The county of Nottinghamshire is loved by many with its areas of urban skyline, sprawling countryside, ancient landmarks, and charming towns. However, people who live in some of our region's towns have claimed they are the worst places to live on the satirical website ILiveHere.
On the website, anonymous critics share their own exaggerated opinions on the county's towns as they rudely rip into not only the area but the residents who live there, too. Most people who live in these areas, or have visited, will know that these views are majorly amplified for a reaction - or just written by someone with an axe to grind.
Each of these places are nothing like they are made out to be, which is why we've shared our own views on the towns and villages. Share your opinion in the comment section if you have been to one of the following below.
Read more: The 8 best places to live in Nottinghamshire according to guide
Bulwell - "Stink of toilets, sweaty feet and cheap paint"
What people say: "Bulwell, on the whole is no worse than any other market town on the edge of a large city. All the local pubs that are left stink of toilets, sweaty feet and cheap paint. So do most of the die-hard punters who live in them. Bulwell is not the place for a quiet relaxing pint on a summer’s evening.
"They do have music on, but it’s drowned out by the police helicopter that’s chasing the local boy racers. The ones who think wilkos car park is for doing donuts in their smackhead dad’s knackered audi, who is in a weed-induced comer (sic) on a bed of cheap tinnies.
"If you live on the posh side of the River Leen (Highbury Vale), most don’t venture down the shops until the evening, when the great unwashed have got on the bus/tram home. Just before the market stalls close is best. However, by 7pm the place is a ghost town."
What we say: Residents are candid that Bulwell does have problems with deprivation and the decline of its town centre, but also has a strong sense of community in hard times. Brilliant places like the Crabtree Farm community centre in Bulwell are held in such high regard by people who use them, and are only made possible by a robust sense of belonging in the town.
The town's centre, which has been criticised by this local, is the planned recipient of a £20m funding bid which would create a new promenade, improve the market place, and restore heritage buildings. This would be welcomed by the town's remaining market holders, who are incredibly friendly.
On the outskirts of the town, Sellers Wood was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature in 1981 as "a fine example of broad-leaved semi-natural woodland... of regional importance". According to the Woodland Trust, despite its city location, the wood is "remarkably secluded with lots of hidden corners" and boasts many plants such as giant bellflower and early purple orchid, as well as smooth newts, frogs and toads in its "rare habitat".
Newark - "I’ve lived in Newark-on-Trent for almost 20 years and can’t stand the place"
What people say: "I’ve lived in Newark-on-Trent for almost 20 years and can’t stand the place. It promotes itself as a ‘historic market town’ (aren’t they all?) and has next to nothing going for it. The locals don’t like outsiders, and that includes people from nearby towns, never mind actual foreigners.
"As a tourist you could probably see everything it has to offer in less than an hour, two if you include the civil war museum. Don’t expect a warm welcome."
What we say: You'd have to be speedy to see everything in Newark in less than an hour - taking these comments at face value. A visit to The National Civil War Centre will plunge you deep into the heart of Britain’s deadliest conflict, telling stories of gunpowder, plague and plot as you walk through galleries.
On the subject of the Civil War, Newark Castle (which was partly destroyed in 1646 at the end of the English Civil War) and its formal gardens are another historical attraction to the town. It would be hard to argue a nearly 900-year-old castle on the banks of the River Trent was nothing to shout about.
In fact, lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos named Newark one of the best places to live in Nottinghamshire in 2022, citing the "glorious Nottinghamshire countryside on all sides", also its fantastic commuter links which have attracted young families. The National Holocaust Centre and Museums is another of the town's notable places, with it acting as a memorial, a place of testimony and a centre of learning for all communities.
Sutton-in-Ashfield - "The district that time forgot and where good taste never existed"
What people say: "I’m not saying that Sutton in Ashfield is a bad place to live. It could be much worse, like Kirkby in Ashfield. Basically if the name of the town you are in is followed by “in Ashfield” you have stumbled into the district that time forgot and where good taste never existed.
"The English born locals tend to speak worse English than the immigrants and use words such as “innit” and “brap” a lot. During a recent visit to Sutton Lawn I was stopped by a group of youths on push bikes who I think wanted to relieve me of my personal belongings, or maybe they just wanted to know the time? It was impossible to tell as I’m not fluent in gangster lingo or Chavish, as I prefer to call it."
What we say: In stark contrast to some of the claims about people in Sutton, the Sherwood Observatory run by the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society is a sign of the area's ambition to encourage people to learn. The future could see the attraction expanding with a new planetarium and science discovery centre, looking to encourage young people in STEM subjects.
The former site of Silverhill Colliery, close to the scenic village of Teversal on the north-west edge of Ashfield, has been transformed from the colliery to a woodland, which features several walks for all abilities and also features the highest point in Nottinghamshire. At the highest point stands a monument to all the miners who have worked in the area's coalfields.
Ollerton - 'Do not come here, for your own sanity don't even visit'
What people say: "DO NOT come here, for your own sanity don’t even visit. Train station? you wished. Public transport, few and far between and doesn’t take you where you need to go when you need to get there. If you don’t drive you have virtually no hope of getting a job.
"There are so many elderly here it’s shocking but anyone with any sense and young enough moved out into a more hospitable place. Ollerton - it’s not the end of the earth but you sure can see it from here.
"The main shopping street is full of takeaways, just what the town needs with a growing obesity problem. There are no shoe shops, clothes shops or anything useful. The Christmas lights are an embarrassment and that’s the highlight of the year.
"Ollerton is like the centre of a wheel so small and hardly turning, if you want anything take one of the spokes and get to Worksop, Mansfield, Newark or Retford. The best thing about Ollerton, is the road out of here.
What we say: Ollerton is yet another unjustly maligned place, with other residents painting a much rosier picture when compared to the writer above. Others have previously labelled the town lovely, with a good variety of supermarkets, quirky shops and pubs.
The town is also said to be full of friendly and pleasant people. Granted the through route past the town's train station was halted in 1980, but the small town is still served by bus services.
Kirkby in Ashfield - 'There’s not even enough left to hate'
What people say: "When I was little and growing up here, I used to hate Kirkby with a passion. Nowadays, there’s not even enough left to hate. It’s a dirty, dingy skeleton. If some people didn’t have to live here, nobody would come anywhere near the place. If you like charity shops and hairdressers you’ll be amply served by the myriad pop-up stores that cling desperately to life for a month or two before inevitably collapsing and leaving permanently shuttered windows. You’ll certainly have plenty of time to admire the desolate town centre, as the red lights are long and the the green lights are short.
"Barely anybody works in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. With virtually no sources of employment, the people who have jobs have to get out of town in order to work. These commuters are the lucky ones; they get to leave, if only for a little while. Left behind are the significant proportion of elderly people and the unemployed factory workers left behind when their jobs were outsourced abroad."
What we say: Kirkby is surrounded by acres and acres of countryside outside the town, and is directly on scenic cycle routes. Portland Park is also situated directly to the south west of Kirkby in Ashfield - it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the site is unique in Nottinghamshire as it is located on a band of magnesium limestone which enables many rare plant species to grow. A number of quirky cafes and tea shops also provide friends with spaces to meet up.
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