Retford in north-eastern Nottinghamshire gained its first charter in 1246 from Henry III. It gets its name from an ancient ford crossing of the River Idle at this point.

In the Market Square there is an ornate French-inspired Victorian Town Hall, in front of which is a broad stone. Legend says that this stone had a hollow in it that used to be filled with vinegar during plague times to disinfect coins.

Unusually for a small town, Retford supports two theatres, two football clubs and two newspapers.

Retford is home to the Bassetlaw Museum, which was created in 1983 and has a number of collections donated by people in the local area.

A small market town in Nottinghamshire, Retford gets its name from an ancient ford crossing of the River Idle. At the heart of the town is the impressive market square, which has been an important trading place since the twelfth century, and still today holds a traditional market Thursday to Saturday.

With four large cities/towns all within thirty miles (to the north is Doncaster, to the south Nottingham, to the east Lincoln, and to the northwest Sheffield), Retford is also at the centre of the UK rail network. Both the north to south, London to Edinburgh, main line and the east to west line cross in the town. Only ten miles to the north is the newly opened Robin Hood international airport.

Retford grew to prosperity in the eighteenth century with the construction of the Great North Road (A1) and the Chesterfield Canal. This is reflected in the spacious market square and many fine Georgian buildings. The town is home to the Bassetlaw Museum, which was created in 1983 and has a number of collections donated by people in the local area. Retford also features a skate park within the grounds of Kings Park in the centre of the town.