Blidworth Library

Blidworth Library sits in the heart of this small Nottinghamshire village, about 12 miles north of Nottingham. It's a proper community hub - the sort of place where locals actually spend time rather than just pop in for a book. The library itself is modest but well-maintained, with a decent selection of fiction, non-fiction, and reference materials alongside the usual DVD and audiobook collections.

This isn't a showstopper attraction on the level of Sherwood Forest's visitor centre, but it's genuinely useful if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Lurcher Farm Cottage is just up the road, and Center Parcs Sherwood Forest sits only five miles away. The staff are helpful and know the local area properly, which matters more than you'd think when you're trying to plan walks or find a decent pub.

Go if you need to pick up a book mid-holiday or want somewhere quiet to sit out of the rain on a drizzly afternoon. It won't eat up much time - 30 minutes maximum, unless you're genuinely keen on digging through the local history section. The real draw of the area is Sherwood Forest itself and the surrounding walking trails rather than the library, but as a free resource with reliable opening hours, it's worth knowing about. Families with young children might enjoy the children's corner on a wet day, though it's hardly cutting-edge entertainment.