Nottingham travel guide
Castle caves, Lace Market warehouses and the Trip to Jerusalem
Sandstone caves run under Nottingham's centre, and above them sit old pubs, a castle museum and grounds for Test cricket and league football. May to September is mildest, with highs of about 16 to 22C. Two nights cover the city; add a third day for Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak. Prices are very high, and most visa-free visitors need a UK ETA.
Sandstone sits under almost everything in Nottingham. The East Midlands city on the River Trent was dug into by its own people for centuries, leaving hundreds of man-made caves beneath shops, pubs and the castle rock. Visitors come for the Robin Hood legend, a compact centre built around Old Market Square, Premier League football at the City Ground and a pub culture that takes its age seriously.
Lace paid for much of the Victorian city. The warehouses of the Lace Market, east of the square, are now flats, bars, offices and the National Justice Museum in the old Shire Hall. There you can stand in a real Victorian courtroom before walking down to the cells.
Expect the castle to surprise you, and not always pleasantly if you arrive with film images in mind. What stands on the rock is a 17th-century ducal mansion with a medieval gatehouse, reopened in 2021 after a long refit, closed again in late 2022 when its operating trust collapsed and reopened under the city council in June 2023; the guided tour of the caves underneath is the better part.
Sport is a serious draw. Trent Bridge hosts Test cricket, Notts County claim to be the oldest professional league club in the world, and Nottingham Forest still talk about their two European Cups under Brian Clough. In summer the Nottingham Open brings grass-court tennis to the city before Wimbledon.
Two nights is enough for the centre and Wollaton Hall. Add a third for Sherwood Forest, Newstead Abbey or Southwell Minster, all within easy reach of the city by bus or car.
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Top things to do in Nottingham
Caves, a castle museum, a lace-trade quarter, old pubs and a deer park around a Tudor mansion.
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Best time to visit Nottingham
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs climb from 16C in May to 22C in July, the season for Test cricket at Trent Bridge, tennis at the Nottingham Open and long walks in Sherwood Forest.
Highs of 10 to 14C and the wettest stretch of the year at about 70mm a month, but Goose Fair fills the Forest Recreation Ground in early October.
Highs of around 7C and short days; a good time for the caves, museums and pubs, which do not care about the weather.
Goose Fair, one of the oldest travelling fairs in England, takes over the Forest Recreation Ground for several days in early October; trams on the Hucknall line stop right beside it and run packed.
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Getting there
Skylink from EMA, trains from St Pancras
East Midlands Airport lies about 19 km south-west of the city and handles mainly European holiday routes. The Skylink Express bus runs to the city centre about every 30 minutes in the daytime and takes around 35 minutes; a slower overnight Skylink Nottingham service runs hourly through the night and takes 50 minutes to an hour. Long-haul travellers usually land at Birmingham Airport, about 64 km away, and reach Nottingham by train with a change at Birmingham New Street. Nottingham station is on the Midland Main Line, with East Midlands Railway trains from London St Pancras and direct services from Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester and Birmingham. Turn right out of the station and the centre is about ten minutes on foot; the tram stop sits on the bridge above the platforms. Drivers leave the M1 at junctions 24 to 26.
- Skylink Express
- EMA to the city centre in about 35 minutes, every 30 minutes by day
- Train from London
- St Pancras to Nottingham on East Midlands Railway, under two hours
- From Birmingham Airport
- Train via Birmingham New Street
- By car
- M1 junctions 24, 25 or 26, then a tram Park and Ride site
- London trains to Sheffield do not all call at Nottingham, so check the calling points on the destination board.
- Book East Midlands Railway tickets online in advance for the lowest London fares.
Staying safe
After dark around the centre
The centre is generally safe, with normal big-city precautions. Wikivoyage advises against walking late at night through St Ann's, the estate north-east of the Victoria Centre, and the Meadows, between the station and the river. Take a taxi or tram after midnight if your route crosses either.
- Late-night routes
- Avoid walking through St Ann's and the Meadows after dark
- Use licensed taxis from the ranks around Old Market Square at closing time.
Where to stay
Lace Market, Hockley or the Park
Most visitors sleep in or next to the centre, since everything worth seeing in town is within a 20-minute walk. Pick by noise tolerance: the bar quarters are lively until late on Fridays and Saturdays, while the residential edges are quiet but still walkable.
- Old Market Square and around
- Closest to everything, chain hotels and the trams; busy at weekends
- Lace Market and Hockley
- Converted warehouses, independent bars and cafés; loud after dark at weekends
- The Park
- Victorian private estate below the castle, quiet streets and guesthouses nearby
- West Bridgford
- Leafy suburb across the Trent, handy for Trent Bridge and the City Ground
- Rooms sell out and prices jump on Forest home match days and Test match weeks; check the fixture lists first.
