Push Open the Door of the Village's Only Pub
Push open the door and you're in the warm heart of Sutton-on-Trent's only pub: cask ale on the bar, the smell of home cooking from the kitchen, and a welcome from owners Martin and Sally that guests rate higher than anything else here. The Lord Nelson is an independent, family-run village inn on Main Street, a quiet north-Nottinghamshire village on the west bank of the River Trent and just a mile off the A1, close enough to be a stopover, far enough that the traffic noise is somebody else's problem.
This is a working pub first, with rooms attached. The bar pulls Castle Rock Harvest Pale plus three rotating guest ales, the coffee comes from Stokes of Lincoln, and the kitchen serves home-cooked food using local produce from Wednesday to Sunday. Guests are consistently happy here, and the feedback tells you where it shines: the staff earn the warmest praise of any part of the stay, with couples and bed comfort close behind. It is the people and the food that bring them back.
Eight En-Suite Rooms in the Converted Stable Block
The bedrooms sit in a converted stable block across the car park from the pub, eight en-suite rooms in all, not the seven that some older listings still quote. Five are on the ground floor, several wheelchair-accessible, opening straight onto the car park with no stairs, which dog owners and anyone with luggage will appreciate. Two room types, the Triple and the Large Double, sit upstairs with hardwood floors and are reached by stairs only; there is no lift.
Pull up outside your own ground-floor door, lift the dog and the bags straight in from the car park, and settle into a room that is comfortable, warm and good value, with a bath to soak the drive away in. Nights here are properly quiet, the deep village dark of a place a mile off the A1 rather than beside it. Rooms are honestly characterful too: these are converted stables, so the walls are thinner than a new-build hotel and a light sleeper may hear a neighbour. Reviewers single out the named rooms, the Tack Room and the Crow's Nest, the latter the most dated of the set. Dogs are welcome free of charge, with biscuits on the bar and a fenced garden outside.
A 200-Year-Old Inn on the Great North Road
The Lord Nelson has anchored village life for the best part of two centuries. It traded for a spell as the Memory Lane before reclaiming its old name, with a new sign unveiled in 2006, and it remains the only pub in a village that sits on the historic Great North Road. The position is the quiet, lower-cost alternative to staying in Newark itself: Newark, Lincoln, Sherwood Forest and the Newark Showground all sit inside about half an hour by car, without the price tag or footprint of a city-centre hotel.
There is real local character around it too. Sutton-on-Trent is recorded in the Domesday Book, has a Norman-origin parish church, and is the birthplace of CT-scanner pioneer and Nobel laureate Sir Godfrey Hounsfield. A circular riverside dog walk along Far Holme Lane starts minutes from the door, and the village throws its own festival on the first weekend of September. Beyond the events, this is simply a friendly inn where the welcome, the ale and the home cooking do the talking.
Why Book The Lord Nelson?
The inn is strongest for couples on a short break, A1-stopover travellers, dog owners and event-goers who want a warm, good-value village pub with rooms rather than a chain hotel by the motorway.
A mile off the A1
Leave the A1 at the Sutton-on-Trent slip and you're three minutes from the door, with free on-site parking. Newark is 7 miles, the Showground about 10, Lincoln 20.
Warm welcome, real food
Owners Martin and Sally run a genuinely friendly inn, and the welcome is what guests praise most, with home-cooked food, cask ale and the weekend Half Nelson breakfast that reviewers rave about.
Dogs and families welcome
Dogs stay free with biscuits on the bar and a riverside walk minutes away; ground-floor rooms open onto the car park, and there's a children's play area in the garden.
Check Availability at The Lord Nelson
Interesting Points About The Lord Nelson
- Do not confuse this with the other Lord Nelson near Newark: a separate pub of the same name sits at Winthorpe (Gainsborough Road, NG24 2NN), closer to the Showground, and sat-navs routinely send guests to the wrong one. This Lord Nelson is at 35 Main Street, Sutton-on-Trent, NG23 6PF, a mile west of the A1.
