Nottingham

A castle on a sandstone rock, the old lace quarter and the city of Robin Hood's sheriff

Nottingham is the county town of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands, known for the legend of Robin Hood and his enemy the Sheriff of Nottingham, and for its lace, bicycle and tobacco industries. It is a UNESCO City of Literature.

The centre is compact. Old Market Square and the domed Council House sit between the castle on its rock to the west and the Lace Market and Hockley to the east, all within walking distance of the railway station. Wollaton Hall and its deer park lie about 4 km west.

LandEngelandEast Midlands; county town of Nottinghamshire
Main stationNottinghammanaged by East Midlands Railway; step-free access to all platforms (National Rail)
TramsNottingham Express Transita 20-mile tram system; validators accept contactless for adult singles and day tickets
Goose FairRoyal Charter 1284travelling fair held every autumn on the Forest Recreation Ground

Buurten

3 places to begin

Each area has its own mini guide with 45 sights, places to eat and drink, and where to stay across the city.

21 sights · 24 places to eat

Castle and Old Market Square

Castle Rock, the old inns at its foot and the square at the heart of the city

Open de minigids →

14 sights · 26 places to eat

Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

Lace warehouses, courtrooms and caves, and Hockley's bars and independent shops

Open de minigids →

10 sights · 12 places to eat

Wollaton, Lenton and University Park

An Elizabethan hall in a deer park, a university campus and its lakeside park

Open de minigids →

Bezienswaardigheden

Highlights across Nottingham

A sight from each area. Every area guide lists the rest, with directions and official links.

Castle and Old Market Square

Nottingham Castle

17th-century ducal mansion on Castle Rock, on the site of a Norman royal castle, with galleries, grounds and optional cave tours.

Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

National Justice Museum

Museum in the former Shire Hall, courtrooms, gaol and police station on High Pavement; the courtrooms date back to the 14th century.

Wollaton, Lenton and University Park

Wollaton Hall

Elizabethan house of the 1580s on a hill in Wollaton Park, now Nottingham's Natural History Museum.

Castle and Old Market Square

Museum at Brewhouse Yard

Museum of Nottingham life in houses and caves at the foot of the castle rock; part of the castle site, open weekends and holidays.

Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

City of Caves

Sandstone caves used over the centuries as a tannery, pub cellars and an air raid shelter; run by the National Justice Museum.

Wollaton, Lenton and University Park

Wollaton Park

Grade II listed 500-acre park around the hall, with herds of red and fallow deer and gardens.

Castle and Old Market Square

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

Grade II listed pub built against Castle Rock with rooms cut into the sandstone; it claims to be the oldest pub in England.

Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

Nottingham Contemporary

Contemporary art centre opened in 2009, its cladding embossed with a Nottingham lace pattern; free entry.

Foto's

Nottingham Industrial Museum, Wollaton, Lenton and University Park

1 / 12

With kids in Nottingham

Animal attractions, railways, science centres, beaches and caves from our Nottingham guide, grouped by type. We hold no age ratings or child prices: check each place’s own site for age limits, height rules and family tickets.

Animals and wildlife

Stonebridge City FarmCity farm, Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

Science and discovery

Green's WindmillWindmill and science centre, Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

Caves and underground

City of CavesCaves, Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

Practical help: travelling with children and where to stay in Nottingham.

Reisroutes

Plan uw dagen

Korte routes die de buurten met elkaar verbinden.

Robin Hood statue, Castle and Old Market Square

Halve dag

Castle, caves and the old town

Nottingham Castle — the Ducal Palace galleries, the grounds and an optional cave tour
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem — the pub built against Castle Rock, at the foot of the castle
City of Caves — sandstone caves run by the National Justice Museum

St Mary's Church, Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton

1 dag

Justice, lace and a deer park

National Justice Museum — courtrooms and gaol on High Pavement
Lace Market and Hockley — St Mary's Church, the Adams Building and lunch in Hockley
Wollaton Hall — the natural history museum and the red and fallow deer in the park

Hoe komt u er

Arriving in Nottingham

Nottingham has a main-line station a short walk from the centre, trams across the city and a bus link to East Midlands Airport. Always check the operator for current times, fares and disruption.

Met de trein

Nottingham station is on Carrington Street, south of the centre. National Rail lists East Midlands Railway as the station manager; CrossCountry and Northern also call here. A tram stop is at the station.

National Rail: Nottingham station →

Met het vliegtuig

East Midlands Airport lists Skylink Nottingham buses from the coach station next to the terminal, every 20 minutes during the day and hourly at night.

Trams

Nottingham Express Transit runs through the city centre, with stops at the station, the Lace Market and the Royal Centre. Tickets can be bought in the NETGO! app or with contactless.

Nottingham Express Transit →

Journey times and fares change: check National Rail and the operators before you travel.

