Two surviving engine and pump houses in Misterton Soss tell of a time when beam engines powered scoop wheels. Public footpaths also lead from Misterton across open fields to this old pumping station and the Mother Drain SSSI. Here, industrial history, listed architecture and a landscape shaped by water come together. When planning a trip, you can combine the village’s architectural history with walks across fields, by the canal and along the rivers.

Architecture and Industrial History

The Church of All Saints is a Grade I listed building. Its east window depicts the Tree of Life and the Five Wounds of Christ. John Piper designed it, and Patrick Reyntiens made it in 1966. The window brings together the depiction of biblical themes with the distinct contributions of design and craftsmanship.

Other listed buildings add their own architectural character. Wharf Bridge on Grove Wood Road is Grade II listed. Church Farm House, a farmhouse at 2 Church Street, dates from the early 18th century and is also Grade II listed. Built in 1878, Misterton Methodist Church is distinguished by its Romanesque style, red brickwork and stained-glass clerestory window. At Misterton Station House, the gate piers and gate date from around 1875 and are made of cast and wrought iron.

Misterton Village Cross is also part of the village’s history: the war memorial stands on The Pudge on High Street and was unveiled in 1921. Together with the churches, bridge and farmhouse, it shows how different buildings and places of remembrance stand side by side in Misterton.

Two engine and pump houses survive at Misterton Soss. They were built to house beam engines that powered scoop wheels. This makes the installation’s technical function clear in a specific sequence: the houses accommodated the engines, and the engines powered the wheels. The pump houses add a chapter of industrial and water engineering to the village’s architectural history.

Walks across fields, by the canal and along the rivers

Mother Drain is a drainage channel covering 3.63 hectares. It runs parallel to the River Idle at the edge of the North Nottinghamshire Carr Lands. Public footpaths from Misterton cross open fields to the Mother Drain SSSI and the old Misterton Soss pumping station. The landscape and industrial history offer two distinct points of interest on walks around Misterton.

A walking route from Misterton Soss provides access to the River Idle and then continues east towards the River Trent. The Cuckoo Way passes Misterton on its way to West Stockwith, where the Chesterfield Canal meets the tidal River Trent. These two routes lead to different landmarks: one to the rivers, the other to the canal and its connection with the Trent.

North of Misterton, the Chesterfield Canal SSSI towpath offers views across open fields where sheep and cattle graze. This adds a landscape of fields, with visible agricultural activity, to the routes along the rivers. If you enjoy combining buildings and landscapes during your stay, Misterton offers both distinctive historic details and walks with changing points of interest.

The village has a Co-op and a local butcher for supplies. If you plan to rely on these two shops for your shopping, check before travelling that both are still operating.

Discover more destinations: East Retford, Whatton, Clayworth, Sibthorpe, Coddington, Winthorpe, Newark-On-Trent, West Stockwith.

For the wider travel guide: Nottinghamshire.