- It has eight en-suite bedrooms, not seven. Older marketing and some aggregator listings still say 'seven'; the converted stable block holds eight, five of them on the ground floor and several wheelchair-accessible.
- The website many listings cite, lordnelsonpub.co.uk, is parked and inactive, so the inn's live channel is its Facebook page. The pub is the village's only one, roughly two hundred years old, and traded for a spell as the Memory Lane before a new Lord Nelson sign went up in April 2006.
- Sutton-on-Trent is the birthplace of Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, the Nobel laureate who developed the CT scanner, and the village is recorded in the Domesday Book with a Norman-origin parish church.
Rooms & Accommodation at The Lord Nelson
Family Room
Sleeps up to 4 · Ground floor · Wheelchair accessible · Private bath
The largest room at 40 m², on the ground floor and wheelchair-accessible, opening onto the inner courtyard. A single bed and a sofa bed sleep two adults plus two children, with a private bath, flat-screen TV, tea and coffee tray, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi. A cot for ages 0 to 3 is free on request. The pick for families and anyone who needs step-free access.
Check Prices
Double or Twin Room with Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · Ground floor · Wheelchair accessible · Guaranteed private bath
At 30 m² on the ground floor and wheelchair-accessible, with flexible double-or-twin bedding chosen at booking and a guaranteed private bath. This is the inn's most-booked option, and guests rate its bed comfort highly. Inner-courtyard view, flat-screen TV, tea and coffee tray, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi. Best for couples who want the bathroom certainty and easy car-park access.
Check Prices
Large Twin Room
Sleeps 2 · Two singles · Ground floor · Wheelchair accessible
A carpeted 30 m² twin on the ground floor and wheelchair-accessible, with two single beds and a courtyard view. Private bath with shower over, flat-screen TV, tea and coffee tray, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi. Ideal for friends or colleagues sharing who want separate beds and step-free access from the car park.
Check Prices
Double Room
Sleeps 2 · Double bed · Ground floor · Wheelchair accessible
A carpeted 25 m² double on the ground floor and wheelchair-accessible, with a courtyard view and the door straight in from the car park, no stairs. Bath with shower over, kettle, flat-screen TV, hairdryer, ironing facilities, free toiletries and free Wi-Fi. The straightforward choice for a couple or solo traveller wanting easy access.
Check Prices
Triple Room
Sleeps 3 · Upper floor (stairs only) · Hardwood floors · Private bath
A 25 m² triple on the upper floor with characterful hardwood parquet floors, reached by stairs only as there is no lift. Sleeps three, with a private bath, flat-screen TV, wardrobe, ironing facilities, a tea and coffee tray and free toiletries, towels and hairdryer. Best for three travelling together who don't mind a flight of stairs.
Check Prices
Large Double Room
Sleeps 2 · Double bed · Upper floor (stairs only) · Hardwood floors
A roomier 30 m² double on the upper floor with hardwood floors, reached by stairs only. One double bed, a private bath with shower over, flat-screen TV, electric kettle, wardrobe, ironing kit and a tea and coffee tray. A good fit for a couple wanting more space who are happy with a staircase and a bit of stable-block character.
Check Prices
Double or Twin Room
Sleeps 2 · Flexible bedding · Ground floor · Wheelchair accessible
A 30 m² room on the ground floor and wheelchair-accessible, with flexible double-or-twin bedding chosen at booking and a courtyard view. Bath with shower over, electric heater, tea and coffee tray and free Wi-Fi. The versatile pick for couples or two friends who want bedding flexibility and step-free access from the car park.
Check PricesIs The Lord Nelson right for you?
