Things to do in Nottingham
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Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Tucked into the cliff below the castle, this fantastically atmospheric alehouse claims to be England's oldest pub; it supposedly slaked the thirst of departing crusaders. The phrase 'nooks and crannies' could have been invented for here. Just when you think there are no more, you'll find another - and there are usually more than enough to accommodate the many tourists who come to sample the brews.
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Fresh
The downstairs eatery specialises in wholesome snacks, salads and sandwiches, while the thriving upstairs restaurant fuses culinary influences from such diverse sources as Thailand and the Mediterranean. Beautiful lilies deck the tables and brighten the surroundings.
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Alley Cafe
Tucked away down a hidden alleyway, this place sets out to prove that vegetarian food can be cool. The globe-trotting menu ranges from tofu and tempeh to hemp-seed burgers, which you can munch to a DJ soundtrack.
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Punchinello
Low-slung beamed ceilings distinguish this established central restaurant, the oldest in town, but it has moved with the times with a hint of the Mediterranean infusing most of its dishes.
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Skinny Sumo
Frills are sparse, but taste is plenty in this basic, highly regarded white-tiled Japanese café-restaurant with a sushi-bar conveyor belt.
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Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Set atop a sandstone outcrop worm-holed with caves and tunnels, the original Nottingham castle was founded by William the Conqueror and held by a succession of English kings before falling in the English Civil War. Its 17th-century replacement contains a diverting museum of local history, with an extensive collection of costumes, jewellery, Wedgwood jasperware and paintings, including works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Your ticket also gains you entry to the Museum of Nottinghamshire Life at Brewhouse Yard.
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Wollaton Hall
Built in 1588 by Sir Francis Willoughby, land and coal-mine owner, Wollaton Hall is a magnificent example of Elizabethan architecture at its most extravagant. Architect Robert Smythson was also responsible for the equally avant-garde Longleat in Wessex. It was undergoing restoration works at the time of research; call ahead to check opening hours. The hall also houses a mediocre natural-history museum.
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Caves of Nottingham
Nottingham stands on Sherwood sandstone riddled with man-made caves that date back to medieval times. Bizarrely, the entrance to the most fascinating, readily accessible Caves of Nottingham is inside Broadmarsh shopping centre, on the upper level. These contain an air-raid shelter, a medieval underground tannery, several pub cellars and a mock-up of a Victorian slum dwelling.
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Mortimer’s Hole
Burrowing through the bedrock beneath the castle, this atmospheric underground passageway emerges at Brewhouse Yard. In 1330, supporters of Edward III used this tunnel to breach the castle security and capture Roger Mortimer, the machiavellian Earl of March, who briefly appointed himself ruler of England after deposing Edward II.
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Malt Cross
What a great place! In an old music hall with a colourful history (it was a brothel in a previous incarnation), this has got the best vibe in town. Good live music and decent food are all dished up under the glass arched roof, an architectural treasure in itself.
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Brewhouse Yard Museum
Housed in five 17th-century cottages carved into the cliff below the castle, this engaging Brewhouse Yard Museum re-creates everyday life in Nottingham over the past 300 years with particularly fine reconstructions of traditional shops.
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Industrial Museum
The Industrial Museum , in the 18th-century stable block, displays lace-making equipment, Raleigh bicycles, a gigantic 1858 beam engine and oddities such as a locally invented, 1963 video recorder that never got off the ground.
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Ye Olde Salutation Inn
A dual carriageway disguises the centuries-old atmosphere (c 1240) of 'the Sal', as regulars know it. Ask at the bar if you can have a peek at the labyrinth of underground caves spiralling down behind an innocuous-looking door.
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Bluu
This part restaurant, part bar, part nightclub offers a swish menu by day and a jumping downstairs bar by night, attracting a chic, shirted and high-heeled crowd mostly in their mid-20s.
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Bell Inn
Another must for the history buffs, this atmospheric old coaching inn lies at the heart of the shopping district and has warmed the cockles of Nottingham drinkers for hundreds of years.
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Stealth
Around the back of Rock City, reached from Goldsmith St, this underground club caters to dancey types who like their bass heavy and their drums supercharged. The attached Rescue Rooms has a varied line-up of live bands and DJs.
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NG1
Nottingham's favourite gay club, NG1 is unpretentious, hedonistic fun, with two dance floors belting out classic funky house, pop, '80s cheese or guitar jangle depending on the night.
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Cock & Hoop
Sophisticated yet easy-going, this cosy, traditional refurbished alehouse in a well-heeled pocket of Nottingham is a most pleasant place for a knees-up.
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Rock City
This monster venue has hosted everything from Goth rock and Midlands metal to Northern Soul. It shares a compound with Stealth and the Rescue Rooms.
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Social
Techno-/dance-heads make for this sister club of the famous London venue. DJs rock the upstairs dance floor.
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Willoughby House
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St Mary's Church
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Rescue Rooms
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Byard Lane
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