall, Moot Hall, Bakehouse Building, the Swan, the White Hart, the Bentinck Memorial and of course you cannot miss the railway viaduct.

Church Street Formerly known as Kirkgate, this is known to be one of the oldest streets in Mansfield and links the church, Moot Hall and the site of the old market place. It was once the place where a number of coaching inns vied for custom, providing rooms for weary travellers and stabling their horses. A tannery behind the Ram public house in the 17th century continued to trace until the late 1800s. Interestingly, an inn and a number of cave houses were cut into the limestone cliffs which can be seen behind the modern shop fronts in the street. Keep an eye out for the Post Office, The Ram, White Lion Yard, St Peter’s House, the Maltings, The Town Mill, Rock Court and the Grammar School.

Westgate One of the busiest streets in modern Mansfield, it was a cattle market until 1877 when this was relocated to Nottingham Road. A number of 17th century houses survive at the northern end of Westgate. The shop with the horses’ heads on the frontage was once the site of the old Nag’s Head Inn dating from the early 1700s; a popular meeting place for market traders and visitors. The Midland Hotel, the Old Meeting House, Rosemary Centre, St Philip Neri Church, Cromwell House and Parsonage can all be found here. Also, Robin Hood fans will note that a tree has now been planted on West Gate to mark the spot of the first Sherwood Forest.

The town centre heritage trail is highly recommended to give you a real sense of the diversity of the town’s heritage. It will take you on a fascinating journey through the centuries. The town’s market is still very much a hive of activity and is open five days a week from Tuesdays until Saturdays.

Did You Know?

The Post Office is a fine display of a 1920s building and its magnificent ionic columns are topped with ornamental capitals. The White Lion Yard is named after an inn that was almost entirely carved into the rock face alongside cave houses with were occupied until 1901. The Ram is a beautiful timber framed building dating back to the 17th century, however its front timbered facade actually dates back to the 1920s after restoration. You can still find the original timbers inside. The painted sundial at Sundial House serves as a reminder of a time when it was commonplace to structure the working day by the light of the sun. The Old Grammar School was once the leading boys’ school of the town, built in 1551 after a charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I. Originally built as a corn and malt mill in the 1740s, the Town Mill was converted to cotton spinning in 1795, later serving as a warehouse and pub after a fire destroyed part of the building. The Matings served as the production base for malt, dating back to 1740, and supplied the Mansfield Brewery when it began brewing in 1855.

Did You Know?

Midland Hotel, once known as Broom House, was built in 1805 and prior to its purchase by the Midland Railway Company in 1862, it was an asylum for men. The Railway Station was opened in 1849 after a long success with the Mansfield to Pinxton Railway line, which first served to bring coal from the Pinxton Colliery into Mansfield from 1819 and then used to transport Mansfield stone for the rebuilding of sections of the Houses of Parliament in 1833. The Grade II listed building was awarded the prestigious ‘Railway Oscar’ in 2002. St John’s Church and School was built in 1855-6 and its construction costs were donated by Henry Gally Knight who stipulated that at least 500 of the 1,000 pews were to be free seats. Pew renting at the time enabled those who could afford it to have the best seats in the church. The Rosemary Centre, today’s central shopping hub for the town, now occupies the former Lawn Mills, established in 1906 to prepare cotton for weaving in the damper atmosphere of Lancashire. A plaque on the wall of Cromwell House, a 17th century school house, is reputed to mark what was once the centre of Sherwood Forest.

Lasting Powers Of Attorney You may have heard about Lasting Powers of Attorney, but do you know what they are and how important they can be?

Firstly, what is a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that is registered with The Office of Public Guardian and allows you to give authority to people you trust to make decisions for you, if in the future you are unable able to do so for yourself. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, one for decisions about Property and Finances and one for decisions about Health and Welfare.

So, why are they important? By having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place you are ensuring that should you become unwell or lose capacity, the people you trust can continue to look after you and make important decisions that are in your best interests. They can pay your bills, make important decisions regarding your care and even make decisions about life sustaining treatment and make day to day decisions as needed.

