Retford Through Time

Retford is a market town and one of the oldest Boroughs in England. Known for its ‘Redforde’, as the river in Retford was once tinged red by the clay river bed and the frequent crossing of people and livestock disturbing it, the origins of Retford’s name has been subject to debate. Aside from the name ‘Redforde’, others believe Retford’s name derived from an ancient ford crossing on the River Idle. The first land settled on the west of the ford as this area was less liable to flooding, but in time, as community grew and foundations developed, the town spread to the bank on the other side of the river, and this new section of the town eventually became more important - hence Retford’s official name ‘East Retford’. In 1528, it was largely destroyed by fire, but during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, East and West Retford prospered with the coming of the Great North Road in 1766, the Chesterfield Canal in 1777 and the Railway in 1849. This book uncovers the secrets of the town’s earlier prosperity and reveals the faces of the residents that once filled the Georgian and Victorian frontages, and former coach inns that can all be compared to the just as charming Retford of today.