Best Suited For
- A1-stopover travellers: leave at the Sutton-on-Trent slip and you're three minutes from a bed, with free on-site parking
- Dog owners: pets stay free with biscuits on the bar, a fenced garden and a riverside walk along Far Holme Lane
- Couples on a short break who want a warm, characterful village pub over a chain hotel, and say so in review after review
- Event-goers heading to Newark Showground, a Trent-side wedding or one of the inn's own May and August beer festivals
- Families wanting one big ground-floor room with a children's play area in the garden
- Anyone who needs step-free access: five of eight rooms are ground-floor and wheelchair-accessible off the car park
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need a hotel-grade soundproof room: these are converted stables with thinner walls, so a light sleeper should pack earplugs
- You want a cooked breakfast every morning: the Half Nelson runs weekends only and weekday rooms are room-only
- You'd rather pay by card at the desk: payment is taken in person at check-in, cash only, with no card-over-phone
- You need a 24-hour front desk: the bar acts as reception, with check-in 15:00–21:00 during trading hours
- You need step-free access to every room: the Triple and Large Double are upstairs, stairs only, with no lift
- You want a city-centre base in Newark itself: this is a quieter village a mile off the A1, 7 miles out
Amenities & Facilities
In-Room
- Private en-suite bathroom in every room: bath with shower over
- Free Wi-Fi in every room
- Flat-screen TV in every room
- Tea and coffee tray with kettle
- Individually controlled electric wall heating
- Hairdryer and free toiletries
- Ironing facilities and wardrobe in most rooms
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: No air conditioning
Food & Drink
- On-site restaurant serving home-cooked food, kitchen open Wednesday to Sunday
- Bar with cask ale: Castle Rock Harvest Pale plus three changing guest beers
- Coffee from Stokes of Lincoln
- The 'Half Nelson' cooked breakfast at weekends (Saturday brunch from 10:00, Sunday breakfast)
- Food available to take away to your room
- Thursday quiz night, live music and live sport on screens
- Two annual beer festivals (May and August)
- Not available: No weekday cooked breakfast
Property-Wide
- Fenced beer garden (~1 m height, secure for small dogs)
- Heated covered patio with outdoor heaters
- Children's play area at one end of the garden
- Function and meeting room with its own private bar for hire
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Facilities for disabled guests; five of eight rooms ground-floor and wheelchair-accessible
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: No lift between floors
- Not available: No pool, gym or spa
Parking & Transport
- Free on-site parking, no reservation needed, between the pub and the stable block
- A1 Sutton-on-Trent / Carlton-on-Trent slip ~1 mile
- Newark Northgate station ~7 mi (East Coast Main Line, direct to London King's Cross)
- Collingham station ~11 mi (Nottingham–Lincoln line)
- East Midlands Airport ~36 mi; an airport shuttle service is noted on the listing
- Taxi ~15 minutes from either station
Policies
- Check-in 15:00–21:00 at the bar · check-out by 10:00
- Pets welcome free of charge on request; mention your dog when booking
- Payment cash only at check-in; the inn cannot take card details over the phone
- Children of any age welcome; cot for ages 0–3 free on request; 18+ charged as adults
- Minimum check-in age 18
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: No 24-hour front desk
35 Main Street, Sutton-on-Trent: A Mile Off the A1 by the Trent
The Lord Nelson sits at 35 Main Street in Sutton-on-Trent, a large village on the west bank of the River Trent in north Nottinghamshire, in the Newark and Sherwood district. It is a working village rather than a tourist set-piece, with riverside meadows, a circular dog walk along Far Holme Lane and a Norman-origin parish church, and the practical bonus of sitting a mile west of the A1, close enough to be a stopover, far enough that the traffic noise stays on the dual carriageway.
For most visitors the appeal is geographic. From here Newark (market square, Civil War castle ruins and the National Civil War Centre) is 7 miles and about fifteen minutes by car; the Newark Showground, the region's principal event venue off the A1/A46/A17 junction, is around 10 miles; Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood country are roughly 15 miles; and Lincoln, with its cathedral, castle and a Magna Carta original, is about 20 miles. Anglers fish the Trent, and the village throws its own festival on the first weekend of September.
Getting here is straightforward. Leave the A1 at the Sutton-on-Trent / Carlton-on-Trent slip and follow signs west into the village. By rail, Newark Northgate on the East Coast Main Line is the most useful station, 7 miles out with direct LNER services to London King's Cross, then a fifteen-minute taxi. Bring cash: there is no 24-hour cash machine in the village, though the Lincolnshire Co-op on High Street (open 7am to 10pm) is the backup for essentials.
