Nottingham Tourist Information

Right at the heart of England, Nottingham is a vibrant and versatile city, rich with heritage and culture, embracing creativity and originality.

Nottingham is bursting with year-round events and activities for everyone to enjoy, whatever the season: fairgrounds, festivals, fireworks, cultural celebrations, continental markets, music events and even outdoor ice skating.

History

Visiting the haunts of Robin Hood, Nottinghamshire’s legendary outlaw, is just one way of uncovering the area’s history. You can also venture into the city’s caves, sit in a Victorian courtroom at the Galleries of Justice or have a drink at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which claims to be the oldest inn in Britain.
Nottingham Castle is a magnificent 17th century ducal mansion built on the site of the original medieval castle, with spectacular views across the city. The Castle has a turbulent past, linked to kings and conquerors and still has a maze of original caves hidden beneath its imposing walls.

Music

Whatever your musical tastes, Nottingham has something for everyone. The Royal Concert Hall hosts opera and classical concerts, while the huge Trent FM Arena attracts the major nationwide popular music and comedy tours. The legendary Rock City showcases top rock and indie acts, while trendy venues such as the Rescue Rooms and Bodega Social Club showcase the latest alternative acts before they make it big.

Art

Nottingham Contemporary is one of the largest contemporary art spaces in the UK and offers an exciting programme of exhibitions and events. Nottingham Castle holds the first municipal art gallery outside of London, and there is also the University’s own Lakeside Arts Centre on campus, a unique public arts centre that presents an eclectic programme of music, dance, theatre and visual art.

Shopping

If you love to shop, Nottingham offers an enticing mix of high street and vintage clothes stores. All the big names, including Zara, Topshop, Office and H&M, feature within the city centre, while one-off boutiques and treasure troves of antique furniture, jewellery and clothing can be found in the side streets and cobbled roads of the Lace Market and fashionable Hockley. Designer Paul Smith hails from Nottingham and his eclectic style sets the tone for this diverse and fashion conscious city. Find out more at www.visitnottingham.com 

Sport

Nottingham has more sports facilities per head of population than anywhere else in Europe. From ice skating at the National Ice Centre and whitewater rafting at the National Water Sports Centre, to watching Test Match cricket at the world-renowned Trent Bridge, tennis at one of Europe’s largest tennis centres, or football at either of the city’s famous clubs, you’ll never be short of quality sport.

Stage and screen

Nottingham Playhouse is renowned for innovative drama, the lovingly restored 18th-century Theatre Royal showcases world-class theatre, ballet and opera, and the Royal Concert Hall attracts some of the biggest names in music, comedy and performing arts.

Fans of the big screen have a choice of mainstream and independent cinemas including the Screen Room, a 21-seat cinema that claims to be the smallest in the world.

Green spaces

Whether it's relaxing in one of the county’s many parks or rambling in the countryside, there are plenty of opportunities to escape city life.

The Peak District, cited as the second most visited national park in the world, is close by, as well as beautiful buildings like Southwell Minster and Newstead Abbey. University Park itself is award-winning and Wollaton Hall and Deer Park is just across the road from campus. Then there are country parks such as Rufford Abbey, Bestwood and Sherwood Forest ─ once home to the world famous outlaw, Robin Hood.

Location

Getting here is easy. Nottingham is less than two hours travel from London, with excellent transport links to the capital and the rest of the UK.

East Midlands Airport, one of the UK’s fastest growing airports, is only 40 minutes from the city centre via a 24-hour bus service.

Frequent rail services run from Nottingham to major UK cities, including London every 30 minutes, and the completion of the Eurostar connection at St Pancras International means that passengers are only a few hours train journey from Paris. The new East Midlands Parkway train station, just a couple of miles from Sutton Bonington Campus, offers students living and studying there a really convenient way to start national and international journeys.