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Travel Guide: Southwell

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Located near the much better known Nottingham (of Robin Hood fame), Southwell is a small town with a good deal of history.

At a glance…
  • Days To Spend: A few hours
  • Get Around: With a car
  • Get In and Out: By car
  • Pay: With Pounds Sterling, with card, or cash if you want to be safe
  • Speak: English
  • See: Southwell Workhouse, Southwell Minster
  • Should you go?: Only if you’re passing by

General Impressions

Southwell is far from being a tourist destination. A small town, with few attractions. And yet, it still has a couple things worth checking out, and it can be a particularly educational trip.

Public Transport

Getting Around

Southwell is very small town that is eminently walkable, but one if it’s main attractions is over a mile away from the centre. If you plan to visit Southwell Workhouse, consider having a car

Getting In and Out

Southwell does not have train station, though there are buses from other nearby towns that do. Nevertheless, it is infinitely better to just arrive by car.

Money

As with most of the UK, there are places that’ll only accept card, and some places that’ll only accept cash, though most places will accept both.

Language

Being in England, English is of course the only spoken language.

Time

There’s not a whole lot to do in Southwell, so it’s probably only worth stopping for a few hours to tick off the main attractions. We did it as a break point on our drive from Leeds to Essex, and that is something Southwell is perfect for.

My Favourite Spots

Southwell Infirmary and Workhouse

Once a workhouse, then an infirmary, and now a National Trust site dedicated to educating people about Workhouses and how they changed over the years they operated. It’s an interesting place to visit, and you can learn quite a lot about the daily lives of it’s residents, as well as how such experiences differed between generations.

Southwell Minster

A block cathedral, with iconic pyramid-like steeples, Southwell Minster is the main place of worship in the town. Small parts of it date back to the Saxons, which makes this church a worthy visit.

Conclusion

There’s no point pretending Southwell is a hidden gem or anything like that, but it is definitely worth a short visit, especially if you’re passing through the area.

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