Travel Eye on Nottingham (England)

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Overview:

Nottingham is the undisputed capital of the East Midlands. It is the 9th largest travel-to-work area in England with a population of 740,000 and 3 million people within an hour's drive.

History is never far away however, with reminders of Nottingham's legendary hero Robin Hood and his historic adversary the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff of Nottingham along with the Lord Mayor of Nottingham is elected annually from city councillors and still has an important role in 21st century civic life, working alongside the Lord Mayor to represent the city. 

Among Nottingham's important historical sites and features are its unique labyrinth of caves under the city, the splendid mansion that is now Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery, with, close by, the spot where Charles I raised his standard to begin the English Civil War, and Wollaton Hall, one of the most ornate Tudor buildings in Britain, with its 500-acre deer park. They all have stories to tell about Nottingham's colourful past and the city's place in the history of this country. 

Nottingham has one of the most sophisticated urban environments with a £200 million canal quarter, more café-bars and elegant restaurants than any comparable city, an enviable reputation for clubs, theatres, cinemas and galleries. It is one of the top four retail centres (Experian). 

Locality:

Nottingham is close to the centre of England at the heart of the East Midlands. It is approximately 120 miles from London and 50 miles north of Birmingham. 

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Lord Byron once made his home at Newstead Abbey, one of eight museums administered by the city of Nottingham. Some of the original Augustinian priory, purchased by Sir John Byron in 1540, still survives. In the 19th century, the mansion was given a neo-Gothic restoration. Mementos, including first editions and manuscripts, are displayed inside. You can explore the parkland of some 121 hectares (300 acres), with waterfalls, rose gardens, a Monk's Stew Pond, and a Japanese water garden.

Overlooking the city, Nottingham Castle was built in 1679 by the duke of Newcastle on the site of an old Norman fortress. After restoration in 1878, it opened as a provincial museum surrounded by a charmingly arranged garden. Of particular note is the History of Nottingham Gallery, re-creating the legends associated with the city, plus a rare collection of ceramics and a unique exhibition of medieval alabaster carvings, which were executed between 1350 and 1530. These delicately detailed scenes illustrate the life of Christ, the Virgin Mother, and various saints. Paintings cover several periods but are strong on 16th-century Italian, 17th-century French and Dutch, and the richest English paintings of the past 2 centuries.

Woolaton Hall is a well-preserved Elizabethan mansion, finished in 1588, is the most ornate in England and a tourist-drawing attraction itself. Today, it houses a natural history museum with lots of insects, invertebrates, British mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The hall is surrounded by a deer park and garden. See the camellia house with the world's earliest cast-iron front dating from 1823. The bird dioramas here are among the best in Britain.

Things to see and do

The Galleries of Justice

Wollaton Park 

Wollaton Hall, Natural History Museum, The Industrial Museum 

The Nottingham Story 

The Canal Museum 

Nottingham Castle 

The Lace Centre 

The Lace Market Centre 

Colwick Park 

Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery