Newstead
Newstead village is situated in the north of the borough, nine miles north-east of Nottingham, and close to the A611 Hucknall to Mansfield road. The original village consisted of rows of brick, terraced houses built by the Newstead Colliery Company to house workers at the mine, which was sunk in 1873 and 1874. Commentators at the time remarked that the housing and the layout were functional and basic. With the success of the mine and the consequent demand for greater manpower, the mine owners built new housing from 1923 to 1925. These houses were of a better design, with gardens and a more generous layout. Most of the new miners came from outside Nottinghamshire.
Initially there was no place of worship in Newstead and villagers used the chapel at nearby Newstead Abbey. The mine owners eventually made provision within the colliery premises and by 1889 services alternated between the colliery and the abbey. Later there were also Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels. St. Mary’s church was built in 1928, with two acres (0.8ha) set aside for the graveyard. The colliery at Newstead closed in 1987 and a country park is now being created on the former site of the mine and spoil tips. Mining has been replaced by light industry and commerce, and with the advantages for commuters of good road access and a station on the Robin Hood railway line, Newstead is a thriving community.
