Nottinghamshire is a county full of history, which makes it a fascinating place for locals to explore.
Many Nottinghamshire towns and villages we know and love today date back hundreds of years, even to the Domesday Book of 1086.
Published a staggering 940 years ago, the book was a detailed survey of landed property in England at the end of the 11th century, recording who held the land and how it was used.
Considering that it was written nearly 1,000 years ago, it’s unsurprising that some settlements have disappeared from the Nottinghamshire map completely.
Others, meanwhile, have changed names over the past nine-and-a-half centuries.
Burton Joyce, for instance, is referred to in the book as Burton, while Cropwell Bishop is included under the name Cropwell.
Some villages are now unrecognisable compared to how they were back in 1086, while others are pretty much the same.
With spring upon us, now is the perfect time to get out there and explore Nottinghamshire’s oldest villages for yourself.
We’ve taken a look at 8 of the oldest villages in Nottinghamshire:
5. Maplebeck
Maplebeck's name has remained the same over the past 952 years. The isolated village had 17 households in 1086, now laying claim to Nottinghamshire's smallest pub - The Beehive. | John Slater Photo: John Slater
6. Blyth
Danish invaders marched along the Blyth road in 867 to capture Nottingham and subdue Mercia. Blyth Priory was founded in 1088 by Roger de Busli, as a house of Benedictine Monks. Blyth had 8 households at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. | Colin Smith Photo: Colin Smith
7. Barnaby in the Willows
Away from the historic villages around Sherwood Forest, we find ourselves exploring Barnaby in the Willows. Located east of Newark, Barnby in the Willows has a history that includes Roman presence, evidenced by pottery finds. The village is shown in the Domesday Book as belonging to the Bishop of Bayeux. | Geograph Photo: Geograph
8. Willoughby on the Wolds
Willoughby on the Wolds has a long history stretching back to Roman times and is also thought to have been the site of the Battle of Willoughby Field, during the Civil War in 1648. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as simply Willoughby. | Geograph Photo: Geograph