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.

Visitor information Visit Nottingham

Getting there

By plane 1 East Midlands Airport (EMA IATA) 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. 2 Birmingham Airport (BHX IATA) is about 40 mi (64 km) from Nottingham and serves all major European and many international destinations. It is accessible by train, changing at Birmingham New Street.

By train 3 Nottingham railway station. On the main line out of London St Pancras. The cheapest tickets between London and Nottingham are available from East Midlands Railway and can be booked online before travel. There are also regular connections to Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham, Derby, Leicester, Crewe, Sheffield, and Leeds. Trains from London to Sheffield do not stop at Nottingham. (updated Jul 2022) 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, 4 Broadmarsh and 5 Victoria. 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!

Getting around

Nottingham has excellent public transport served 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 (NET) 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 Park and Ride sites along it, which make travel into the city centre easy. An all-day tram-only ticket costs £5.50, single tickets are £3.40 (as of May 2025). NET also offers various discounts for young people aged 18 and Under, Students (with student id) more detailed infomation can be found on the NET Website If you are just travelling from Nottingham Railway Station into the City Centre you can make use of the £1.50 Short Hop fare (May 2025) which allows a one-way journey within the city centre, this ticket is also useful if making short journeys within the advertised zones. Tickets must be bought from ticket machines on platforms or on the NETGo! app before boarding, if you fail to buy a ticket before boarding you risk being charged a penalty fare.

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:

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 Robin Hood Prepaid Card (purchase from ticket machines around city centre):

Buses and Trams: £1.70 single, £3.15 max for single operator, £4 max for all operators Students with valid ID:

£1.50 single fare for many N

See

Museums and galleries 1 Nottingham Castle. Visitors with Hollywood expectations of Robin Hood films should be aware that this is not a medieval castle, but a small stately home with only the gatehouse remaining from the original castle. The castle includes grounds with a children’s play area and extensive views over the region, and a museum with various exhibitions inside the house itself (including the country's first municipal art gallery). After a refurbishment the castle reopened in 2021 with a number of interactive exhibits and games. A tour of the caves under the castle can also be booked for an additional fee. £15. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Robin Hood statue, Castle Road. 24/7. Statue of Nottingham's most famous hero, just outside of the castle walls. Free. (updated Jul 2025) 3 Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn, Castle Road. Off Maid Marian Way, it is one of various pubs claiming to be the oldest pub in Britain, the "Trip" traces its existence back over 800 years. Built into the sandstone caves under the castle, it is charming and well worth a visit if you happen to be in the city. It is located at the Brewhouse Yard, home to the Museum of Nottingham Life which shows the social change in Nottingham that has occurred over the last 300 years. 4 City of Caves. A visitor attraction accessed from Garner’s Hill, in a temporary entrance created from what used to be a fire exit of the now demolished Broadmarsh Shopping Centre. It consists of a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery, public house cellars, and as air raid shelters. Nottingham has more man-made caves than anywhere else in Britain. £11 (£21 for a combined ticket with National Justice Museum). (updated Jul 2025) 5 National Justice Museum, Shire Hall, High Pavement, NG1 1HN, [email protected]. Well-worth visiting for a fascinating look at the sometimes rough justice meted out in years gone by. The museum is done as a guided tour lasting 1-1.5 hours, so a specific time slot needs to be booked. £15 (£21 for a combined ticket with City of Caves). (updated Jul 2025) 6 Nottingham Contemporary. Presents major exhibitions of contemporary art, with associated education programmes for all ages. Free. 7 Wollaton Hall (Accessible by buses 35,36 (NCT, Victoria Centre) and i4 (trentbarton, Broadmarsh)). A beautiful Elizabethan mansion in a large suburban (200 ha) deer park, Wollaton Park. The hall houses the city's Natural History Museum whilst the Industrial Museum is housed in an outbuilding. The Hall was used in the 2012 film Batman:

