Averham | |
---|---|
Averham shown within Nottinghamshire | |
Population | 294 (2011) |
OS grid reference | SK7654 |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | NOTTINGHAM |
Postcode district | NG23 |
Police | Nottinghamshire |
Fire | Nottinghamshire |
Ambulance | East Midlands |
EU Parliament | East Midlands |
Averham /ˈɛərəm/ is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187, increasing to 294 at the 2011 Census. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent. Staythorpe Power Station is south-west of the village.
Averham is the location of Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Averham, which is a Grade I listed building.
For many decades, the village has been famous locally for staging plays. The Robin Hood Theatre:
[S]tands in the quiet village of Averham (old spelling Ayrham) village 3 miles from Newark and 5 miles from Southwell. The theatre was built in the grounds of Averham rectory in 1913. It was designed by the Rev. Joseph Cyril Walker and built by the village carpenter, Robert Lee, assisted by local voluntary labour. The full name chosen for the theatre at that time was the Robin Hood Opera House.
The theatre, however:
…closed in 1951, and reopened ten years later under a charitable trust. It has struggled financially. In 1980 the County Council took over the trusteeship.
The BBC said of Averham's theatrical tradition:
[T]raditionally, the Cambridge Footlights brigade presented a performance at the Robin Hood Theatre, Averham, where they tested out material from which to select sketches and skits for the Edinburgh Fringe shows.
The Youth section of the Robin Hood Theatre has 20 members, under the leadership of Chris Lebeter and Adele Charlesworth. They perform regularly in the Nottingham And Nottinghamshire Drama Association Festival, winning in the categories Best Overall Play and Best Entertainment.