Getting around
NET trams, Victoria and Broadmarsh buses
Walk the centre: many historic streets are pedestrianised and the castle, Lace Market and Hockley are close together. For anything further out, Nottingham Express Transit (NET) runs two tram lines that share track through the city centre and split at each end to Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South. Buy tickets before boarding from the stop machines or the NET app; a short-hop fare covers short rides inside the centre, such as the station to Old Market Square. Buses run from the two bus stations by the Broadmarsh and Victoria shopping areas, with Nottingham City Transport handling most city routes and trentbarton most routes to the surrounding towns. Wollaton Hall, Green's Windmill in Sneinton and the City Ground are all reachable by bus or a long walk.
- NET tram
- Two lines through the centre to Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South
- Buses
- City routes from Victoria and Broadmarsh bus stations
- On foot
- The City Ground stadium is about a mile south of the centre across Trent Bridge
- Buy the tram ticket before you board; inspectors check on board.
Know before you go
What makes Nottingham worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The caves under the castle, where the guided tour drops into Mortimer's Hole and the old sandstone passages.
- A pint at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, its back rooms cut straight into the rock below the castle walls.
- Wollaton Hall's deer park, an Elizabethan mansion with red and fallow deer roaming the lawns.
- The National Justice Museum in the Lace Market, where you sit in a Victorian courtroom and see the cells.
- Test cricket at Trent Bridge, one of the oldest grounds in the game.
Good to know
- The castle is a mansion, not a medieval fortress; budget your time for the caves and grounds instead.
- Three pubs claim to be the oldest in town, so treat each claim with good humour.
- Sherwood Forest is not in the city; the Major Oak is near Edwinstowe, about 30 km north.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Nottingham, month by month
Nottingham has a mild Midlands climate, dry enough for summer cricket at Trent Bridge and cool by Goose Fair in October. The chart uses Met Office averages from Watnall, north-west of the city.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Nottingham Watnall (Met Office, via Wikipedia).
Castle Rock, Lace Market and Hockley over two days
Two days cover Nottingham. Day one takes in Old Market Square, the castle and its caves, lunch at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, the City of Caves, the Lace Market and an evening in Hockley's independent bars. Day two goes out to Wollaton Hall and its deer park, then Green's Windmill in Sneinton.
Day one, morning. Start in Old Market Square under the dome of the Council House, then walk up Friar Lane to the Robin Hood statue on Castle Road. Inside the castle grounds, book the cave tour first and see the galleries after. Lunch is at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Brewhouse Yard, next to the Museum of Nottingham Life.
Afternoon. Head into the City of Caves, entered from Garner's Hill, for the tannery and air-raid shelter chambers. Walk up through the Lace Market to St Mary's Church and the National Justice Museum on High Pavement.
Evening. Hockley, a few streets east, has the city's best run of independent bars and small restaurants.
Day two. Take a bus out to Wollaton Hall for the natural history collection and the deer park; film fans will recognise it as Wayne Manor from The Dark Knight Rises. Back in town, spend the afternoon at Green's Windmill in Sneinton, a working mill where the mathematician George Green lived, or cross Trent Bridge for a cricket match in season. If you have a third day, take the bus north to Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak.
Bramley apples, Stilton and Goose Fair mushy peas
Nottinghamshire gave English food the Bramley apple, first grown in Southwell, and shares Stilton with Derbyshire and Leicestershire; look for Colston Bassett Stilton in the city's pubs. Mansfield Road near the Victoria Centre has the cheapest curry houses, Hockley the independent restaurants, and Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is the pub to visit.
Nottinghamshire has given English food two things you will see everywhere: the Bramley apple, first grown in a garden in Southwell, and Stilton, which by law can only be made in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Look for Colston Bassett Stilton on cheeseboards in the city's pubs and delis.
Goose Fair has its own food rituals: mushy peas with mint sauce served in a cup, and brandy snaps. Outside fair week the city eats like most of England, but well. The best-value meals cluster on Mansfield Road near the Victoria Centre, which is lined with cheap curry houses and takeaways, while Hockley and the Lace Market hold the independent restaurants and coffee shops.
For drinking, Nottingham is a proper pub city. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, the Bell Inn on Old Market Square and the Salutation Inn all trade on age and caves; the Trip is the most atmospheric if you go mid-afternoon on a weekday. The streets around the Lace Market fill with younger crowds and cocktail bars on Friday and Saturday nights.
Pre-theatre dining is easy around the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall on Theatre Square, where several restaurants run early set menus.
Goose Fair, the Robin Hood Festival and the Trent Bridge summer
Nottingham is busiest in summer, when Trent Bridge hosts cricket, the Nottingham Open brings grass-court tennis in June and the Robin Hood Festival runs at Sherwood Forest from late July through August. Goose Fair fills the Forest Recreation Ground in early October. Highs reach about 22C in July and sit near 7C in winter.
