Top 15 Attractions in Nottingham, England

A vibrant city featuring two universities, Nottingham has gained worldwide recognition due to the legend of Robin Hood.

Designated as a City of Literature in 2015, it has been home to prolific English writers Lord Byron and D. H. Lawrence during the 19th century.

One of the prominent landmarks in the city is Wollaton Hall, an impressive 16th-century Elizabethan mansion. Additionally, Nottingham Castle, the backdrop of Robin Hood’s tales, sits atop a distinctive sandstone ridge filled with caves.

Historically, Nottingham was recognized for its lace-making and bicycle manufacturing. Visitors can delve into this heritage at the Industrial Museum, also located at Wollaton Hall.

Let us examine the most notable attractions in Nottingham:

1. Wollaton Hall

This magnificent Tudor mansion made a significant impact upon its completion in the 1580s.

Commissioned by Sir Francis Willoughby, Wollaton Hall represents a “prodigy house” of bold Elizabethan/Jacobean style, greatly influencing English architecture in the years that followed.

Constructed from Ancaster stone, quarried limestone from Lincolnshire, the exterior showcases intricate strapwork and decorative elements.

Situated on a natural elevation just west of Nottingham, the hall is enveloped by 500 acres of parkland, home to deer and housing an Industrial Museum in its stables and outbuildings.

Although its interior has been renovated several times since the 16th century, the grandeur of the three-storey hall’s Elizabethan-style mouldings has been carefully retained.

Inside, visitors can explore the Nottingham Natural History Museum, which first opened its doors in 1926.

2. The Arboretum

Adjacent to the Nottingham Trent University campus, The Arboretum is the city’s oldest park, established in 1852. Designed by the renowned Victorian botanist Samuel Curtis, some of the 800 trees presently in the Arboretum can be traced back to the park’s founding.

With its Grade II designation, the park is home to listed structures, including the bandstand and Circular Aviary.

During the summer, visitors can stroll through the flowerbeds and take a moment by the ornamental lake.

The Arboretum also hosts Nottinghamshire Pride, an event bringing stalls and entertainment to the park each July.

3. National Justice Museum

Recently renovated and rebranded, the National Justice Museum occupies a historic courthouse dating back to the 14th century.

Over time, the courtroom and gaol saw considerable enlargement, with the latest modifications occurring in the 1870s following a fire.

Nottingham’s Civil and Criminal Court operated here until the 1980s, alongside a police station that also closed at that time.

The museum presents a polished interactive experience, featuring characters such as judges and jailers dressed in period attire, sharing insights about their roles.

Explore the underground jail and old gallows, engage with stock activities, and learn about crime and justice in Nottingham.

A notable exhibit includes the dock from Bow Street Magistrates Court in London, which closed in 2004.

4. Nottingham Castle

Historically regarded alongside the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, Nottingham Castle overlooks the city from the prominent sandstone formation known as Castle Rock.

Like numerous fortifications in England, the castle was demolished following the English Civil War to prevent its potential reuse.

Subsequent to its destruction, Henry Cavendish, the 2nd Duke of Newcastle, erected the Baroque Ducal Mansion on its remnants, with the Nottingham Castle Museum opening in this edifice in 1878.

The collection features Wedgwood jasperware pottery, watercolours by artists like Paul Sandby and Richard Bonnington, and Nottingham alabaster carvings dating back to the 15th century.

Within the Long Gallery, there’s an exhibition showcasing 19th and 20th-century British fine art from notable figures such as Henry Dawson, Richard Bonnington, Tristram Hillier, and Stanley Spencer.

5. Old Market Square

Nottingham boasts the largest remaining market square in the UK, covering almost 5.5 acres and continuing to serve as a gathering point for the city’s inhabitants.

Its central location highlights the square’s importance, featuring one of Nottingham’s primary landmarks on its eastern edge.

The neo-Baroque Council House, constructed in 1929, showcases a remarkable 61-metre dome above its portico.

In medieval times, the Old Market Square served as a connection between the Norman settlement of Nottingham and the earlier Anglo-Saxon community surrounding the Lace Market area, which includes St Mary’s Church, detailed below.

Each New Year’s Eve, the square transforms into a hub for celebrations, hosting a German-style “Weihnachtsmarkt” and fair in December.

6. City of Caves

Nottingham is located atop a soft sandstone ridge that has been excavated with caves for centuries.

Even prior to the city’s establishment, Nottingham bore the Celtic term for “Place of Caves”; visitors can explore over a millennia of history through an underground journey accessible at the top level of the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre.

Here, one can discover England’s only known underground tannery, established in the 13th century and utilized for leather tanning since the early 16th century.

The Drury Hill slums, dating back to the Victorian era, were once among the most impoverished areas in the UK. Additionally, during the Nottingham Blitz in May 1941, this system served a critical role as an air raid shelter, with firsthand accounts available of the attack.

7. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

Integrated into the castle’s sandstone cliff, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is a pub accredited with being established in 1189, making it potentially the oldest public house in England, although documentation to substantiate this claim is lacking.

Its historic significance is undeniable, offering a unique character through its passages and caves carved from the sandstone.

Among the hidden areas within these cellars is a pit used for cockfighting, alongside cells alleged to have belonged to the castle’s gaol.

The pub’s distinctive name is derived from the belief that Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199) and his men stopped here on their journey to the Third Crusade.

8. Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery

Established in 2009, this gallery ranks among Britain’s largest contemporary art centers.

Situated in the Lave Market area, it incorporates a design homage to Nottingham’s lace-making heritage through a traditional lace pattern featured on the facade.

Entry to the gallery is complimentary, showcasing up to five contemporary art exhibitions yearly.

At the time this article was composed, there was a retrospective on British photomontage and graphic artist Linder Sterling, with the gallery having hosted prominent and emerging artists such as Lara Favaretto, Marguerite Humeau, David Hockney, and Frances Stark over the last decade.

Each weekend, the gallery organizes free family workshops and additional programming, including film screenings, “spot talks” led by gallery staff, discussion groups, and courses in skills like printmaking.

9. Highfields Park

Located south of the University of Nottingham campus, Highfields Park encompasses 121 acres of green terrain, which underwent refurbishment in 2018. Prior to 1920, this area was part of the Highfields Estate, purchased for the university by the founder of the renowned English high street chain, Boots.

The park’s most picturesque section is the promenade adjacent to the boating lake, offering a view of the university’s Trent Building.

Here, two stone lions were gifted to the university by the city of Ninbo, China.

Behind this area lies a flower garden adorned with pergolas, flourishing with azaleas.

The lake features an island accessible via stepping stones.

The park is situated in the Tottle Brook valley, at the foot of a sandstone outcrop riddled with small caves.

10. D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum

Nottinghamshire and its early 20th-century mining communities are closely tied to the accomplishments of writer D. H. Lawrence.

Visitors can explore the house where he was born in 1885, located in the former mining town of Eastwood.

This modest residence has been restored to reflect its 1880s appearance, featuring period furniture along with some belongings from the Lawrence family.

The house also depicts family life within a mining community, guiding visitors through the kitchen, communal yard, parents’ bedroom, children’s bedroom, washhouse, kitchen, and attic.

Younger guests will find enjoyment in a children’s trail and vintage-style toys.

11. Green’s Windmill

This windmill, constructed in Nottingham’s Sneinton suburb in 1807, was the project of George Green’s father, a prominent mathematical physicist during the 19th century. Following the elder Green’s passing, George Green managed the mill until his death in 1841.

Although nearly destroyed by fire in 1947, restoration efforts by Nottingham City Council in the 1980s returned it to working order, with its vast white sails visible from various points throughout Nottingham.

Families often visit from Wednesday to Sunday to observe the operational grinding mechanisms and hoists, as well as to engage with the hands-on science centre dedicated to George Green, illuminating topics such as magnetism, electricity, and the visible spectrum.

12. St Mary’s Church

A church has existed on this site in the Lace Market area since Saxon times.

The present Grade I listed structure was built during the 14th and 15th centuries and stands as the largest medieval monument in Nottingham.

Designed in Perpendicular Gothic style, the oldest part of the church is the south wall of the nave, constructed around 1370. This period also features Nottingham’s oldest door, which leads to the former chantry room (now accessible to wheelchair users). This door has retained its original 14th-century locking mechanism due to infrequent usage.

The church’s stained glass windows were crafted by some of the foremost glassmakers of Victorian England, while the significant bronze doors on the south porch, dating to 1904, illustrate the Life of Our Lord within their tympanum and across 20 panels on the doors.

13. Nottingham Industrial Museum

On weekends, the museum located in the stables of Wollaton Hall offers insight into Nottingham’s rich industrial history.

Visitors can view artifacts from the local textile industry, which dates back to the introduction of the stocking frame, producing hosiery since the late 16th century.

Exhibits showcase various machines, including a 1910 knitting machine, as well as Leavers and Barmen lace-making machines representative of Nottingham’s once-flourishing lace industry.

Nottingham is also synonymous with Raleigh bicycles, offering an assortment of models alongside the personal bicycle of Thomas Humber, inventor of the safety bicycle. The Steam Gallery includes an array of pumps and ploughing engines from the 19th century, complemented by a large wooden horse gin from a colliery in Pinxton positioned outside.

14. Stonebridge City Farm

Situated near the city center in Nottingham’s St Ann’s area, this farm provides young visitors with the opportunity to interact with farm animals, including rare breed pigs, cows, sheep, goats, ducks, donkeys, and Shetland ponies.

This area was previously a slum, cleared in the mid-20th century for a school that was never constructed.

The farm engages children with animal handling sessions that allow them to pet small animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits while offering the option to purchase feed for the larger animals.

The farm’s café features home-baked goods, and the Trading Post sells fresh produce like fruits, herbs, and eggs sourced directly from the farm.

15. Newstead Abbey

If you seek a source of inspiration for a day trip, the ancestral residence of poet Lord Byron is located approximately 10 miles north of Nottingham.

This 12th-century Augustinian abbey was dissolved during the Reformation in the 16th century, subsequently transformed into a country house.

Lord Byron inherited the estate at the close of the 18th century and intermittently resided there until selling it in 1818. The Gothic façade of the abbey church connects to the Tudor-style mansion, which has been preserved to reflect its 19th-century condition, showcasing the poet’s private quarters and an assortment of memorabilia.

The surrounding grounds extend over 300 acres and feature Gothic Revival follies, lakes, waterfalls, peacocks, rhododendrons, and an array of exotic trees, including maples.