Do

Sports 1 Nottingham Forest FC, Trentside N, West Bridgford NG2 5FJ. Forest were promoted in 2022 and now play soccer in the Premier League, England's top tier. Their home stadium (capacity 30,000) is City Ground just south of the Trent, a one-mile walk from city centre. Their unique feat was to win two European titles yet only one domestic, and they long played in lower tiers until their 2022 promotion. (updated May 2022) 2 Notts County FC, Meadow Lane NG2 3HJ. County are the world's oldest professional football club, founded in 1862, but nowadays overshadowed by Forest. They were promoted in 2026 and play soccer in League One, the third tier. Their home stadium is Meadow Lane (capacity 19,800), fairly central and north of the river. (updated May 2026) Rugby: Nottingham RFC play rugby union in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is 3 Lady Bay, a quarter mile east of Trent Bridge. 4 National Ice Centre, Bolero Square, Belward St, NG1 1LA, ☏ +44 115 853-3101. M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 8AM-5PM. The city's ice skating rink where visitors can skate themselves or watch the GMB Nottingham Panthers, the UK's oldest and best supported team. Get your tickets in advance and ask for tickets at the 'bowl end' in order to be in amongst the locals (and at the end where the 'Panthers' shoot twice). If you happen to be visiting Nottingham at the same time that they are taking on arch rivals the Sheffield Steelers then get your tickets in advance as these games nearly always sell out — prepare yourself for 7000 people screaming on their team and a war on the ice — these teams do not like each other (though there is never any fan based violence). Another Ice Hockey match worth going to is the Nottingham Trent University vs University of Nottingham Varsity match held once a year and is the biggest varsity outside North America. (updated Mar 2017) 5 National Watersports Centre, Adbolton Ln, Holme Pierrepont, NG12 2LU, ☏ +44 115 982-1212. (updated Mar 2017) Cricket: 6 Nottinghamshire CCC (Trent Bridge), Bridgford Rd, West Bridgford NG2 6AG. The county team were promoted in 2022 and now play cricket in Division One of the County Championship. County matches last up to four days. Trent Bridge frequently hosts internationals (Test Matches) which may last five days. Also here are Trent Rockets men's and women's teams playing in The Hundred short game. The stadium is about a mile south of city centre. Walk south on London Rd (A60) over the Trent. (updated Aug 2023) 7 Nottingham Tennis Centre. Hosts the Nottingham Open each year in the week running up to Wimbledon. (upda

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.

1 Victoria Centre, 222 Victoria Centre, NG1 3QN, ☏ +44 115 912-1111. (updated May 2024) 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:

2 Rough Trade, 5 Broad Street, Nottingham NG1 3AJ. (updated Aug 2022) 3 Rob's Records, 4-5 Hurts Yard, Nottingham NG1 6JD. (updated Aug 2022)

Eat

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.

1 Tuckers, The Hub, 42 Friar Ln. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Roosters Piri Piri, 4-5 Angel Row. (updated Feb 2023) 3 Moulin Rouge, 5 Trinity Sq. (updated Feb 2023) 4 Chopstix, Victoria Centre, Lower Parliament St Intu. (updated Feb 2023) 5 Hungry Pumpkin, 38 High Pavement. (updated Feb 2023) 6 Bunk, 19 Stoney St. (updated Feb 2023) 7 Hockley Kitchen, 21 Carlton St. (updated Feb 2023) 8 GB Cafe and Restaurant, 11 Gedling St. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range

British 9 The Kean's Head, 46 St. Mary's Gate, Nottingham NG1 1QA, ☏ +44 115 947-4052. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F-Su 11AM-midnight. Open daily from late morning until late. This small pub in the Lace Market area serves simple but tasty food, ranging from sandwiches to traditional English pub food to more Italian-influenced fare. Non-smoking, and an excellent selection of beers to match your food. (updated Feb 2023) 10 George's Great British Kitchen, Queen St. £15-25. (updated Feb 2023) 11 Cosy Club, 16-18 Victoria St. £15-30. (updated Feb 2023) 12 Corinthian Restaurant, 25 Goldsmith St. Modern British £20-30. (updated Feb 2023)

