Looking for the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire in 2023? Known as the Queen of the Midlands, Nottingham is a well-liked cultural hotspot with a variety of attractions and dense forests. It also hosts a lot of wonderful festivals and events, with the annual Nottingham Goose Fair being one of the most well-liked. Nottingham is a bustling city with modern malls and unique museums on the one hand, and on the other, Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood’s birthplace. Great authors like DH Lawrence and Lord Byron were inspired by the scenic beauty of its forest and the park abbeys.
Apart from all the attractions, this place will give you plenty of options for accommodation. The Muthu Clumber Park Hotel & Spa provides the best accommodation and services in Nottinghamshire. They also provide conference facilities, a spa and stunning venues to celebrate weddings. You can also book your stay with them and avail their exciting offers.
Now let’s talk about the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire and unusual things to do in Nottinghamshire to help you make your itinerary.
Best Places To Visit In Nottinghamshire
1. Old Market Square
Old Market Square comes at the top among the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire. It is the largest public space in England which offers the best days out in Nottingham for couples. The Neoclassical Council House, with its magnificent dome on top, is located on the east side of the square.
you can’t miss the Nottingham Playhouse which offers the amazing Sky Mirror made by Anish Kapoor, an artist. This 19-foot-wide stainless steel dish points skyward and offers a distinctive view of the sky above.
Nottingham Speaker’s Corner, the first public speaking venue outside of London is also noteworthy in this location. Additionally, you can visit the spectacular Guildhall.
2. The Lace Market
The old Lace Market is a short stroll from the Old Market Square. This lovely area, which was formerly the centre of the British lace industry, is now preserved as one of the most significant heritage zones in the city. These formerly red brick warehouses and exhibit spaces are now home to a variety of stores, eateries, boutique hotels and lace makers.
The area is also home to some of the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire, such as the National Justice Museum, which is housed in a former courthouse.
3. Nottingham Castle
Showcasing bronze statues of Robin Hood and his merry men by Nottingham-born sculptor James Woodford, Nottingham Castle offers excellent views of the town.
The Sherwood Foresters Military Museum, which houses an amazing collection of medals and regimental costumes, and the Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery are two significant collections that are currently housed inside the castle. Beautiful Anglo-Saxon brooches from the sixth century, mediaeval ceramics and carvings made of alabaster and stoneware from the 17th and 18th centuries are just a few of the gems found there.
It’s also worthwhile to stop at the nearby Museum of Nottingham Life in Brewhouse Yard, one of the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire.
4. The City of Caves
The sandstone beneath Nottingham is home to a number of caverns, notably the magnificent 322-foot-long Mortimer’s Hole right below the castle. You can explore the greatest known collection of caves in Nottingham and more than 450 of them have been used for storage and defence over the years. The caves are accessible from Garner’s Hill and offer fascinating public tours and days out in Nottingham for adults.
5. National Justice Museum
The well-known National Justice Museum is a must-see sight in the Lace Market. It has been in use since 1780 and served as the city’s previous court and jailhouse.
The highlight of the museum is its courtrooms and jail from the fourteenth century. There are also interesting exhibits on crime and punishment-related topics. Make sure to look at the Robin Hood exhibits.
The National Ice Centre, one of the nation’s largest ice-skating rink facilities and Nottingham Contemporary, a gallery of contemporary art, are also two of the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire.
6. Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
The Nottingham Theatre Royal has been a hub of the city’s social and entertainment life since 1865. Since then, this historic structure has grown in size and purpose and is now the focal point of a cultural complex that also includes the more contemporary Royal Concert Hall.
You can enjoy ballet performances, concerts and theatre shows including musicals, murder mysteries and Shakespearian tragedies. If you’re travelling to Nottingham over the holiday season with children, make sure to see their perennially popular pantomime, a custom that has been going on since 1971.
