Epworth and the Isle of Axholme
Epworth sits in an enviable location, with the cities of Doncaster, Hull, Sheffield and Leeds all within a 45 minute journey. The towns of Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Brigg a short drive away. Wesley Cottage is particularly popular with the legal community working on cases in Doncaster, Grimsby and Hull who are searching for a convivial place to stay.
The recently extended Yorkshire Wildlife Park is the UK’s number 1 walkthrough wildlife experience and houses polar bears, lions, giraffe and rhino. The park is a 15 minute car journey away.
The Trolley Bus Museum has the largest collection of preserved trolleybuses in the world. The museum sets the story of rural public transport, explaining the factors that shaped the era’s social history. The museum is a 5 minute drive away.
Normanby Hall is a stunning regency mansion set in 300 acres of park and woodland. The recent addition of a ‘Go-Ape’ course has been well received. The Park Run is our favourite in the local area. The park is 20 minutes away by car.
Epworth is the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley; it has given its name to many institutions associated with Methodism. A few hundred yards away from Wesley Cottage sits the Old Rectory, a period property and museum which looks at Wesley life. In the other direction, a walk into town yields the famous Wesley Steps, site of many a preaching engagement. The ‘Old’ Church was built on a hill overlooking the town in the thirteenth century. The ‘New’ church, opening in 1889, is a busy community hub which attracts thousands of visitors each year. There is a trail around the town linking the sites which were significant for the Wesley family. Epworth Music Day, held on the third Saturday of June, is a free street event featuring up to 100 different singers, bands and performances around the town. The Haxey Hood, played on 6 January each year, is the oldest surviving traditional game in England. The playing field is located 3 miles away. The Isle of Axholme was an inland island, surrounded by rivers, streams, bogs and meres until it was drained by the Dutch engineer Sir Cornelius Vermuyden in the 1600s. The resulting verdant fields have been part of England’s ‘Bread Basket’ ever since.