One of the things Nottinghamshire is best known for is the River Trent, with the third longest river in the UK cutting directly through the county. There are dozens of small picturesque villages along the river, many of which have fantastic walks and wildlife.
Residents in Farndon and Gunthorpe have shared what it is like to live alongside the famous river, with many people visiting their villages to enjoy the beautiful scenery and trails they have on their doorstep. Internal communications manager, Jo Navin, has lived in Gunthorpe with her family for almost a decade.
When asked why they moved, the 43 year old said: "We just relocated out of Calverton and it was the house to be honest, but we had children coming up to school age and there's a lovely local village school. It's really small and has a community feeling.
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"I think the school is quite a central point and also the village hall, so for the Royal wedding and coronation there was a lot of events." Jo added that at Christmas there is also a lot of events to connect the whole community together, especially the children and the older residents, which she describes as "nice."
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When asked her favourite thing about Gunthorpe, Jo replied: "I think just walking along that river path is probably my favourite thing to do here. Just walking along the river, whether you go left or right.
"It's wonderful to have Tom Brown's, Unicorn Hotel and and the Bridge and Bayleaf a bit further up, all within walking distance. It is a lovely place."
A 54 year old resident who did not wish to be named explained she moved to the village to be closer to her parents. She said: "It's just so lovely to be out in the countryside, we were in Mapperley before."
She goes for walks "all the time" and says the best part about the village is "the sense of community , the walks and the river." Financial advisor, Paul Stewart, has lived in the village for 13 years with his family.
When asked his favourite thing about the village, the 48 year old said: "I suppose the river, the schooling, it's friendly, quiet, and it's not too far from Nottingham. Just the village feel of the village, it has a good sense of community." He explained that when his son was younger they would visit the river "a lot more."
Paul explained that they feel they are "lucky" to live where they do, as "everyone else has to get in the car to come here and we can walk down the road." He added that having the river and walks nearby during the pandemic was "definitely a life saver."
Further down the River Trent, close to the town of Newark, is the small village of Farndon. A 61 year old resident who did not wish to be named said: "I've lived here 35 years.
"One of the reasons why we chose here when we moved here years ago, is because we could walk into town and we could walk down the river with the pushchair and small children. You can walk all the way down without coming off the river." When asked her favourite part about Fardon, she replied: "Probably the river and being able to do walks from here."
She described the village as being "nice" and explained it's great to be in the countryside as it "changes all the time."
Retired, Keith Brown, has lived in the village for almost 12 years. He said: "It's nice and quiet.
"Everybody knows everybody and we all seem to get on." He explained the river is great for walks, but this isn't something he does a lot now as his wife struggles with the paths.
A 46 year old dad of four explained he moved to Farndon for "the village life." He explained: "It's quiet and the kids love the school.
"It's nice and peaceful. Everybody gets on really well and are polite." Speaking about the river, he added: "Yeah we go once a week, we take the kids down and they love it.
"We walk by the marina and then it goes down to the Rose and Crown and the other pub."
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