Lasting Powers of Attorney should be implemented at the very earliest opportunity, because nobody knows what the future holds. You can only make a Lasting Power of Attorney whilst you are mentally able to do so. By putting things in place while you are healthy, you can help your loved ones to make decisions for you at potentially very difficult times.

What happens if there is no Lasting Power of Attorney? Without a Lasting Power of Attorney your family may have to apply to the Court of Protection to be able to deal with your property and financial affairs. This is a lengthy and costly process and only provides your loved ones with very limited powers. It also requires annual accounts and ongoing fees. It also only relates to your financial affairs. Applications can be made in relation to health, however it is rare and often too late. With a Lasting Power of Attorney you retain control. You have decided who should make decisions for you and you can also leave instructions and guidance to ensure they act how you would want them to. Our clients want to know that if they become unwell in the future, it’s their family who know them and understand their wishes that are able to make important decisions

Case Study: Mrs M instructed us to prepare and register Lasting Powers of Attorney at the beginning of this year. We prepared and registered both Lasting Powers of Attorney for Mrs M, appointing her loved ones as Attorneys. During lockdown Mrs M became very ill and lost capacity. Because she had a registered Lasting Power of Attorney in place her family were able to make difficult decisions on her behalf ensuring her wishes were followed. Our client’s family were grateful she had taken the time to arrange these vital documents.

on their behalf if that time ever comes. As one client said it’s “planning for the worst, but hoping for the best”

Until your document is registered it cannot be used, and with registration taking 8 to 16 weeks, it is important these documents are registered immediately. At Olive Tree Law your Lasting Power of Attorney will be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian as part of our service. We will guide you through the entire process and give you the best advice on all the options available. We aim to make the process as straightforward and simple as possible so you can have peace of mind that your loved ones can make vital decisions when it matters.

Why should I make my Lasting Power of Attorney Now? No one can predict the future. We do not know when we may become ill or have a serious accident. Registering a Lasting Power of Attorney gives peace of mind that if the worst should happen, it’s loved ones that will make those crucial health and welfare and financial decisions as required.

There has also never been a better time to create and register your Lasting Power of Attorney due to the launch of the “Use a Lasting Power of Attorney” service, which went live in summer.

Using a professional to prepare your Lasting Powers of Attorney allows you to make your Lasting Power of Attorney bespoke to you. All Lasting Powers of Attorney allow for instructions and preferences. This means you can leave detailed information for your Attorneys on how you would like them to act. If these sections are not correctly worded it can leave your documents invalid and unusable. We have practical advice and solutions and work closely with our clients to ensure their documents are right for them.

Choosing Olive Tree Law We are specialist Will and Estate Planners based in Retford. We deliver a wealth of expertise when it comes to planning your estate and offer a personalised and tailored service. With Olive Tree Law you will only ever deal with two people – Chris and Robynne. Chris has worked in Estate Planning for many years and specialises in Lasting Powers of Attorney and Will Trusts. Chris is friendly, approachable and cuts through the jargon. He will listen to your concerns and circumstances and only advise what is best for you. Robynne graduated from Kingston University is 2009 and completed her professional qualifications in 2015. She has always wanted to focus on private client services such as Wills and loves working with her clients. We have created Olive Tree Law with a combined passion to look after our clients and deliver only the best customer service.

If you would like more information on how a Lasting Power of Attorney could help you and your family we offer free consultations via video call, over the phone and face to face.

Contact Olive Tree Law on: 01777 712 733 hello@olivetreelaw.co.uk www.olivetreelaw.co.uk

Customer Testimonial: “I cannot speak highly enough of this company. Through the most appalling times of COVID-19 they continued to operate. We signed our Wills on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the garden maintaining safe social distancing & sanitising as we went. Such a modern innovative company. Value for money and no patronising attitudes. I can not recommend them enough.”

50% OFF LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY for Made Magazine Readers Offer applies to our fees for advising you, preparing your documents and registering your documents with the Office of the Public Guardian. It does not apply to any third party disbursements.