pic: Mansfield outdoor marketplace
Mansfield was at the heart of the north Notts coalfields for years until the pit closures of the 1990s led to a difficult period in the town's history.
It was also hit hard by the closure of its famous brewery in 2001. The factory responsible for brewing Mansfield Bitter for decades became one of several high-profile derelict buildings in the town centre.
But in the last three years, new developments have begun to revitalise the area - derelict sites have been bulldozed, historic areas of the town centre have received a facelift, and trendy apartments are springing up all over.
Plans are afoot to replace Mansfield’s dark and dated bus station, creating a multi-million pound transport hub that will link with the train station; this much-needed development, due for completion in 2010, should help to put the area well and truly on the map.
Mansfield’s town centre market dates back 700 years and is now centred around the Bentinck Memorial, built in 1849 as a tribute to Lord George Bentinck, a local MP and brother of the fifth Duke of Portland.
There are three large retail parks on the edge of town, and their congested car parks on Saturdays show how much potential trade they have taken from the centre.
But the central shopping area is fighting back with its smaller independent outlets, selection of High Street names and huge amounts of investment by the district council.
The Market Place underwent a £1.6m makeover in 2006 and now features modern stalls, a shiny new water feature and a performance area that frequently plays host to local entertainers and musicians.
Another £400,000 was invested at the same time to improve the Church Street and White Hart Street areas of town.
The historic quarter features some of Mansfield’s oldest and most interesting buildings, as well as a system of caves behind Church Street’s shops and huge viaduct.
Three pieces of public sculpture provoked a mixed reaction when they were installed but were designed to symbolise a town that is becoming ever more aspiring.
Mansfield has numerous open spaces, nature reserves and playing fields and is literally at the heart of Sherwood Forest. A plaque marking the centre of the historic woodland sits outside a solicitor’s office in West Gate.
Property Market in Mansfield
House prices in Mansfield are well below the national average, but the town has plenty of upmarket properties, particularly in and around Berry Hill and High Oakham, and prices have been steadily rising.
Only 13 per cent of the properties in Mansfield are flats or apartments but that figure is set to increase with a number of new developments attracting singles and young professionals.
The Connexion development in Stockwell Gate was among the first and the largest to spring up but more 'designer' developments are following in Berry Hill and along Bath Lane.
There are plenty of large family homes, period properties and three-storey terraces in the leafier areas of town. But Mansfield also offers a chance for first-time buyers to get a foot on the ladder with its low cost former council properties.
There are just over 17,000 properties in Mansfield: 28 per cent of homes are detached, 37 per cent are semi-detached, 22 per cent are terraced, and 13 per cent are flats.
Areas in and around Mansfield
1. Central Mansfield
pic: New build in Hunter's Chase
Where is it? The area to the east of Rosemary Street, south of Crow Hill Drive, west of Sandy Lane/Newgate Lane and north of Park Lane/Baum’s Lane.
What’s there? A mixture of older, terraced properties and purpose-built modern apartment blocks.
Buyers: Investors buying to let, singles and couples.
Pros: Plenty to do in the town centre and good transport links.
Cons: A limited choice of larger family homes.
2. Ladybrook
Where is it? The area to the south of Abbott Road, to the north of Skegby Lane, west of Botany Avenue/Oakdale Road and east of Beck Lane.
What’s there? Mainly semi-detached ex-council properties with good-sized gardens and garages.
Buyers: A good place for families in search of affordable housing.
Pros: Large family homes at comparatively cheap prices.
Cons: A minority of areas in the estate are run-down and have a reputation to match.
3. Berry Hill
pic: Semis in Caudwell Drive
Where is it? To the east of Nottingham Road, south of Forest Road/Windsor Road, west of Southwell Road West and north of the A617.
What’s there? A mixture of detached and semi-detached homes, both new-build and period properties.
There are also huge four- and five-bedroom homes with similarly large price tags along The Avenue and Chatsworth Drive, and some new apartment buildings are springing up.
Buyers: Mostly families but increasingly singles and couples in the newer developments.
Pros: Well-known as the smartest area of town, with plenty of parks, pubs and sports facilities in easy reach.
Cons: It's a fairly lengthy walk from the town centre.
4. Oak Tree
Where is it? South of Eakring Road, north of Southwell Road West, to the west of Jubilee Way North and to the east of Little Barn Lane.
What’s there? A mixture of detached and semi-detached family homes, along with some terraces and flats.
