Southwell
 Cathedrals |
Rural Nottinghamshire, through which the River Trent flows, is a wonderful maze of country lanes and ancient villages; Southwell is a perfect example of the latter. Dominated by its Minster, it has in addition, a number of very old and intriguing buildings touched by historical events.
Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, Southwell Cathedral is a superb cream-coloured Norman building, with magnificent twin pyramidal towers on the West face. The Minster is renowned for its beautiful 13th century stone carvings of different foliage, including maple, oak, hawthorn and vine. This exquisite medieval sculpture, known as 'The Leaves of Southwell', is the earliest of its kind in England, and adorns the Chapter House columns.
South of the Minster, are the ruins of the palace of archbishops of York, dating from the 14 and 15th centuries. Parts of the old palace are incorporated into the present day Bishop's Palace. The 17th century Saracen's Head is a former coaching inn, where Charles I spent his last hours of freedom, before surrendering himself to the Scots Commissioners in 1646. Formerly known as the King's Head, the name of the inn was changed after Charles' execution.
On the northern extremities of Southwell lies Burbage Manor, a very fine Regency House, where the young Lord Byron and his mother lived from 1803 to 1807.