Tuxford: Museums, Windmill and Historic Buildings

Tuxford brings together several distinct themes for travel planning: a working windmill, collections of hand-propelled vehicles and equestrian sports, and historic church and prison architecture. If you are looking for a hotel in Tuxford, it helps to decide first which of these themes interest you most. The differences lie between ongoing production, extensive collections and specific building phases.

Museums: Vehicles and Equestrian Sports

On the outskirts of Tuxford, the Walks of Life Museum is located on the A6075 and directly beside the A1. Visits are by appointment; visiting arrangements may change over the course of the year, so you should arrange your visit in advance. The museum has one of the largest collections of hand-propelled vehicles in the United Kingdom. Hand-propelled vehicles share the defining feature of human power as their means of propulsion.

The Museum of the Horse is one minute from the A1 and can be reached via the A6075 “Tuxford and Ollerton” exit. Its unique collection of equestrian and horse-sport objects spans the period from 600 BC to the 20th century. It is spread across nine rooms and two passages. A rare original stagecoach, of which only a few examples survive, is also on display. In contrast to the Walks of Life Museum, the focus here is on horses and equestrian objects, while hand-propelled vehicles define the other museum’s collection. This distinction makes it easier to choose if you want to focus on a particular museum theme during your stay.

Windmill and Ongoing Production

Tuxford Windmill takes the theme of technology in a different direction: it is a traditional, still-operating windmill that uses wind power to produce stoneground flour. Unlike a collection, the focus here is on an ongoing working process. This adds a distinctive technical focus to Tuxford’s museum collections and building history.

Building Phases of the Church of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas reveals several building phases. As a parish church, it contains elements dating from the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The tower dates from the early 14th century, and the openwork spire from the late 14th century; there are also two gargoyles. A clerestory dates to 1473, and the chancel was rebuilt around 1495. This makes it possible to date different parts of the church rather than reducing the building to a single year of construction. The nave also contains the canopy cover of a font made by Francis Turner in 1662. This extends the view of the church’s furnishings beyond its earlier building phases.

The Old Lock Up and Its Architecture

Another distinctive building is The Old Lock Up, a prison building dating from 1823. It has red brick walls and a hipped roof covered with plain tiles; the barred round-arched blind panels are also part of its architecture. Blind panels are not ordinary window openings but arched sections of wall. The church and the former prison offer different points of reference in time: elements of the Church of St Nicholas date from the 12th to the 15th century, while the Old Lock Up is associated with a specific year of construction.

Section of the Dukeries Trail 7

The Tuxford–Fledborough section of the Dukeries Trail 7 may also be of interest when planning a trip. It runs mostly along roads and is signposted with green waymarkers and signs for Harby and Lincoln. If you include this section, its predominantly road-based route is the key practical detail; the waymarkers and named destinations provide additional guidance. This adds a signposted route section to the local themes of museums, the windmill and historic buildings.

Discover more destinations: South Clifton, Cuckney, West Stockwith, Trowell, Mansfield Woodhouse, Stapleford, Torworth, Sutton Bonington

For the wider travel overview: Nottinghamshire.