Buyers: Mainly families and landlords, some scope for first-time buyers.
Pros: A brand new leisure centre and Tesco store are within easy reach, as is the town centre.
Cons: Some parts of the Oak Tree Lane estate are in need of a makeover.
Living Here
Transport:
pic: Mansfield train station
Trains: Mansfield is on the Robin Hood Line, with trains going north to Mansfield Woodhouse and Worksop, and south to Sutton, Kirkby and Nottingham, where there's a direct link to London taking less than two hours.
Main line rail services are also available from Newark, around 30 minutes away.
Buses: Well-connected to Nottingham by the TrentBarton Pronto service which runs every 20 minutes. The Pronto also goes to Chesterfield.
The Black Cat service runs to Sutton and Derby.
Stagecoach East Midlands runs local services throughout Mansfield and to villages including Clipstone, Edwinstowe, Warsop and Walesby.
Road: Mansfield is 20 minutes from the M1 via the A617 going north or the A38 going south.
The A1 is a 30-minute drive to the north on the A614 or to the east on the A617.
Nottingham is around 40 minutes to the south on the A60.
Air: A good choice between Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster to the north, and East Midlands Airport near Castle Donington to the south.
Both are around 40 minutes away and both have flights to most European destinations as well as some long-haul flights.
Shopping:
pic: Mansfield outdoor marketplace
Central Mansfield: The usual High Street offerings including Marks & Spencer, two large Boots stores, Debenhams, Next and a huge TK Maxx. Plenty of smaller independent retailers, too.
Ladybrook: Mostly corner shops but conveniently close to a recently built Tesco superstore in Chesterfield Road.
Berry Hill: Newsagents and off-licences as well as a number of specialist shops including antiques sellers and hairdressers in Southwell Road West and Berry Hill Lane. A Sainsbury’s supermarket is nearby on Nottingham Road.
Oak Tree: Home to Mansfield’s second massive Tesco store and an Argos outlet. A number of retail units on the same site are set to be filled in the next few months.
There’s also the usual selection of fast food outlets including McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Cafes: The Chilli Pepper Sandwich Bar in Stockwell Gate and Casey’s cafe in White Hart Street, under the viaduct arches.
Pubs: AndWhyNot in Leeming Street is one of the more upmarket bars in the town and has the popular Late Lounge nightclub upstairs.
The Red in Bancroft Lane, The Cheeky Monkey in Handley Arcade, and Chicago Rock Cafe in Clumber Street are all popular with the younger crowd.
For a more traditional pub try Ye Olde Ramme Inn in Church Street or one of the town’s two Wetherspoon’s - The Courthouse on the Market Place and the Widow Frost in Leeming Street.
Sport:
pic: view of Mansfield Town FC from Stella Street
Mansfield Town FC play in League Division Two (as of 2007/08 season) at Field Mill in Quarry Lane.
Sherwood Forest Golf Club is in Eakring Road, a five-minute drive from the town centre. Also nearby is Mansfield Woodhouse Golf Club, in Leeming Lane North, Mansfield Woodhouse.
Mansfield is home to the Water Meadows complex, which has a competition pool, leisure pool, rapids and flumes, and hosts major regional swimming competitions.
Oak Tree Leisure Centre, in Oak Tree Lane, opened in July 2006 and has badminton courts, an aerobics studio, fitness suite, sauna and steam rooms, two sports halls, a floodlit outdoor area for five-a-side and basketball, and two grass football pitches.
Entertainment:
There is an eight-screen Odeon at Mansfield Leisure Park in Park Lane, just south of the town centre.
Mansfield’s Palace Theatre is in Leeming Street and has a mixture of touring shows and local performers.
The Theatre Royal and Playhouse in Nottingham are also easily accessible by bus, train or car.
Parks and open spaces:
Berry Hill Park, off Berry Hill Road, has floodlit sports pitches and an athletics track as well as a decent-sized children’s play area and lots of open space.
Carr Bank Park in Bath Lane has a community room, bowling green, tennis courts and open spaces.
Chesterfield Road Park, Chesterfield Road, has a children’s play area, cricket ground, tennis courts and a five-a-side pitch.
Titchfield Park in Nottingham Road is a short walk from the town centre and has a bowling green, tennis courts and play facilities for children.
There are other parks and play facilities at the Racecourse park in Epsom Street, Bull Farm Park in Stacey Road, and King George V park and playing fields in Black Scotch Lane.
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