Laxton

What it’s like

A village that still farms medieval open fields, with a short film and information boards explaining how it all works.

This isn't a castle with turrets to run round, it's a working village that's kept the medieval open-field farming system going when everywhere else gave it up centuries ago. The main thing to do is walk round and read the nine information boards dotted about the village and the open fields themselves, which explain what you're actually looking at (because from a distance it just looks like fields, until you know the story).

There's a 23-minute film that costs £2, which does the job of explaining the whole open-fields system properly if you'd rather sit down and watch than piece it together from boards. School groups get a shorter 8-minute version instead, so if you've got a class of six-year-olds in tow that's the one to ask for. There's also a £10 booklet if you want something to take home and read properly later, or hand to a curious ten-year-old in the car on the way back.

This suits kids who can cope with reading boards and following a story rather than climbing on things, so it's more of a walk-and-look day than a run-about one. It's a low-key sort of visit, no big ticket price, no queueing, just a village with a genuinely odd bit of history sitting in plain sight.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Kids old enough to read boards and follow a story, not toddlers

• The 8-minute film is aimed at school parties rather than families turning up on a normal day
• The £10 booklet is a nice extra if you want the detail rather than just the boards
• It's a walking and reading sort of visit rather than one with things to climb on

Plan your visit

Featured in 1 Huddlepin list

See all Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in Nottingham · Things to do in Nottingham