The parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 of Papplewick is situated towards the west of central Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...

, to the north of the town of Hucknall

Hucknall

Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...

. It has an area of 7.15 km². The village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 of Papplewick is located in the west of the parish. It is 7.5 miles (12 km) north of Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

 and 6 miles (10 km) south of Mansfield

Mansfield

Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....

. In 1991, there were 620 people living in the parish, occupying 255 dwellings (1991 census data). In medieval times the village marked the southern gateway to Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...

.

Papplewick has numerous community and social groups, a village hall, a pub

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

 and an ancient church. Tourist attractions in the parish include the village conservation area, where there are 18th century cottages and Papplewick Hall

Papplewick Hall

Papplewick Hall is a Grade I listed English country house in Papplewick, Nottinghamshire.It was completed around 1787 for the Hon. Frederick Montague and is probably the work of William Lindley of Doncaster....

. Papplewick Pumping Station

Papplewick Pumping Station

Papplewick Pumping Station, in the Nottinghamshire village of Papplewick, was built by Nottingham Corporation Water Department between 1881 and 1885 to pump water from the Bunter sandstone to provide drinking water to the City of Nottingham.-Construction:...

 is a working museum. It comprises a steam-powered pumping engine and its grounds. It is situated in the east of the parish, approximately 1 mile (2 km) east of the village.
Surrounding the parish are areas of woodland, which are accessible to the public by a network of footpaths.

A local legend dictates that the body of Alan-a-Dale

Alan-a-Dale

Alan-a-Dale is a figure in the Robin Hood legend...

, one of Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....

's men was buried in Papplewick.

Papplewick is included in Nottinghamshire's Hidden Valleys

Hidden Valleys

Hidden Valleys was a name coined in 2004 to describe an area of interesting historical and scenic value between Nottingham and Mansfield in the county of Nottinghamshire. Promotional Literature and tourist information for the Hidden Valleys were created to encourage tourism in an area which had...

 district.

Papplewick Hall was built between 1781 and 1787 for the Hon. Frederick Montagu. The church of St James, in the grounds of the Hall, was built in 1795.

From 1894 to 1974 the parish was part of Basford Rural District

Basford Rural District

Basford was an rural district close to Nottingham, England, from 1894 to 1974. The district consisted of two detached parts, to the north and south of Nottingham...

. It was then transferred to Gedling

Gedling

Gedling is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in Arnold. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area lying to the North and East of the City of Nottingham....

 Borough. However, a small part of the parish had been transferred to Hucknall Urban District

Hucknall Urban District

Hucknall was an urban district in Nottinghamshire, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 based on the Hucknall Torkard urban sanitary district. It was centred on the town of Hucknall...

Council in 1935.