Settling in · Clipstone
Landing in Clipstone? Start here.
The first fortnight in Clipstone, 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
73 places in Clipstone 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.
Nothing nearby matches that yet. Try a shorter word.
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
St Augustines Parish Church
Christian, Anglican
46 Abbott Road, Mansfield, NG19 6DD
About 7 km away
The Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
72 Patchwork Row, Shirebrook, Mansfield, NG20 8AL
About 8 km away
Rainworth Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Southwell Road East, Mansfield, NG21 0EQ
About 4 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
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 40 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 4 km away
Modhu Mitha
Indian. restaurant. Hours: 17:00-23:00
11-15 Ratcliffe Gate, Mansfield, NG18 2JA
About 5 km away
Shoknan African Restaurant and Bar
African. restaurant. Hours: Mo 13:00-22:00; Tu-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-02:00; Su 13:00-22:00
20 Regent Street, Mansfield, NG18 1SS
About 5 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
Timberland Trail, Mansfield, NG18 1BU
About 6 km away
Winner City
Chinese. restaurant
Old Rufford Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8JD
About 7 km away
China Red
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 17:30-23:30
5A Cox's Lane, Mansfield, NG19 8PF
About 5 km away
Sports and clubs
Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre
Swimming. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa 07:30-17:00; Su 08:30-17:00
Westdale Road, Mansfield, NG19 7BZ
About 5 km away
Subtropical Swimming Paradise
Swimming. Sports centre. Hours: 10:00-21:00
A B, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 9DN
About 4 km away
The John Fretwell Sporting Complex
Sports centre
Sookholme Road, Mansfield, NG19 8LL
About 5 km away
Outdoor Activity Centre
Sports centre
Old Rufford Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8TD
About 5 km away
Days out and things to do
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Ludborough Walk Community Centre
Community centre
Linwood Court, Mansfield, NG19 9SF
About 3 km away
Rainworth Village Hall
Community centre
Kirklington Road, Newark and Sherwood, NG21 0JP
About 5 km away
Wellington Close Community Centre
Community centre
Wellington Close, Mansfield, NG20 0JL
About 5 km away
Sherwood Colliery Welfare Centre
Community centre
1 Dunsil Road, Mansfield, NG19 7GD
About 5 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
KH Hair
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu,We 09:00-17:00; Th 09:00-18:00; Fr 09:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-14:30
14 Market Street, Mansfield, NG18 1JG
About 5 km away
Hedy Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 09:00-13:00
211 Station Road, Shirebrook, Mansfield, NG20 8AF
About 8 km away
Cinemas and libraries
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
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 5 km away
Mansfield Woodhouse Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 09:30-12:30; Tu,Th 09:30-18:30; Fr 09:30-16:00; Sa 09:30-13:00
Church Street, Mansfield, NG19 8AH
About 5 km away
Mansfield Central Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:30; Sa 09:00-16:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Westgate Mansfield, NG18 1NH
About 5 km away
Warsop Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Fr 09:30-17:00; We,Sa 09:30-13:00
High Street, Mansfield, NG20 0AG
About 5 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 3 km away
Ladybrook Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Th 09:00-13:00,13:30-17:00; Sa 09:00-12:30
Ladybrook Lane, Mansfield, NG18 5JH
About 7 km away
Edwinstowe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
High Street, Mansfield, NG21 9QS
About 5 km away
Bilsthorpe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Crescent, Newark and Sherwood, NG22 8QX
About 6 km away
Blidworth Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
New Lane, Mansfield, NG21 0PW
About 7 km away
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 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 Clipstone
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