Robin Hood, caves under the streets and a pub that claims to be England’s oldest: Nottingham wears its legends lightly and its student energy loudly.
Nottingham is known around the world as the home of Robin Hood, the outlaw who robbed the rich to give to the poor, and his enemy the Sheriff of Nottingham. Whether Robin Hood really existed is uncertain, but the legend is part of the city’s identity. The real Nottingham has a rich history of its own, from lace making to literature.
Today it is a lively city with two large universities, a famous castle, caves beneath its streets and some of the oldest pubs in England. It is a UNESCO City of Literature, the home of Lord Byron and D.H. Lawrence. This guide covers seven things to see and do.
1. Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle stands on Castle Rock, a sandstone cliff above the city. The medieval castle that stood here was one of the most important in England, and it was where King Charles I raised his standard at the start of the Civil War in 1642. After the war, the castle was demolished.
In its place, the Duke of Newcastle built a grand mansion in the seventeenth century. It was burned by rioters in 1831, during protests about political reform, and later restored as a museum and art gallery. It is one of the first municipal art galleries in Britain outside London.
The castle has galleries about the history of Nottingham, its art and its famous rebels, including Robin Hood. Tours take you down into the caves beneath the castle, including Mortimer’s Hole, a passage through the rock where, legend says, young King Edward III and his men crept in to seize his mother’s lover, Roger Mortimer. The castle grounds have views across the city.
The castle has been through a period of redevelopment and changes in how it is run, so check opening times before you go. The bronze statue of Robin Hood, drawing his bow, stands outside the castle walls. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city.
2. The caves beneath the city
Nottingham is built on soft sandstone, and for more than a thousand years its people have carved caves into the rock beneath their homes. There are more than eight hundred caves under the city. They have been used as homes, workshops, cellars, tanneries and even as air raid shelters during the Second World War.
Some of the caves can be visited on guided tours, which tell the stories of the people who lived and worked in them. You can see a medieval tannery, a Victorian slum and a wartime shelter. It is a fascinating and slightly eerie experience.
Many of the city’s pubs have cellars carved into the rock, and some of them can be seen by visitors. The caves beneath the castle are another highlight. The whole city seems to have a second, hidden world beneath it.
Check which cave tours are running before you go, as arrangements change. The tours are not suitable for anyone who dislikes tight or dark spaces. They are popular, so it is worth booking ahead.
3. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, at the foot of Castle Rock, claims to be the oldest inn in England, with a date of 1189 painted on its wall. The story goes that knights on their way to the Crusades stopped here for a drink. Whether or not the date is true, it is one of the most atmospheric pubs in the country.
Parts of the pub are carved directly into the sandstone of the castle rock, with rooms that are more like caves than bars. The walls and ceilings are rough rock. The pub’s cellars were once used as a brewhouse for the castle.
The pub is full of curiosities, including a dusty model of a galleon that is said to be cursed, as everyone who has cleaned it is said to have died within a year. There is also a chair that is said to help women become pregnant. The staff love to tell the stories.
It is a popular stop for visitors, and it can be busy, especially at weekends. It serves food and real ale. Nottingham has several other very old pubs nearby, each claiming to be the oldest.
4. Wollaton Hall and Deer Park
Wollaton Hall is one of the most spectacular Elizabethan houses in England. It was built in the 1580s for Sir Francis Willoughby, and designed by Robert Smythson, one of the great architects of the age. Its towers, turrets and huge windows make it look like a fairy tale castle.
Film fans will recognise it as Wayne Manor, the home of Bruce Wayne, in the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. Visitors come from around the world to see it. The hall now houses Nottingham’s natural history museum, with collections of animals, birds and fossils.
Around the hall is a large deer park, where herds of red and fallow deer roam freely. It is a lovely place for a walk or a picnic. There is a lake, gardens and a café.
Entry to the hall has usually been free, with a charge for parking, and there are tours of parts of the house not normally open. It is about three miles west of the city centre. It is a great day out for families.
5. Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest, about twenty miles north of Nottingham, is the legendary home of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Today it is a national nature reserve, with ancient oak trees, heathland and walks. It was once a royal hunting forest that covered a large part of the county.
The most famous tree in the forest is the Major Oak, an enormous oak tree thought to be many centuries old. Legend says Robin Hood and his men hid in its hollow trunk. Its huge branches are supported by props.
The visitor centre, near the village of Edwinstowe, tells the story of the forest and the legend. There are walking trails through the woods, and events through the year, including a Robin Hood festival in summer. Children love the chance to play at being outlaws.
The forest is best reached by car. Nearby, the Clumber Park estate, looked after by the National Trust, has a lake, woodland and walks. A driver by the hour makes it easy to explore the forest and the countryside.
6. The Lace Market and the city centre
In the nineteenth century, Nottingham was the centre of the lace industry, and its lace was exported around the world. The Lace Market, a district of grand Victorian warehouses on the eastern side of the city centre, is where the lace was made and sold. Today its buildings are home to flats, offices, bars and restaurants.
The National Justice Museum, in the old Shire Hall in the Lace Market, is a museum of crime and punishment in real Victorian courtrooms and cells. You can stand in the dock and see where prisoners were held. It is fascinating for all ages.
The Old Market Square, in the centre of the city, is one of the largest public squares in Britain, overlooked by the grand Council House with its dome and stone lions. It hosts events through the year. Nottingham Contemporary, a free art gallery nearby, has exhibitions of modern art.
Every October, the Goose Fair, one of the oldest fairs in England with a history going back centuries, fills the Forest Recreation Ground with rides and stalls. Hockley, beside the Lace Market, is a lively area of independent shops, bars and restaurants.
7. Newstead Abbey, Eastwood and sport
Newstead Abbey, about twelve miles north of Nottingham, was the home of the poet Lord Byron. It was built on the site of a medieval priory, and its ruined west front still stands beside the house. The house and gardens are open to visitors at certain times.
The novelist D.H. Lawrence was born in the mining town of Eastwood, just north west of Nottingham, and his birthplace is now a museum. His novels, such as Sons and Lovers, drew on his childhood here. Nottingham is proud of its literary heritage.
Nottingham is also a great sporting city. Nottingham Forest, which won the European Cup twice, and Notts County, the oldest professional football club in the world, both play in the city. Trent Bridge is one of England’s great Test cricket grounds.
On match days and at big concerts, the roads and trams are busy. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to get to and from the grounds and the arena.
Getting there and getting around
Nottingham station is a short walk from the city centre, with direct trains to London St Pancras in around an hour and three quarters, and to Sheffield, Leicester, Derby and Birmingham. The city has a modern tram network linking the station with the centre and the suburbs.
East Midlands Airport is about fifteen miles south west, around half an hour by road. The M1 passes a few miles west of the city. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Nottingham and the airport, and to reach Sherwood Forest, Newstead Abbey and Wollaton Hall.
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