Retford (), also known as East Retford, is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It lies on the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal. Retford is located east of Sheffield, west of Lincoln and north-east of Nottingham. The population at the 2021 census was 23,740. The town is bypassed by the A1 road.
Toponymy The origins of the town's name are unknown and have been subject to much debate, but consensus seems to conclude that it gets its name from an ancient ford crossing the River Idle. There is considerable variation in how its name has been spelt historically, although in early usage it is usually styled as Redeforde or Redforde. A common explanation of the name is that the river water was tinged red due to the frequent crossing of people and livestock disturbing the clay river bed.Piercy, John Shadrach. The History of Retford. 1828. cited at Derivation of the Towns Name Updated 29 May 2003, accessed 17 June 2006.
Other traditions include that it refers to the reeds that are plentiful in the river, or that the name references the Battle of the River Idle which was said to tinge the Idle red with blood.The Battle of the River Idle (c 617), Historia Ecclesiastica, BedeHunt, "Redwald", Dictionary of National Biography, p. 386
Writing in 1908, local historian Edwin Wilmshurst proposed another theory:
The historical importance of the town as a river crossing is underlined by the fact that one of the main streets is named 'Bridgegate'.
The town is generally known as Retford, although the borough was officially called 'East Retford' right up until its abolition in 1974, despite West Retford having been absorbed into the borough in 1878. The town's charter trustees still use the name East Retford, but the Ordnance Survey now labels the town Retford on its maps, and the post town is likewise just Retford.
History
Early history Evidence of early human activity around Retford stretches back to the Mesolithic period, with archaeological evidence of human activity in the area including a Mesolithic flint tool found in Ordsall, an axe from the Neolithic era (New Stone Age) from Little Morton, and a Neolithic polished flint axe discovered near the River Idle at Tiln. A Bronze Age spearhead was found near Whinney Moor Lane, and Romano-British crop marks are visible around Babworth.
The area Retford is situated in was on the border of the territories of the Brigantes and the Corieltauvi during the Iron Age period. It is likely that the existence of Retford is partly due to its water resources, in the form of both the river Idle (and its crossing) and the wells that are dotted around the area that are either still in existence or can be identified from placename evidence. These include Spa Common, Cobwell Road (named after the Cob Well) and the ancient well at Welham (called 'Wellun' in the Domesday Book).
Between Retford and Grove there are a range of earthworks of unknown date. They may be pre-historic and/or Roman. There is evidence of a medieval moated site or possible motte & bailey construction. This site was later reinforced during the English Civil War. The wood here is known as Castle Hill Wood.
Roman-era artefacts are rare in Retford, although 1st–2nd century items were found at a site on Carolgate in 1922. The remains of a group of 1st–3rd century buildings were found at Babworth in 1981. A coin hoard was found at Little Morton that was dated to the 3rd century, and Roman artefacts and pottery fragments have been found at Tiln (Stroud, 2001). Evidence of Roman field patterns were identified by Derrick Riley of Sheffield University in the 1970s and 80s. Nottingham University archaeological researchers have said that during the 5th century and even into the 6th century, North Nottinghamshire was probably populated by "British communities with a sub-Romano-British culture".
Anglo-Saxon and Viking period Retford has traditionally been placed within the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia because it is situated within Nottinghamshire. More recent historical research suggests that the South of Nottinghamshire and North Nottinghamshire may have had very different cultures. North Nottinghamshire, including Retford, belonged to an area called Bernet-seatte, which later became Bernesedelaue and then Bassetlaw. This territory is now thought to have been "substantially British". It practised, for example, partible inheritance, had British placenames and there is relatively little Anglo-Saxon material. West and East Markham seem to have been on the boundaries of this territory (maerc means boundary). It is not known if Bernet-seatte extended across the whole of North Nottinghamshire, or whether the Kingdom of Lindsey controlled the East of this area (Retford and Retford rural district). What is known is that this corridor of land was seen as strategic, which is why several notable battles were fought in the area between the kings of Northumbria and Mercia.
The strategic Battle of the River Idle (617) was fought in or near Retford. The Battle of the River Idle was significant in establishing Rædwald's power, such that Bede called him "Rex Anglorum" (King of the Angles). Various battlesites have been suggested including at Retford, Eaton and Bawtry. No evidence of a battlefield has been found in any of these sites, although according to Hunt this led to a saying: "The River Idle was foul with the blood of Englishmen". A variant local tradition says this was the origin of the name "Redforde".