Verken het centrum te voet

The castle, Old Market Square, the Lace Market and Hockley are all within a short walk of each other and of the railway station.

Trams

NET trams link the station with the Lace Market and the Royal Centre, and run out to the suburbs and park and ride sites.

Nottingham Express Transit →

To Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall is about 4 km west of the centre. The hall suggests planning the journey with Traveline East Midlands; parking in the park is paid.

Wollaton Hall: visit →

Beste tijd om te gaan

Nottingham through the year

Nottingham is a year-round city break: the museums, theatres and the castle open through the winter, and the parks are at their best from spring to autumn.

SpringMaart tot en met mei

Longer days for the castle grounds, the Arboretum and Wollaton Park. Deer calve at Wollaton from May to July: keep at least 50 m away.

SummerJuni tot en met augustus

The best time for Highfields Park and its boating lake, Wollaton Park and the walks out to the River Trent.

AutumnSeptember tot en met november

Goose Fair fills the Forest Recreation Ground in early autumn. The deer rut at Wollaton runs from September to November.

WinterDecember tot en met februari

The Theatre Royal stages an annual pantomime. Wollaton's formal gardens close from late October to mid-January while the Wollaton Lights trail is set up and run.

Dagtochten

Buiten de stad

Ideas for a day away from Nottingham. Check the operators for times and tickets.

Nottinghamshire

Sherwood Forest

Remnants of an ancient royal forest near Edwinstowe, linked with the Robin Hood legend. The RSPB runs the visitor centre and nature reserve around the Major Oak.

RSPB: Sherwood Forest →

Nottinghamshire

Newstead Abbey

A former Augustinian priory turned country house, the ancestral home of Lord Byron, with gardens. It is one of the three Nottingham museum sites with the castle and Wollaton Hall.

Newstead Abbey →

Nottinghamshire

Southwell Minster

The cathedral and parish church of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, in the small town of Southwell north-east of the city.

Southwell Minster →

Veelgestelde vragen

Goed om te weten voor vertrek

Is Nottingham Castle a medieval castle?

Not any more. The Norman castle on Castle Rock was demolished after the Civil War, except for its walls and gates. Today's building is a 17th-century ducal mansion with museum galleries, set in the old castle grounds.

Where can I see the Robin Hood statue?

The bronze statue by James Woodford, unveiled in 1952, stands at Nottingham Castle. The castle itself has a Robin Hood gallery inside the Ducal Palace.

Can I visit Nottingham's caves?

Yes. Nottingham Castle sells cave tours as an add-on to its admission ticket, and the National Justice Museum runs the City of Caves. Book through their own websites.

Is there a combined ticket for the castle and Wollaton Hall?

The castle and Wollaton Hall both sell an annual pass covering Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey. Check the current price on their sites.

How do I get from East Midlands Airport to Nottingham?

East Midlands Airport lists Skylink Nottingham buses every 20 minutes during the day and hourly at night, from the coach station next to the terminal.

How do I get around Nottingham?

On foot in the centre, and by NET tram for the station, the Lace Market and the suburbs. Validators on the trams accept contactless for adult singles and day tickets.

Nearby places

Guides near Nottingham

Our closest other guides, by straight-line distance between centres. Road and rail distances are longer: check a journey planner.

More in England · Places A to Z · Getting between regions

Fotoverantwoording

Nottingham (header): Necrothesp at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Castle and Old Market Square: Cosmicutencil, CC0, source
Lace Market, Hockley and Sneinton: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Wollaton, Lenton and University Park: Harry Mitchell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nottingham Castle: JimmyGuano, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
National Justice Museum: Roland Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Wollaton Hall: Harry Mitchell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Museum at Brewhouse Yard: Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
City of Caves: Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wollaton Park: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem: Richard Hoare, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nottingham Contemporary: Bryn Holmes, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Robin Hood statue: No machine-readable author provided. Olaf1541 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
St Mary's Church: Veggiebacon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sherwood Forest: Ema Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Newstead Abbey: MondayLad, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Southwell Minster: Phil Brandon Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nottingham Industrial Museum: ClemRutter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Highfields Park: Photograph by Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. (www.clemrutter.net)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Albert Ball Memorial: Veggiebacon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Adams Building: Superhasn at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Aspire: mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Old Market Square: Aleksandar Topuzović, CC BY 3.0, source
Weekday Cross: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
St Leonard's Church, Wollaton: Enchufla Con Clave, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Council House: Smashman, Public domain, source
High Pavement Chapel: Martyn Pearson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
St Mary's Church, Wollaton Park: Andrewrabbott (talk), Public domain, source
Malt Cross: Veggiebacon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits

Plan het goed

More guides for Nottingham

Blijf ontdekken

All 3 Nottingham areas Verenigd Koninkrijk Gids voor Londen