Things to Do in Nottingham

It’s easy to spend your whole time in England exploring the beautiful city of Nottingham. Surrounded by the naturally scenic county of Nottinghamshire, this urban sprawl has exploded in recent years to embrace a trendy and diverse spread of things to do. While you’ll want to chase a few attractions revolving around that famous man in tights, it’s well worth expanding beyond the Robin Hood hype and diving into what makes Nottingham extra special.

The Creative Quarter

Nottingham has sanctioned a beautiful neighborhood geared towards small businesses, creative startups, and independent shops of all kinds. The Creative Quarter is a welcoming oasis in the heart of Nottingham, where everyone works together to support a vision of progression to offer experiences for locals and visitors. Start the day perusing the vintage shops like White Rose to discover everything from trendy smocks to American sport jerseys. On Mondays and Saturdays, you can continue flexing your spending muscles at the Sneinton Market to pick up locally-made beauty products and artisan bread. This market holds true to the original one that had been going on since the 1850s.

Live Music

No matter the weather, locals in Nottingham love to be out on the town. This often means indulging in local talent when it comes to concerts, jam bands, and live theatrical performances. It’s a blast to see a classic show at the Royal Concert Hall, and it’s well worth simply peeking into the pubs downtown to see who’s playing in the evening in a casual setting. If you’re looking for great touring acts, plenty of rock bands grace the stage at The Maze.

Southwell Minster

A few miles outside city limits is the beautiful and historic Cathedral of Nottinghamshire. Take a casual tour that ends with a climb to the top steeple, which rewards guests with sweeping views of a super green countryside. But the best part of Southwell Minster is The Refectory, a lovely oasis offering high tea treats set in a sunny garden. Have some classic sponge cakes, miniature sandwiches, and loose leaf teas in a tranquil setting away from the hustle and bustle of Nottingham.

Nottingham’s Caves

If you visit the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre, there’s an entrance to a shopping mall that’s part of a 500-cave system underneath the city of Nottingham. It was once blocked by construction and development, but now it’s open to the public for visitors to see how these amazing caves once functioned as a meeting space with transportation routes—and even reports of some paranormal activity. You can take a guided or audio tour through the intricate sandstone cave system that follows along Drury Hill.

Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem

A visit to Nottingham would not be complete without patronizing the oldest inn in England. Founded in 1189, this iconic watering hole has many legends, lore, and of course, ice-cold pints. Make sure you head to the cellars to see all the old beer taps and the tube system once used to communicate with shouting to the upstairs pub. Although there’s no rooms to rent these days, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem hosts all sorts of events year-round, from beer festivals and holiday parties to pub tours and food specials.