Nottingham's year runs on a cool, damp climate: winter highs sit around 7C from December to February and summer peaks near 22C in July. Rain is steady all year, from about 46mm in March to around 72mm in October, so pack a waterproof whatever the month.
Summer is the high season. Test cricket and county matches fill Trent Bridge, and the Nottingham Open brings grass-court tennis in June. Out in Sherwood Forest near Edwinstowe, the Robin Hood Festival now runs across several weekends from late July through August, with archery, jousting and costumed players under the oaks.
Autumn belongs to Goose Fair, held on the Forest Recreation Ground in early October for several days. It began as a medieval market and is now a giant funfair, so book rooms early for that week.
For day trips, Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of Lord Byron, and Southwell Minster with its carved Chapter House are both under an hour away. Fans of grand cities can take the train on to York or Manchester, while London is a straight run south on the main line.
Nottingham Castle from 1068 to its 2023 reopening
Nottingham Castle has been rebuilt more than once. William the Conqueror ordered the first castle on Castle Rock in 1068; most of it was pulled down in 1651 after the Civil War, and the ducal mansion built on the site was burned by rioters in 1831. Restored in the 1870s, it opened as a museum in 1878.
That made it the first municipal art gallery in the UK outside London. The site closed in 2018 for a £30 million refurbishment, reopened in 2021, shut in November 2022 when its operating trust collapsed and opened again in June 2023, so check current opening days before you climb the hill.
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How we research our Nottingham travel guide
Nottingham City Council's site, nottinghamcity.gov.uk, is our reference for tram, event and opening details. Entry follows the GOV.UK ETA pages, and visitor details VisitBritain.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Nottingham.
Getting there
Take the Skylink Express bus, which runs about every 30 minutes by day and takes around 35 minutes to the city centre. An hourly overnight Skylink service takes 50 minutes to an hour.
The Major Oak and the forest visitor centre are near Edwinstowe, roughly 30 km north of Nottingham, so allow a half-day trip by car or bus.
General
Only the gatehouse is medieval. The main building is a 17th-century ducal mansion, now a museum and gallery, with guided tours of the caves beneath the rock.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, built into the sandstone below the castle, claims a history of over 800 years, though the Bell Inn and the Salutation Inn also make claims to great age.
Yes. The centre is about ten minutes on foot from the station, and the Lace Market is a few minutes further east of Old Market Square.
NET runs two lines through the centre that split at each end, serving Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South; buy tickets before boarding.
Forest play at the City Ground, south of the Trent about a mile from the centre. Notts County play at Meadow Lane on the north bank, a short walk away.
Yes, for the Elizabethan architecture, the natural history displays and the deer park. It is a bus ride west of the centre and makes an easy half-day.
Walk the centre: many historic streets are pedestrianised and the castle, Lace Market and Hockley are close together. For anything further out, Nottingham Express Transit (NET) runs two tram lines that share track through the city centre and split at each end to Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South. Buy tickets before boarding from the stop machines or the NET app; a short-hop fare covers short rides inside the centre, such as the station to Old Market Square.
Timing & weather
It now runs over several weekends from late July through August at the Sherwood Forest visitor centre near Edwinstowe; check the organisers' dates before you plan around it.
Goose Fair runs for several days in early October on the Forest Recreation Ground, a short tram ride north of the centre.
The best time to visit Nottingham is May to Sep. Highs of 16 to 22C, long evenings and the cricket and tennis season.
- Summer: May - September (Highs climb from 16C in May to 22C in July, the season for Test cricket at Trent Bridge, tennis at the Nottingham Open and long walks in Sherwood Forest)
- Autumn: October - November (Highs of 10 to 14C and the wettest stretch of the year at about 70mm a month, but Goose Fair fills the Forest Recreation Ground in early October)
- Winter: December - March (Highs of around 7C and short days; a good time for the caves, museums and pubs, which do not care about the weather)
July is the warmest month in Nottingham, with average highs of 22°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 2°C. October is the wettest month, at about 72 mm of rain; March is the driest. Nottingham has a mild Midlands climate, dry enough for summer cricket at Trent Bridge and cool by Goose Fair in October.
Visa & documents
Visitors who do not need a UK visa, including citizens of the EU, the US, Canada and Australia, must get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online before they travel. Other nationalities need a Standard Visitor visa. Irish citizens need neither.
Health & safety
The centre is generally safe, with normal big-city precautions. Wikivoyage advises against walking late at night through St Ann's, the estate north-east of the Victoria Centre, and the Meadows, between the station and the river. Take a taxi or tram after midnight if your route crosses either.
