Hidden Valleys
Hidden Valleys is a name (coined in 2004) to describe an area of interesting historical and scenic value between Nottingham and Mansfield in the county of Nottinghamshire. Promotional literature and tourist information for the Hidden Valleys were created to encourage tourism in an area which had been blighted by industrial decline. Partners in the project were: Ashfield District Council; Gedling Borough Council; the East Midlands Development Agency; Nottinghamshire County Council; and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Notable residents
The area boasts links with the poet Lord Byron, his daughter Ada Lovelace, the romantic novelist D. H. Lawrence, bodyline fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce and the composer Eric Coates as well as links to the legends of Robin Hood.
Notable buildings
Annesley Hall, Nottinghamshire and Newstead Abbey are two stately homes within the area. Historical religious buildings include Felley Priory, Selston St Helens Church, one of the county’s oldest churches, and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Hucknall, resting place of the Byron family and home to a fine collection of stained glass by the acclaimed artist Charles Eamer Kempe.
Papplewick Pumping Station is a fine example of a Victorian waterworks and houses an industrial museum. Bestwood Pumping Station is nearby.
The D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum is located in Eastwood.