About rural Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire lies at the heart of England — a county of wide arable fields, ancient woodland, and long-standing rural communities. While it shares in the industrial legacy of the Midlands, much of its land is still farmed, forested, and characteristically English in feel.

The county’s eastern half is broad and agricultural — growing cereals, oilseed rape, and sugar beet across large holdings. The open fields between Newark, Retford, and Bingham are structured by drainage ditches and occasional hedgerows, with occasional market towns that support the agricultural economy.

To the west and north, toward the Derbyshire border, lie smaller mixed farms, more pasture, and stronger rural settlement patterns. Cattle and sheep farming is common here, along with equestrian businesses, smallholdings, and nature reserves.

Sherwood Forest, once a royal hunting ground, adds a legendary layer to Nottinghamshire’s rural identity. Today it is both a conservation area and a cultural touchstone — surrounded by farms, ancient oak groves, and rewilding projects.

Despite urban centres, Nottinghamshire’s countryside remains essential — a space of long continuity and quiet productivity.