Nottingham (within 5 miles)

Wollaton hall

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 Situated to the west of the city, the 400 year old  Wollaton Hall  is now a natural history museum, but it has an interesting past. It is also said to have a ghost and is a house with many memories. What you see in the picture is not so different from what the first Sir Francis Willoughby saw, when, in 1588, the building was at last finished. Buildings were a sign of wealth for all to see, and at the height of the reign of the First Queen Elizabeth wealthy families were not slow to advertise their status. The gardens would be differently disposed and the stone - hewn from Ancaster stone quarries (Lincolnshire) - would have looked a little fresher. In the 17th century there was a serious fire (1642) and some alterations were also made in the 19th century.

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There is also an Industrial Museum with a  display of Textile, Transport and Technology from Nottingham's past, including favourites like the Bassford Beam Engine, a fully operational analogue telephone network that you can see working whilst you chat, a display of cycles, motor cycles and motor cars linked to the city and some  important lace making machinery . The Steam Engine House has a fully operational Steaming Day run by the Nottingham Arkwright Society on the last Sunday of every month including November, December, January and February. The Industrial Museum is accessed through the Courtyard Stables shop and via the Wollaton Visitor Centre.