Nottingham



Nottingham is a city in England, affectionately known as the "Queen of the Midlands". It is famed for its links with the world-renowned legend of Robin Hood.

Understand
Nottingham is one of three major cities in the East Midlands of England, the others being nearby Leicester and Derby. Its prosperity was historically derived mostly from the lace making and coal-mining industries, little of which remains. Nottingham has moved towards a more service-based economy. In the 1960s it was famed for having a gender imbalance.

The centre of Nottingham lies on the River Leen and its southern boundary follows the course of the River Trent, which flows from Stoke to the Humber. Nottingham has an estimated city population of 320,000 (2021). The urban area has a population of 730,000 (2021).

The heart of the city is the Old Market Square, which underwent a major redevelopment in 2006. Most of the main shopping streets are around the square. The Council House, whose tall dome can be seen for miles around, is at the top end of the square. The inside of the Council House is the Exchange Arcade, a shopping centre. A bohemian quarter of the city known as Hockley has arisen close to the Lace Market area. Nottingham receives a lot of tourism, mostly because of the legend of Robin Hood, visiting Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle.

Visitor information

 * Visit Nottingham

By plane

 * lies 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Nottingham and flights are available to many European (mostly tourist) destinations. The Skylink Express bus runs between the airport and city centre every 30 minutes during the day. The bus journey takes approximately 35 minutes, depending on traffic conditions, and costs £5 single, £9.90 return, £9 for a day ticket (zigzag plus) including all trentbarton buses in the area. The slower Skylink Nottingham bus runs all through the night (hourly), with the same fares and a journey time of 50 minutes to an hour.
 * is about from Nottingham and serves all major European and many international destinations. It is accessible by train, changing at Birmingham New Street.

By train


Turn right out of the station for an easy 10-minute walk to the city centre.

The tram stop is right above the station, giving access to all tram destinations since both lines pass through the station.

By car
From the south, travel on the M1 and exit at junction 24 or 25. From the North take the M1 junction 25 or 26.

There are nine Park and Ride sites with over 6500 spaces around the city. Many of these park and ride sites are connected to Nottingham city centre by the city's tram network, or buses.

By bus
Nottingham has two sizeable bus stations near to its two major shopping centres, and. Traveline, +44 871 200 22 33

Bus operators offer services to most other UK destinations.

National Express provides cheap advance tickets on a Nottingham-London route, often for as little as £5 each way if booked early enough online. National Express also offers cheap non-changeable tickets (called "Funfare") to many other major cities from Nottingham.

Megabus also serves the city, although only twice a day with one departure at 5AM!

Get around
Nottingham has excellent public transport by buses and trams.

By foot
The city centre is best explored on foot as many of the historic streets are pedestrianised or have good pedestrian access.

By tram
Nottingham Express Transit is the city's modern tram system. There are two branches which run on the same tracks in the city centre and then diverge at both ends to serve 4 destinations (Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South). The system has a number of Park and Ride sites along it, which make travel into the city centre easy. An all day tram-only ticket costs £4, single tickets are £2.20. Tickets must be bought from ticket machines on platforms before boarding.

By bus
Nottingham has extensive bus services provided by two main companies, trentbarton and Nottingham City Transport (NCT), running from the Broadmarsh and Victoria Bus stations as well as key termini in the city centre such as Old Market Square, Parliament Street and Carrington Street. Fares: Most NCT buses do not give change. Trentbarton buses do, just ask the driver.

Ticketing
Ticketing can be confusing. Ticketing for most operators is detailed below:

Cash: Robin Hood Prepaid Card (purchase from ticket machines around city centre): Students with valid ID:
 * NCT buses:
 * £1.50 under-19 single
 * £2.50 adult single
 * £4.70 day ticket
 * £7 Grouprider (up to 2 adults and 3 under-19s)
 * (tickets can also be purchased with a credit or debit card when getting on the bus, or in advance through the NCTX Buses app)
 * (detailed information can be found on the NCT website.
 * trentbarton buses: single fare varies by distance (check website), £6 "zigzag" day ticket or £9 "zigzag plus" including East Midlands Airport. This allows travel on all Trentbarton services as far as Bakewell, Derby or Chesterfield
 * NET trams: single fare £2.20, day ticket £4
 * Multiple operators: £4.50 kangaroo day ticket for all public transport in greater Nottingham
 * Buses and Trams: £1.70 single, £3.15 max for single operator, £4 max for all operators
 * £1.50 single fare for many NCT buses and all Trentbarton buses (within Nottingham)

Sports

 * Rugby: Nottingham RFC play rugby union in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is, a quarter mile east of Trent Bridge.
 * Cricket:
 * Rugby: Nottingham RFC play rugby union in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is, a quarter mile east of Trent Bridge.
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:
 * Cricket:

Parks and activities

 * In the summer you can hire a rowing boat on the beautiful grounds of the University of Nottingham.
 * Nottingham Castle has extensive grounds, which are planted beautifully in the summer time. Each summer open air theatre performances are held in the grounds.



