Clarborough lies about 2 miles (3km) to the north of Retford, North Nottinghamshire, on the A620 road to Gainsborough. Welham is a hamlet about half a mile closer to Retford on the same road.
Map of the Parish and Clarborough & Welham.
Coming from Retford, you will pass Hillcrest car=wash station (on your left) and the road drops down towards 30mph speed limits. Entering the village you pass Howbeck filling station on your right and should then see The Kings Arms public house ahead with the SPAR Store, also on the right.
Coming from Gainsborough direction, you come to Clarborough over the brow of Clarborough Hill with the 30mph sign part way down. Be careful, because the road into the village at the foot of the hill is a sharp 90 degree bend! Again, look for the Kings Arms and SPAR Store on your left..
Clarborough’s thriving Primary School is set back a little from the main A620 off Hill View Crescent, which is one left-hand turning closer to Retford than the Village Hall.
A good place to stop and park your car before exploring Clarborough is the car park at the rear of the Village Hall. The driveway is directly opposite the Kings Arms. See Village Hall CDCA for more on our village hall.
Retford, a pleasant Market town of some 23,000 population (2021), is well worth a visit with a fine Georgian Market Square dominated by the Town Hall; the square received a major facelift in 2011 followed by the Town Hall in 2012. Retford is also host to Bassetlaw Museum, located in Grove Street which runs from the Market Square. Retford has good shopping facilities, restaurants and a number of noteworthy historical features.
Retford provides a good base from which to explore the origins of the Pilgrim Fathers.
The whole district in this northern part of Nottinghamshire is called Bassetlaw (a name of Viking/Danish origins - ‘law’ signifying an area of collective ownership or overlord-ship), headquarters of which are located in Worksop some 15 miles to the west. North Nottinghamshire now has a BID (Business Interest District) to promote itself more widely.
The A1 trunk road linking London with Edinburgh bisects Bassetlaw between Retford and Worksop, providing easy access both north and south. Retford is also on the East-Coast main line railway system - both London’s Kings Cross terminal and Newcastle are about 90mins away and the station also links west-east destinations. Retford is only some 20 miles from Doncaster/Sheffield ‘Robin Hood’ international airport.
You will find more links to Bassetlaw, its political structure and other facilities in our Representative Links ► District Council section.
At the 2001 Census, Clarborough had a population of 1,111 (a good pub-quiz question!) which had increased to around 1,300 by 2020.
From Retford Bus Station (town centre), local bus services (Nos.96 & 97) head for Gainsborough with a stop on the main A620 in Welham and two in Clarborough.
Access map for Clarborough & Welham
|