I visited the quaint North Nottinghamshire village that locals fear is slowly dying
It felt rather sad, as well as a touch strange, to see the historic village of Old Ollerton looking so empty.
Admittedly I was visiting this very quaint spot mid-morning on a Monday which is never going to help matters.
But, at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling that somewhere as scenic as this would be overflowing with visitors if it was located in the Lake District or in the heart of some other major tourist area.
In 1086 Ollerton had a recorded population of 15 households, with the population growing so slowly the parish had just 5,529 inhabitants back in 1961.
The population of Ollerton and Boughton has since grown to 9,840, according to the 2011 census.
For those who haven’t been before, Old Ollerton, which is located about 10 miles to the east of Mansfield, refers to the original village clustered around the church, river and mill.
It takes its name to differentiate itself from the larger community of New Ollerton, which came into its own following a rapid expansion in the 1960s and 70s.
While the newer version boasts a massive Tesco, The Plough public house and a good range of independent high street shops, Old Ollerton remains a charming and timeless spot where the River Maun meanders serenely through as the nearby Parish Church of St Giles calmly keeps watch.
But what the village, which came into being as a point where three main routes crossed, possesses in natural beauty it sadly lacks in shops and customers.
So much so that Lisa Hollingworth, who owns the Forget me Notts florists on Market Place, believes the ancient village, which gets a mention in the 1086 Domesday Book, is slowly dying.
“I’ve been trading here for 30 years and I have seen a lot of change,” she said.
“It used to be a really thriving village and it is slowly dying, I can see it is. I am hoping it can get back to how it was.
“It is a lovely village, it is stunning really.
"There’s a lot of tourism around here now, especially with the Airbnb’s that are in the village.
“It would be nice if we could get a cafe here.
“The hairdressers has gone now, we had a little local shop, we used to have a butchers, we used to have everything.
“It was, and still is, a lovely village. It just needs a bit of attention.
“The watermill has closed because they have retired, which used to bring a lot of people into the tearoom. It has gotten harder since COVID.”
But, while footfall into Old Ollerton is not what it once was, it does still have plenty going for it in terms of its wider location.
The village, which became a civil parish in 1866, sits in the picturesque Dukeries and can call the high-profile attractions of Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park, Rufford Abbey and Thoresby Park their neighbours.
And, while the situation looks bleak, shop owner Emma Duncan believes Old Ollerton can tap into North Nottinghamshire’s vibrant tourist industry to bring about a welcome recovery.
“People don’t come down here, but there is a lot of potential,” said Emma, who owns The Curious Monkey antique shop on Market Place.
“There are an awful lot of holiday cottages, so you have a lot of tourists here at any one time.
“You have places like Center Parcs and Sherwood Hideaway that attract a lot of people to the area, but not everyone wants to stop in places like that, so you do get a lot of people who come and stop down here.
“We could really do with the pub open. We could really do with a cafe or something like that as well.
"There are possibly now only two shops down here, we don’t have an awful lot.
“It is a real shame as there is a lot of potential.
"We are the forgotten aspect of Ollerton.”
Up the road in New Ollerton plans to build a new cinema were recently announced by Newark & Sherwood District Council as part of a scheme aimed at ‘re-establishing pride in the area.’
It will see the demolition of the Forest Centre and the Lloyds TSB bank on Forest Road and the Town Hall on Sherwood Drive, to make way for a mixed-use scheme.
And while Emma is not totally convinced by the need for a cinema she remains pleased to see any investment going into the town.
“Ollerton has a good community spirit, it is really nice and I like the feel down here in Old Ollerton,” she added.
“Everyone knows each other, it’s lovely.
“It’s the same as anywhere though, it does need investment and it does need a bit of help. Since the mining went it has struggled a little so any redevelopment has to be welcomed.
“Do we need a cinema?
“I don’t know and I think this is what a lot of the locals say.
"Anything is better than nothing, it is a starting point.
“It is nice to get noticed.
"We need a bit of something and we will go from there and hopefully it kick starts something.
“Part of the plans are to have a market square and that will be good.
"I think markets are important and help get a town going again.”