Placename evidence in Retford does suggest Viking settlement. Many of the streets in the centre of town are -gates, deriving from the Old Norse gata, which means street. In Retford there are streets named Moorgate, Bridgegate, Chapelgate, Churchgate and Carolgate. Grove Street was previously known as Newgate and Lidgett Lane was originally Hildgeat or Hildgate. The Reverend WP McFarren (1947) wrote that Bridgegate was previously spelt Briggate (1340) suggesting the river had a bridge from a very early date. Moorgate contains both Anglo-Saxon (AS) and Old Norse (ON) elements, deriving from AS mor and ON gate. Its literal meaning is 'miry street'. This is a reference to the beck that used to cross it. (This beck was progressively contained within a culvert and is no longer visible for most of its course into the Idle.) Carolgate is derived from the ON karla (karl) + ON gate. A karl was a freeman. WP McFarren (1947) also mentions a 'Kynegesgate' (Kingsgate), which is now lost. Piercy mentions Carhillgate (p. 146).
Timber piles were found in Retford in 1995 on the western bank of the Idle at Bridgegate, which were dated to 947-1030 AD.
Norman period and Middle Ages In the Domesday Book of 1086, Retford was recorded as Redforde, and joined to Odesthorpe (now unknown). It was held by the Archbishop of York and Roger de Busli, a Norman baron who was granted large amounts of land in what had been Anglo-Saxon Mercia. The Domesday Book does not distinguish between East Retford and West Retford, and it is thought that the Retford referred to was West Retford. The Retford described was a relatively small settlement, with no mention of urban trades or burgesses.
By tradition, East Retford claims to have been given a charter in 1105 by Henry I, although the earliest charter referring to it as a borough dates from the thirteenth century. In total, Retford was granted 17 Royal Charters up to 1607, which gave permission for a series of rights. Piercy (1828) says Retford was granted a charter in 1246 by Henry III, which allowed an eight-day annual fair to be held. Other charters gave the right to hold a market and the 1225 Letters Patent granted the right to levy tolls on travellers in North Nottinghamshire.
It is unclear exactly when Retford became a borough. Ballard & Tait (1923) and Dolby (1997) say there is no surviving historical evidence to support the claim it was in 1105, with the 1259 charter the earliest known to have been granted. The earliest surviving charter dates from 1313 and is now held in the Bassetlaw Museum. Despite this debate, Retford was the second place to become a borough in the county of Nottinghamshire after Nottingham itself; the next borough to be created in the county was Newark in 1549.
According to Marcombe (1993), there was an intention for Retford "to compete with the trading privileges of Blyth Priory and to exploit the market opportunities of north Nottinghamshire". In 1225, for example, the burgesses of Retford are said to have taken over the collection of 'river tolls' from Blyth Priory.
The first town hall or 'moot hall' was built in 1388 and demolished in 1754. It is believed this may have been situated in what is now known as Cannon Square. The hall was built of timber and faced east. On the ground floor of this building was the Shambles. At that time, what is now The Square was possibly used for cattle/horses, with Marcombe suggesting this was the site of the ‘beast market’ in the Tudor period.
16th century
In 1528 a fire destroyed more than three-quarters of the buildings in East Retford. By 1552 Retford's population had dropped to 700. In 1558 there was an outbreak of plague, which caused 300 deaths in East Retford and killed half the people of West Retford. A fire in 1585 was so profound that the people of Worksop raised money for 'the poor men of the late burned town of Retford'. Yet another fire struck in 1631 and caused £1,300 worth of damage.
17th century
The Civil War seems to have largely bypassed Retford, although W.E. Doubleday wrote in the Nottinghamshire Guardian (1947) that "During the Civil War a Roundhead force from Retford attempted to capture the mansion occupied by the Royalist Gervase Lee, but the attack was beaten off and the besiegers compelled to retreat as a party of Cavalier troops from Newark approached rapidly". Charles I was also said to have stayed in the house of Mr Lane, a lawyer, on 20 August 1645. He was on his way from Doncaster and set off the following day to Lord Danecourt's in Newark.(Wilmshurst 1908)
In 1657 there was a Great Storm, which destroyed the steeple and Chantries of St Swithun's Church. This was restored in 1658 at a cost of £3,648.
18th century
During the Jacobite rising of 1745, Cornelius Brown records that an army of 6,000 English and Hessian troops camped on Wheatley Hills in 1745, marched through Retford and used East Retford (St Swithun's) church as a stable. This was The Derbyshire Blues, which had been formed to protect Derby under the aegis of the Duke of Devonshire, but which retreated 50 miles to Retford when reports reached Derby that the Jacobites had a 9,000 strong army.
On 23 August 1750, an earthquake struck Retford.
In 1757 the Town Clerk successfully petitioned for the Great North Road to be diverted to run through the town. This led to an Act of Parliament (1760) authorising its re-routing between Barnby Moor and Markham Moor in order for it to pass through Retford. A new turnpike was completed in 1765–66 and after this the town prospered. (Piercy 1828) Then in 1777 the Chesterfield Canal was built by James Brindley through the town.