order John Mastin, cleric and memoirist from a labouring background, was born in Epperstone on 30 September 1747. William Darwin Fox, naturalist, cleric and man of letters, was curate of Epperstone Church in 1829–38. Evelyn Abbott, classical scholar, was born in Epperstone on 10 March 1843. Sir Francis Ley, industrialist, sports enthusiast and High Sheriff of Nottingham, bought Epperstone Manor in 1897. It was sold by his son Henry in 1917. Tom Gamble, racing driver, was born in Epperstone on 7 November 2001. Education A licence to teach in Epperstone was granted in 1625 to a Mr Moore. The schoolhouse in Toad Lane was built about 1756 with a house for the master next door. The free school was purchased in 1838 with money raised by subscription, and a grant from the National Society. About 100 children were soon attending the school. It moved to a larger building in the Oxton road, dating from 1855, when the earlier schoolhouse was sold. This Church of England primary school continued until 1985, when about a dozen remaining pupils were transferred to Lowdham School. Places of worship The Anglican parish church of Epperstone is dedicated to the Holy Cross. The present joint parish with Gonalston, Woodborough and Oxton is part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The Wesleyan Methodist chapel built about 1800 closed for worship in 1973. The Primitive Methodist Chapel functioned from 1851 to about 1904. Both are now private houses. Facilities The Cross Keys is a free house in Epperstone that serves meals and drinks. It reopened in mid-2015 after a nine-month refurbishment. The Cross Keys are a heraldic symbol of Heaven and St Peter. These days there is no longer a shop in the village. The nearest are in Lowdham. The Bumbles tearoom and garden also serves foods to eat in or take away. At Epperstone's tennis courts there are two artificial-surface doubles tennis courts. The adjacent village hall provides a children's play area, and there is a full-sized cricket pitch. Epperstone Cricket Club plays in the South Notts Cricket League. Adjacent is Bourne Wood, which began as a grove planted by children for the Millennium. The village has a Women's Institute and a Crafts Club, and Wednesday coffee mornings are held at the church. Epperstone Festival, a biennial event, was held again on 14 June 2015. Sixteen private gardens could be visited. The proceeds of about £8500