Clipstone

Clipstone brings together several themes that can shape a stay in different ways: the technological history of Clipstone Colliery, the heritage of the colliery village and the Vicar Walk Circular. This takes you from the industrial past to a circular route with several uses.

Technology and landscape

The listed Clipstone Colliery complex preserves winding engines and sheaves associated with the Koepe winding system. At the same time, the colliery was a highly modern facility in the post-war development of English coal mining. This makes it possible to understand the industrial past through both specific technical components and the historical significance of the site.

There is also a connection through the landscape: Vicar Water Country Park was partly created on the spoil heaps of Clipstone Colliery. This means the connection to mining history is evident not only in the machinery, but also in the creation of part of the parkland.

Camp, colliery village and church

Clipstone Camp represents another historical period. Between 1915 and 1921, it was the largest training facility in the country and housed between 20,000 and 30,000 soldiers at a time. Its clearly defined time span and scale set this history apart from the colliery’s post-war development. The distinct period and the technological development of coal mining can therefore be considered as two separate aspects of the place.

New Clipstone Colliery Village is considered one of the best colliery villages from the interwar period. Its street plan is characterised by curving avenues and cul-de-sacs. These features draw attention to the layout of the settlement and complement the history of the technical facilities with a distinct local-history perspective. Curving avenues describe the course of the streets; cul-de-sacs are streets with no through access. This distinguishes two different elements of the settlement’s layout.

At All Saints, Clipstone, a large piece of coal and several mining tools from Clipstone Colliery recall the church’s connection to coal mining. This church connection is therefore another of the place’s historical themes, alongside technology and settlement design. The arrangement inside the church may change.

A circular route for your stay

The Vicar Walk Circular is a circular route for walking, cycling and horse riding. It starts at Vicar Water Country Park in Clipstone, away from the B6030. This clearly identifies both the starting point and the ways the route can be used. For your plans, the circular route differs from the historical themes: here, the focus is on choosing how to get around a circular route, while the colliery, camp and village offer different historical perspectives. If you want to include some outdoor activity, this distinction is a practical starting point for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Thurgarton, Sibthorpe, Sutton In Ashfield, Edwinstowe, Clayworth, Cuckney, Warsop, Misterton.

For the wider travel overview: Nottinghamshire.