Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts.) is a largely low-lying county in eastern-central England.

Nottinghamshire borders with Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Sherwood Forest lies entirely within this county and is famous for its links with Robin Hood, a 13th-14th century legendary outlaw; Nottinghamshire is sometimes nicknamed "Robin Hood County" as a result. The River Trent flows through the county from south to north.

Principal towns and cities include Nottingham, Newark, Mansfield, Worksop, Retford, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Eastwood and Hucknall.

The geology of the county is bunter sandstone lying over coal deposits. Many of the older villages in the county have characteristic walls and cottages constructed out of this reddish local stone with pan-tile rooves.

The East of the County around Newark and Southwell is characterised by largely flat agricultural land around the Trent floodplain, where as towards the west, around Hucknall and Mansfield, there are hills and sandstone outcrops, notably at Nottingham Castle. The county lies immediately to the east of the Pennine Hills in Derbyshire, and as such receives relatively low rainfall compared to much of England.

Principal industries are agriculture and commerce. The west of the county was once a prolific coal mining area but this industry has been in steady decline since the 1980s.

Administration

The county Nottinghamshire lends its name to Nottinghamshire County Council which covers a similar, but not identical, area to the county proper, and around 70% of its population. A part of the county including the city of Nottingham and its surrounds is administered by Nottingham City Council. Some parts of the far north of the county, including Finningley, close to which Doncaster Sheffield Airport is located, are served by City of Doncaster Council. Broadholme, in the east of the county, has been administered by Lincolnshire County Council (with some local functions being the responsibility of West Lindsey District Council) since the 1980s.