- A1 Sutton-on-Trent / Carlton-on-Trent slip: ~1 mi · ~3-min drive · The practical reason most guests choose the inn: a quiet bed a mile off the dual carriageway.
- Newark-on-Trent: 7 mi · ~15-min drive · Market square, Civil War castle ruins on the Trent, and the National Civil War Centre.
- Newark Northgate station: 7 mi · East Coast Main Line, with direct LNER trains to London King's Cross in around 1h 25m.
- Newark Showground: ~10 mi · ~20-min drive · The region's principal event venue: county show, Truckfest, vintage tractor shows, antiques fairs and dog shows.
- Collingham station: 11 mi · ~18-min drive · On the Nottingham–Lincoln line, with fewer onward connections than Northgate.
- Sherwood Forest: ~15 mi · ~25-min drive · Robin Hood country, the Major Oak and ancient woodland walks.
- Clumber Park (National Trust): ~18 mi · ~30-min drive · 3,800 acres with a serpentine lake and the longest double avenue of limes in Europe.
- Lincoln: ~20 mi · ~35-min drive · Cathedral, castle, a Magna Carta original and the Roman quarter up Steep Hill.
Getting to Key Locations
Sutton-on-Trent village
Sutton-on-Trent is a quiet north-Nottinghamshire village on the west bank of the River Trent, on the historic Great North Road, with a population of around 1,400. It is Domesday-listed, has a Norman-origin parish church, and is the birthplace of CT-scanner Nobel laureate Sir Godfrey Hounsfield. The Lord Nelson is its only pub, the social heart of a village built for slow river walks rather than sightseeing crowds, with the A1 a discreet mile to the east.
View on Map
Newark & the Showground
Seven miles south-east, Newark-on-Trent brings a Georgian market square, Civil War castle ruins beside the river and the National Civil War Centre, with Newark Northgate offering direct East Coast trains to London. A little further on, the Newark Showground hosts the Nottinghamshire County Show, Truckfest, vintage tractor and heritage shows, antiques fairs and dog shows through the year, which is exactly when this quieter, lower-cost village base a mile off the A1 comes into its own.
View on Map
Sherwood, Clumber & Lincoln
The inn makes an easy launch pad for the wider region. Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak sit about 25 minutes north-west in Robin Hood country; the National Trust's vast Clumber Park, with its serpentine lake and record-length avenue of limes, is roughly half an hour away; and the cathedral city of Lincoln, with a Magna Carta original and its Roman quarter, is about 35 minutes east. Half a dozen of the Midlands' best days out all sit inside a comfortable drive.
View on MapHow to Get to The Lord Nelson from the A1 & Newark
- 1. Leave the A1 at the village slip: Heading north or south on the A1, leave at the Sutton-on-Trent / Carlton-on-Trent slip road. The turn is signed for the village and is roughly three minutes from the inn.
- 2. Follow Main Street west into the village: Follow signs west into Sutton-on-Trent along Main Street. The Lord Nelson sits on Main Street (NG23 6PF), the village's only pub, so it's hard to miss once you're in.
- 3. Park between the pub and the stable block: Pull into the free car park, which sits between the main pub and the converted stable block. No reservation is needed, and ground-floor rooms open straight onto it.
- 4. Check in at the bar: There is no separate front desk: the bar acts as reception during trading hours, with check-in between 15:00 and 21:00. Bring cash, as payment is taken in person at check-in.
- 5. Or arrive by train and taxi: Take a direct LNER train to Newark Northgate on the East Coast Main Line (around 1h 25m from London King's Cross), then a fifteen-minute taxi north to the village. Give the driver '35 Main Street, NG23 6PF'.
