Nottingham

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.

Get around

thumb|Map of the Nottingham Tram network Nottingham has excellent public transport served by buses and trams.

See

thumb|Nottingham's Council House & Old Market Square

Do

thumb | 300px | National Ice Centre in 2011

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:

Drink

thumb|Nottingham has a lot of historic pubs - this is an advert for one of them from 1840 thumb|The site of Nottingham's Pitcher and Piano, in a former 19th century church

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 …

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.