Heanor

Heanor sits across the valley from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, the town made famous by writer D.H. Lawrence and so is often described in his novels. The River Erewash passes through the area at Langley Mill and visitors are able to enjoy the restored boats, which travel to and from the 200-year-old canal basin.

Heanor’s hub is the market place, where the annual fair is held, as well as a twice-weekly market, which takes place on Fridays and Saturdays. To the south of Heanor is the Shipley Country Park, on the estate of the now-demolished Shipley Hall. In addition to its magnificent lake, the country park boasts over 600 acres of beautiful countryside, which should keep even the most enthusiastic walker busy. In 2008 Shipley Country Park Visitors Centre went ‘green’ and is now being powered by the wind after the installation of a wind turbine. Well-known as both an educational and holiday centre, there are facilities for horse riding, cycling and fishing. Near the park is Shanakiel House, built in the early 1900s for Dr E.V. Eaves.

This medieval estate was mentioned in the Domesday Book and, under the Miller-Mundy family, it became a centre for farming and coal-mining production during the 18th century. Restoration over the years has transformed former railways into wooded paths, reservoirs into peaceful lakes, and has re-established the once-flowering meadows and rolling hills, which had been destroyed by the colliery pits.

The ancient Parish Church of St Lawrence dates back to the 12th century, though little of the old church remains after rebuilding in 1868. The 15th-century tower is still intact.