Retford

Retford is a market town on the River Idle in northern Nottinghamshire. Its name is associated with an old river crossing. By the thirteenth century East Retford had borough privileges, including rights connected with markets and tolls, although the date of its first borough charter remains disputed. A timber moot hall was built in 1388, with market space below. Fire destroyed much of the town in 1528, and plague struck in 1558; further fires followed in 1585 and 1631. In the eighteenth century the Great North Road was redirected through Retford, and the new turnpike was completed in 1765–66. The Chesterfield Canal reached the town in 1777, adding a water route to its connections with surrounding markets.