Settling in · Bilsthorpe
Landing in Bilsthorpe? Start here.
The first fortnight in Bilsthorpe, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
54 places in Bilsthorpe worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Rainworth Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Southwell Road East, Mansfield, NG21 0EQ
About 6 km away
Church of St Mary of the Purification
Christian, Anglican
Main Street, Mansfield, NG21 0QH
About 8 km away
St Michael the Archangel, Laxton
Christian, Anglican
High Street, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 0NY
About 10 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Nottingham
About 27 km away
Leyton Crescent Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1PR
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Fri 7:00pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Doncaster
About 43 km away
Flat 2, No. 9 Lawn Road Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 2JF, United Kingodm
Worship services: Wed 7:30pm · Sat 10:00am
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Food and takeaways
Ming's Cuisine
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: 16:30-22:00; We off; Fr,Sa 16:30-22:30
131 Newgate Lane, Mansfield, NG18 2LG
About 10 km away
Winner City
Chinese. restaurant
Old Rufford Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8JD
About 4 km away
Sports and clubs
Basketball court
Basketball. Pitch
Caunton Tennis Club
Tennis. Sports centre
Maplebeck Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG23 6AS
About 9 km away
Outdoor Activity Centre
Sports centre
Old Rufford Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8TD
About 3 km away
Subtropical Swimming Paradise
Swimming. Sports centre. Hours: 10:00-21:00
A B, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 9DN
About 3 km away
Southwell Leisure Centre
Sports centre
Nottingham Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG25 0LG
About 9 km away
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
Rainworth Village Hall
Community centre
Kirklington Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG21 0JP
About 6 km away
Ludborough Walk Community Centre
Community centre
Linwood Court, Mansfield, NG19 9SF
About 10 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Turkish barber
Hairdresser
Barbers and salons
Cinemas and libraries
Rainworth Community Partnership Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Th 10:00-12:00
Kirklington Road, Mansfield, NG21 0JY
About 6 km away
Clipstone Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 14:00-17:00; We 10:00-13:00,13:30-17:00
First Avenue, Mansfield, NG21 9DA
About 6 km away
Forest Town Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:30-12:30; Tu,Th 09:30-17:30; We,Fr off
Clipstone Road West, Mansfield, NG19 0AA
About 9 km away
Bilsthorpe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Crescent, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8QX
Farnsfield Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,We 09:00-12:30; Fr 14:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-13:00
New Hill, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8JN
About 4 km away
Edwinstowe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
High Street, Mansfield, NG21 9QS
About 6 km away
Blidworth Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
New Lane, Mansfield, NG21 0PW
About 7 km away
Ollerton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Rufford Avenue, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 9PN
About 7 km away
Dukeries Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Whinney Lane, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 9TH
About 8 km away
Southwell Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Portland Arcade, Newark and Sherwood, NG25 0EH
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Bilsthorpe
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here