Events

 * The Forest Recreation Ground also plays host to the city's annual Bonfire Night fireworks display, which also has a funfair.
 * The Riverside Festival at Victoria Embankment is held on a weekend at the start of August each year. It features live music, markets and fairs topped off with a huge fireworks display.
 * The varsity sports series between the city's two universities, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, is the largest outside of North America.
 * LBC is a monthly electronic music event held at The Bodega featuring upcoming artists from all over the world. Entry is fairly cheap and is predominantly aimed at the student population of the city. Once featured in The Guardian, it is seen as Nottingham's forward-thinking music and arts event.
 * LBC is a monthly electronic music event held at The Bodega featuring upcoming artists from all over the world. Entry is fairly cheap and is predominantly aimed at the student population of the city. Once featured in The Guardian, it is seen as Nottingham's forward-thinking music and arts event.
 * LBC is a monthly electronic music event held at The Bodega featuring upcoming artists from all over the world. Entry is fairly cheap and is predominantly aimed at the student population of the city. Once featured in The Guardian, it is seen as Nottingham's forward-thinking music and arts event.

Buy
Nottingham has a large excellent shopping centre in the City Centre, "The Victoria Centre". The Victoria Centre is the modern with plenty of shops & facilities.

Close to Victoria Centre are the main shopping streets: Lister Gate and Clumber Street are home to High Street names, while designer labels can be found on Bridlesmith Gate, Victoria Street and in the Exchange Arcade, within the Council House on Market Square. The alternative shopper will find Hockley Village a haven, focused around Goose Gate, the city's Bohemian district. To buy a Nottingham memento, go to the Lace Centre on the corner of Castle Gate, opposite the Robin Hood statue, to buy traditional Nottingham lace.

With regards to the alternative music and fashion scene, Nottingham is highly regarded and caters well for obscure and eclectic tastes. Void, Wild (and its sister store Wilder) and the local favourite Ice Nine can all be found in the bohemian district of Hockley. These stores can often become busy over the weekend in particular, but many original retro and vintage fashion items can be found for very cheap prices here.

Record stores include:



Budget
Nottingham also has the usual range of chain restaurants and bars that you can find in many cities across the UK. For a budget meal (and drink), JD Wetherspoons is always worth trying. There are also some budget restaurants along Mansfield Road not far from the Victoria Shopping Centre

There is a pedestrianised street full of eateries of varying quality next to the Cornerhouse. These restaurants range from a Pizza Hut and a Subway, to a brassiere (Punchinellos) with an excellent pre-theatre menu. There is also a wide variety of takeaways in Nottingham, catering for many different tastes.



Drink


There are at least three pubs in Nottingham which claim to be amongst the oldest in the city (and the country), so there is no shortage of drinking establishments for visitors. The city has a range of pubs and bars serving drinks late into the night.

A good place to start is the trendy Lace Market area east of Market Square where you will also find many good restaurants. Pubs around the Market Square tend to appeal to younger drinkers with a Wetherspoon's and Yates's Wine Lodge, but the area on the canal side around the Canal House pub tends to be a little more discerning. The Hockley area also provides a range of pleasant bars to suit a range of budgets. The Cornerhouse complex (near the Royal Centre tram stop) contains some really nice bars, particularly, and close to this is The Orange Tree on Shakespeare Street. Slightly further out of the centre in the multicultural and vibrant area known as Sneinton is a wonderful pub called the Lord Nelson with a great garden and real ales. The other historic pubs include The Bell Inn, in the Market Square, and the, on Maid Marian Way, both of which can trace a long history and lay claim to having resident ghosts. Ask at a quiet moment for a tour of the Salutation's cellars, dug by hand into the sandstone rock below the pub and used in centuries past as a secure brewing area. The is also located near the Old Market square and serves local ale from. Rock City hosts one of the biggest student disco nights in town, with standard dance/pop music, when popular live rock bands aren't playing in town. For a different experience, try The Pitcher and Piano bar, with a slightly more mature crowd. Built as a large Unitarian church it has been stylishly modernised but still contains the church's architectural history with gothic decor and stained glass windows.



Camping
In surrounding area

Stay safe
While overall a safe city, Nottingham has been highlighted by the media for gun and knife crime in its suburbs, acquiring the (mostly tongue-in-cheek) nickname 'Shottingham'. It is best to avoid walking late at night through St Ann's (a council estate northeast of the Victoria shopping centre) and The Meadows (between the railway station and the river). Normal precautions for large western European cities should be undertaken by individuals after dark, especially for lone females.

Go next

 * For keen walkers, Matlock and the Derbyshire Peak District can be reached in about an hour by car. To get there by public transport, catch the Red Arrow (£6 'zigzag' day ticket, takes 30 min, every 10 min) from the Victoria Bus station to Derby, and change to the TransPeak (£5.90 each way, takes about an hour, hourly). An alternative for the more budget conscious traveller is the 6.1 bus from Derby to Bakewell, which takes longer but is included in the trentbarton 'zigzag' day ticket.
 * Derby is a neighboring city and is easily accessible by bus (£6 day ticket).
 * Lincoln is not too far away by rail.
 * Sheffield, about an hour away from Nottingham by rail or road, is a slightly larger city and a popular cultural and shopping destination.
 * There are direct trains from Nottingham to the famous seaside resort of Skegness.