Southwell

History

The market town of Southwell takes the visitor by surprise as the spires of the magnificent Southwell Minster suddenly come into view above the rolling countryside. Southwell is a small town which nestles in a hollow by the River Greet, close to the River Trent near Newark, in Nottinghamshire.


Southwell Minster

There has been a settlement at Southwell for at least 1,600 years. Indeed foundations of a Roman Villa have been found adjacent to Southwell Minster. Many artifacts have been discovered such as mosaics which are now on display. Southwell is unique in that it is the only small town in the country with a cathedral. This cathedral is now called Southwell Minster. Southwell today has a population of about only 8000 residents. Southwell is steeped in history. It is dubbed the Midlands version of Barchester.

At various times Southwell has also been the home of such distinguished figures as the poet Lord Byron, Edward Cludd (who saved the Minster during the Civil War), Cardinal Wolsey and even King Charles I. Southwell has it's own Racecourse which is one of the best in the country. We are also home to what is described as the "best-preserved workhouse in England".


The Workhouse, Southwell

Southwell is also twinned with the French town of Sees, and the Czech town of Cesky Brod.

King Charles I

King Charles I spent the last few hours of his freedom in Southwell.

On the 5th of May 1646, the King of England lost his freedom to Commissioners of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Army. This happened because in the Spring of 1646, at the battle of Naseby, Charles' Royal forces were defeated. In the time upto the 5th of May, Charles did his best to evade his victors, but eventually he decided that he must face the Scots and try to negotiatiate.

At that time the Scottish Army had made Kelham Hall (A hall about 10 miles away from Southwell) their headquarters and were besieging Newark (Newark at that time possessed a formidable castle, the remains of which exist still today). The Archbishop's Palace in Southwell had also been taken over by the Scots. At about 7.00 a.m. King Charles arrived at the Kings Arms Hotel, now called the Saracens Head. He was given little rest before he was escorted to the Archbishop's Palace to meet the Scottish Commissioners for negotiations. In the afternoon an armed troop of horse arrived and took the king in charge, and he was taken to Kelham Hall. He was kept there until he ordered the Governer of the Newark garrison to surrender. He was eventually handed over to the English Parliament.

Bramley Apple

The Bramley Apple actually originates from Southwell itself. The Bramley Apple came into the world almost by accident. One day sometime between 1809 and 1815, a girl called Mary Ann Brailsford planted some apple pips from an apple grown on a tree at the bottom of her garden. One of the pips produced a seedling which was duly planted out near its parent. The new tree first produced fruit in 1837, fruit which turned out to be the best cooking apples in the world!

No-one took much notice until in 1856, the gardener at the time was carrying a basket of the apples and a local nurseryman spotted the basket and asked where they were from. Cuttings were taken from the tree and the rest is history. They were then called Bramley apples as Mary Ann had left and the new owner was a certain Mr Matthew Bramley.

Mr Henry Merryweather, who was the nurseryman who spotted the apples then went on to produce the apples worldwide and described them as: "The king of all apples".

Lord Byron

Lord Byron (the poet) once lived in Southwell. He lived at the house in the picture below, in the years 1803 to 1808. It was said that whilst he was at school the teachers thought he was somewhat backward and slow to learn. It is also said that he was extremely shy, so much so that whenever he was outside his house and he saw a stranger he would often jump through a window in his house rather than going all the way to the door.


Burgage Manor