International 13 French Living, 27 King Street, Nottingham NG1 2AY, ☏ +44 115 958-5885, [email protected]. Tu-F noon-2PM, 6PM-10PM; Sa noon-2:30PM, 6PM-10PM. (updated Feb 2023) 14 Las Iguanas, Chapel Quarter Chapel Bar, 4, Nottingham NG1 6JS, ☏ +44 115 959-6390, [email protected]. M-Th noon-11PM, F-Su noon-11:30PM. This is a wonderful Brazilian restaurant. (updated Feb 2023) 15 Annie's burger shack, The Navigation, 6 Wilford Street, ☏ +44 115 837-1930. Daily noon-1AM. An eating institution to a number of locals. It is in The Navigation, this doubles up as a place for high quality burgers and real ale with canal side seating. £15-25. (updated Feb 2023) 16 Wagamama, The Cornerhouse, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4DB, ☏ +44 115 924-1797. M-Sa 11:30-11PM, Su 11:30AM-10PM. Open late every day. Chain serving affordable Japanese-style ramen, as well as fried noodle and rice dishe

Drink & nightlife

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 1 Revolution, 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 2 Salutation, 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 3 Ned Ludd is also located near the Old Market square and serves local ale from 4 Nottingham Brewery. 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.

Brew Tavern is within the railway station, off Queen's Rd. 5 Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, 1 Brewhouse Yard, ☏ +44 115 947-3171. Su M-Th: 11AM-11PM, Sa: 11AM-midnight. Claims to be the oldest pub in the UK, allegedly built in 1189, and is below the castle and often on the tourist trail. (updated Jul 2019) 6 Canalhouse, 48-52 Canal Street, ☏ +44 115 955-5060, [email protected]. (updated Jul 2019) 7 The Cornerhouse, Burton Street, ☏ +44 115 950-5168, [email protected]. (updated Jul 2019) 8 The Playwright 38 (formerly The Orange Tree), 38 Shakespeare Street, ☏ +44 115 947-3239, [email protected]. (updated Jul 2019) 9 The Lord Nelson, Lord Nelson Street, Sneinton, ☏ +44 115 911-0069.

Sleep

Budget 1 Igloo Hostel. For £15 a night, the Igloo is a very nice hostel and a great choice to spend one or more nights in Nottingham. A 5-minute walk from the centre of town, It's very clean and has 24 hot water in all the bathrooms. It has a fully equipped kitchen with stove, oven, fridge, toaster, and the most important equipment in a kitchen: a radio. The Igloo provides free tea, and coffee all day as well as free wifi and internet. It also has a comfortable, friendly common room, with a TV and many DVDs if you are tired and want to rest and watch something. Lots of books and board games can be easily found as well. A board with several tips of good cheap places to eat and drink can be found in the common room. Downstairs, the Games room offers a Ps2, Pool table and Fooz Ball. Unquestionably, a very good and friendly place! 2 Midtown Hostel, Thurland Street. £16 a night Midtown Hostel has lots of good things going for it. It's clean, in a great location (1-minute walk from the main square), hot water in the showers, free internet, decent kitchen (does have oven, does not have stove, has large fridge to store food in), PS2 and a few games, and free coffee and tea. The beds are reasonably comfortable (but some do squeak). Reports of noisy parties at night. 3 Britannia Hotel, 1 St James's St, ☏ +44 871 222 0098.

Mid-range 4 Crowne Plaza Nottingham, 17-31 Wollaton Street, NG1 5FW, ☏ +44 115 912-8000, fax: +44 115 912-8080, [email protected]. Check-in: 2PM (early check-in by arrangement), check-out: 11AM (late check-out by arrangement). This Days Hotel features non-smoking rooms that include bath and/or shower, work desk, TV with freeview and complimentary broadband. Some rooms have been adapted to allow for easier access. Full or continental breakfasts are available for £10. £79.95 (up to two children can stay free of charge, or for 75% if staying in a separate room. 5 Leonardo Hotel (formerly Jury's Inn), Waterfront Plaza, Station Street NG2 3BJ, ☏ +44 115 901-6700. Car parking is roughly 5 minutes from the hotel grounds, with many shops and restaurants close by. Well-equipped room with TV, hair-dryer, coffee/tea and biscuits and internet access. 6 Premier Inn Nottingham City Centre (Chapel Bar), 7 Chapel Bar, NG1 6JS, ☏ +44 871 527 9658. This hotel is in the centre of the city centre and is of the high standards of the Holiday Inn chain, with a spacious room, comfortable beds and friendly staff. 7 St James Hotel, St James Street, NG1 6FJ, ☏ +44 115 941-1114. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. In the heart of the city, it retai

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.