Sutton-on-Trent & North Nottinghamshire at a Glance
Sutton-on-Trent is the quieter, lower-cost alternative to staying in Newark itself: a working Nottinghamshire village on the west bank of the Trent, with riverside meadows, a circular dog walk along Far Holme Lane and a Norman-origin parish church, plus the practical bonus of sitting a mile off the A1. For most visitors the appeal is geographic. From here, Newark, Lincoln, Sherwood Forest and the Newark Showground all sit inside about half an hour by car, without the price tag or footprint of a city-centre hotel. The village also carries real heritage: it is Domesday-listed and the birthplace of CT-scanner Nobel laureate Sir Godfrey Hounsfield.
The best window is late spring through early autumn, when the river walks come into their own and the Newark Showground season runs through summer. The village's own festival falls on the first weekend of September, bringing classic cars, steam threshing and family activities to Sutton-on-Trent itself, while the inn runs its own beer festivals in May and August. Autumn brings colour to Sherwood's oaks; winter midweeks are the quietest, when the A1-stopover trade dominates and rooms are easiest to get.
For food and supplies beyond the inn, The Deli at No 4 on Main Street is the recommendation for weekday breakfasts (it opens at 8:30), and the Lincolnshire Co-op on High Street (7am to 10pm) covers essentials and is the village's cash backup. Further afield, the community-owned Royal Oak at Collingham and the well-loved OK Diner on the A1 are local favourites. Bring cash, mention your dog when you book, and plan weekday breakfast around The Deli or self-catering.
Is The Lord Nelson worth it?
Yes, if you want a warm, dog-friendly village inn a mile off the A1 with home-cooked food, cask ale and friendly family owners: the welcome earns the warmest praise here, and it's a genuine bargain stopover for Newark, the Showground and Lincoln. Skip it if you need hotel-grade soundproofing, a cooked breakfast every morning or a card payment at a 24-hour desk: these are converted stables with thinner walls, weekday rooms are room-only, and check-in is cash only at the bar.
What Guests Say About The Lord Nelson
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Very Good
What reviewers love first is the welcome: Martin, Sally and the locals earn the warmest praise of any part of the stay, and guests come back for the warm hosts, the home-cooked food and genuine value at a quiet A1 stopover a mile off the dual carriageway. Couples rate it especially highly, and bed comfort is another strong point. The recurring praise is for the friendly owners, the kitchen, genuine dog-friendliness and the deep-quiet village setting. The honest caveats come later and they are minor: thinner converted-stable walls, a couple of rooms more traditional in style than others, no weekday cooked breakfast and cash-only check-in. Arrive expecting a traditional inn rather than a hotel and most leave very satisfied.
Genuinely impressed by the size and amenities of the room; the food was lovely and both the staff and the landlord were friendly and welcoming.
Couple
Genuinely impressed by the size and amenities of the room; the food was lovely and both the staff and the landlord were friendly and welcoming.
2026-03-10The room opened straight onto the car park, which was ideal for the dog; the food was tasty and the staff were happy to accommodate a late arrival.
2026-02-15A perfect overnight break on the run between Scotland and the South East: good beer, good food, great staff and excellent value.
2026-01-22Given a large family room with several beds; everything worked as it should, the pub atmosphere was relaxed and the food excellent, worth remembering it's an old pub, not a chain hotel.
2025-12-18Comes back to the Lord Nelson again and again for the location and the fund of happy memories from previous stays.
2025-11-30Lovely village and great value, but the converted-stable walls are on the thin side, so a light sleeper will hear the neighbours, good to know before booking.
2025-11-08Good to Know Before You Book
Weekday rooms are room-only
The 'Half Nelson' cooked breakfast runs weekends only (Saturday brunch from 10:00, Sunday breakfast). Monday to Friday, head to The Deli at No 4 on Main Street, which opens at 8:30, a little late for an early business start. Whether breakfast is included at weekends depends on the rate you choose.
Bring cash
Payment is taken in person at check-in, cash only; the inn can't take card details over the phone, and there's no 24-hour cash machine in the village. The Lincolnshire Co-op on High Street (7am to 10pm) is the backup for essentials and cash-back.
