WORKSOP, Nottinghamshire, a market-town and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Worksop, is pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Ryton, in 53° 17' N. lat., 1° 7' W. long., distant 26 miles N. by E. from Nottingham, and 146 miles N.N.W. from London by road, and by the Great Northern and Sheffield and Lincoln shire railways. The population of the town in 1851 was 6058. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry of Nottingham and diocese of Lincoln. Worksop Poor-Law Union contains 26 parishes and town ship., with an area of 78,050 acres, and a population in 1851 of 18,990.
Worksop contains numerous well-built houses, and the streets are well paved and lighted with gas. An ancient building, called the Moot-Hall, is used for public business. A corn-exchange, erected in 1851, contains a large hall fitted up with an orchestra, &c., for assemblies and concerts; the building contaius also corn, butchers' meat, fruit, vegetable, and fish markets. The pariah church is a large
building, originally cruciform, and of Norman architecture; but the exterior shows considerable admixtures of later styles. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, Independents, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. There are National -schools, a savings bank, and some parochial charities. Wednesday is the market-day. Three cattle-fairs and a statute fair are held in the course of the year. The Chesterfield Canal, which passes the town, is carried over the river Ryton by an aqueduct. Of an Augustinian priory, which formerly existed here, the principal gateway is still standing, and part of the priory church now forma the parish church. Several noblemen's seats are in the vicinity. Many Roman coins and other antiquities have at different timer; been found near Worksop.