Clayworth – Church Art and Historic Bridges

Clayworth combines remarkable church art with the history of the Chesterfield Canal. Anyone planning a trip involving cultural discoveries and historic buildings will find several distinct themes here: St Peter's Church, the canal forming the southern boundary, and distinctive bridges. This allows families and other travellers with different interests to shape their stay around their own priorities.

St Peter's Church and its exceptional art

The Church of St Peter in Clayworth is at the heart of the village's history. The listed parish church is a Grade I listed building and contains architectural elements dating from the 12th to the 15th century. Its restoration in 1874–1875 was carried out by John Oldrid Scott. The church's long architectural history alone makes it an important destination for anyone wishing to explore sacred architecture spanning several centuries.

The wall paintings in St Peter's Church are particularly impressive. They form one of only two ensembles of wall paintings that Phoebe Anna Traquair created in England. The Traquair Murals cover all four walls of the chancel. There is also a well-preserved 13th-century stone rood screen, considered rare for a village church. Under the easternmost arch of the northern chancel arcade there is also a chest tomb for Humphrey Fitzwilliam, who died in 1556.

For 2026, St Peter's Church is listed as being open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Anyone choosing Clayworth primarily for its church art can take this cultural focus into account when searching for a holiday apartment and planning their own days.

Chesterfield Canal, bridges and historic traces

The Chesterfield Canal forms Clayworth's southern boundary. At Clayworth, Otter's Bridge 68 is an original red-brick humpback bridge. The structure is a Grade II listed building. Gray's Bridge is also part of the canal's history: it dates from 1771–1777 and is still in use.

Further details complete the picture. The Canal Mile Post southeast of Field Farm is also a Grade II listed building. Visitor moorings are sometimes available at Retford & Worksop Boat Club; there is also a water standpipe there. The Old Chapel, a former Methodist chapel dating from 1824, recalls another historic aspect of Clayworth. The individual places offer different points of interest without having to be combined into a single route.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans?

When searching for a holiday apartment in Clayworth, you can first decide which theme should define your trip. St Peter's Church focuses attention on architectural history, the tomb, the rood screen and the unusual Traquair Murals. The Chesterfield Canal, by contrast, leads to bridges, waterways and examples of engineering history. Travelling with several generations, you can incorporate these different perspectives into your shared planning and choose accommodation according to the desired character of your stay. This puts not a general checklist but the question of which aspect of Clayworth you would like to explore in greater detail at the forefront.

Further destinations for your search

If you would like to extend your travel planning beyond Clayworth, you can also view the pages on Trowell, Sutton Bonington, Woodborough, Mansfield, East Retford, Calverton, Sutton In Ashfield and Clipstone.

To the higher-level travel overview: Nottinghamshire.