The bar is the reception
There's no traditional front desk; check-in runs 15:00 to 21:00 during pub trading hours, with the bar acting as reception. Plan your arrival inside that window, and let the inn know roughly when to expect you.
Characterful, not soundproofed
The bedrooms are in a converted stable block with walls thinner than a new-build hotel, lovely character, but light sleepers should pack earplugs. Ground-floor rooms open onto the car park; the Triple and Large Double are upstairs, stairs only, with no lift.
Call The Lord Nelson
Want to ask about availability, your arrival time, a room for your dog or a function booking? Contact the inn directly.
+44 1636 821885Photos of The Lord Nelson
Frequently Asked Questions about The Lord Nelson
No. This Lord Nelson is at 35 Main Street, Sutton-on-Trent, NG23 6PF, a mile west of the A1. There is a separate, different pub of the same name at Winthorpe (Gainsborough Road, NG24 2NN), closer to Newark Showground, and sat-navs routinely send guests to the wrong one. Use the NG23 6PF postcode for this inn.
The inn is about a mile west of the A1. Leave at the Sutton-on-Trent / Carlton-on-Trent slip and follow signs into the village along Main Street, roughly three minutes from the slip. It's a quiet village base, so the traffic noise stays on the dual carriageway. Newark is 7 miles and the Showground about 10.
The 'Half Nelson' cooked breakfast runs weekends only (Saturday brunch from 10:00, Sunday breakfast). Monday to Friday the rooms are room-only, and the recommendation is The Deli at No 4 on Main Street, which opens at 8:30. Whether weekend breakfast is included depends on the rate you choose, which shows before you confirm.
Yes, very. Dogs are welcome free of charge on request, with biscuits on the bar, a fenced garden and a riverside dog walk along Far Holme Lane minutes from the door. Ground-floor rooms open straight onto the car park, which dog owners find ideal. Just mention your dog when you book.
Yes. There is free on-site parking with no reservation needed, in a car park that sits between the main pub and the converted stable block. Ground-floor rooms open directly onto it, with no height or size limit documented.
Yes. Five of the eight rooms are on the ground floor and several are wheelchair-accessible (the Family Room, Double Room, Large Twin and the Double or Twin variants), opening straight onto the car park with no stairs. Two room types, the Triple and Large Double, are upstairs, reached by stairs only, as there is no lift.
There's no traditional front desk: the bar acts as reception during pub trading hours, with check-in between 15:00 and 21:00 and check-out by 10:00. Payment is taken in person at check-in, cash only; the inn can't take card details over the phone. Bring cash, as there's no 24-hour cash machine in the village.
Yes. The Lord Nelson is a working village pub with an on-site restaurant serving home-cooked food, with the kitchen open Wednesday to Sunday. The bar pulls cask ale (Castle Rock Harvest Pale plus three changing guests) and coffee from Stokes of Lincoln, with a Thursday quiz night and two annual beer festivals.
Cancellation and prepayment terms vary by the room type and rate you choose, so check the exact policy shown for your dates before you confirm. Payment itself is taken in person at check-in, cash only, and the inn may hold an amount before arrival per the fine print of your rate.
More Great UK Stays from ShoutHotels
UK guest houses & inns
Browse the wider ShoutHotels collection of independent UK guest houses, inns and pubs with rooms across England, Scotland and Wales.
Dog-friendly UK stays
Looking for somewhere your dog is as welcome as you are? Explore more dog-friendly, family-run UK properties in the ShoutHotels collection.
Country pubs with rooms
More characterful country inns and village pubs with rooms across the UK, the kind of base that turns an overnight stop into part of the trip.
Ready to Book The Lord Nelson?
Eight en-suite rooms in a converted stable block at a family-run village inn a mile off the A1 in Sutton-on-Trent. Free on-site parking, dogs welcome free of charge, cask ale and home-cooked food from a kitchen open Wednesday to Sunday. Most rooms are ground-floor and open onto the car park, and the bar acts as a warm reception. It reviews well, with the welcome the standout.
Check Availability