7. Highfields Park
Highfields Park, a magnificent 52-acre green area, home to exotic trees and flora, is a part of the University of Nottingham. Boating, walking, picnics, lawn bowling, croquet and putting are among the enjoyable activities available here. The play area allows kids to let off steam and the Lakeside Arts Centre hosts unique events.
The Arboretum, which features magnificent gardens and some of the city’s most well-liked festivals, is another park worth seeing. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the oldest church in the city and renowned for its glasswork from the nineteenth century, lies nearby. It is the city’s second-largest worshipping place.
8. Green’s Windmill and Science Centre
George Green (1793–1841)’s former residence, Lovely Green’s Mill, was constructed in 1807 but was fully restored in the 1980s following a terrible fire in 1947. Today, visitors may tour Green’s Windmill’s incredible interior on four storeys, each of which offers a glimpse into the process of making flour (you can even buy some to take home with you).
The scientific centre itself caters to children and has a discovery zone with enjoyable interactive exhibits and displays that emphasise electricity, magnetism and light.
9. D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum
In the Eastwood neighbourhood of Nottingham, the D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum houses an intriguing exhibit on the social history of Eastwood during the author’s lifetime. This exhibit features replicas of a Victorian classroom, a grocery store, a meeting room, a café, an art gallery and a mock-up of a mine that guests can crawl through. There are several of Lawrence’s original watercolours on show.
10. The Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway (GCRN), which travels over 10 miles from Ruddington Fields station to East Leake and Loughborough, is a fantastic day trip from Nottingham. The fully rebuilt steam and diesel train engines and rolling stock, as well as the fully functional workshops, vintage buses, a café, and stores, are some of the highlights of this heritage railway. Model train fans should visit the sizable miniature railway layout. This is one of the most famous Nottingham attractions for families.
11. Robin Hood Way and Sherwood Forest
The 104-mile-long Robin Hood Way travels via numerous locations, connected to the fabled Robin Hood on its way from Nottingham Castle to Sherwood Forest. The trail also passes via Rufford Abbey, Robin Hood Hills, Thieves Wood, and Fountain Dale, as well as the Clumber Country Park and Clumber Country Park.
Another attraction is the renowned Sherwood Forest, the most significant local site connected to Robin Hood. The 450-acre Sherwood Forest Country Park is part of more than 1,000 acres of this famed woodland that surround the village of Edwinstowe today. Visitors come each year to enjoy the Robin Hood Festival.
12. Wollaton Hall
The magnificent Wollaton Hall, an Elizabethan palace surrounded by a 500-acre deer park, is close to the institution. This charming mansion, which was built in 1580 by a local coal mine owner, currently houses the excellent Nottingham Industrial Museum as well as the Natural History Collection of Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
Highlights include the opportunity to tour the six galleries of the natural history museum and Nottingham’s oldest pipe organ. There are two on-site cafes and a gift shop too.
13. Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey is a short 20-minute drive from Nottingham. The former family home of the poet Lord Byron, whose burial is in Newstead parish church, is now a charming attraction. The west front of the church, the refectory, the chapterhouse (now a chapel) and the cloisters are all remnants of the original Augustinian monastery that Henry II erected in 1170.
Many of Byron’s possessions are on exhibit in his rooms, which have been preserved much as they were during his lifetime. Explore the grounds of the abbey, which include the exquisite garden with its numerous ancient and rare trees, Japanese formal and tropical gardens, as well as the lakes and streams.
Where to Stay in Nottingham for Sightseeing
You can never get bored during your holiday as there are plenty of exciting things to do in Nottinghamshire. Now that you’ve read about all the best places to visit in Nottinghamshire, you should also know the best place to stay in Nottinghamshire.
The Muthu Clumber Park Hotel & Spa is the ideal hotel for both business and leisure. It is situated in the heart of the Nottinghamshire countryside, on the edges of Clumber Park, just minutes away from the lovely Sherwood Forest, yet still easily accessible to the A1 and M1 motorway networks. Be it a restaurant, gym or spa, the Muthu Clumber Park Hotel & Spa offers world-class amenities to guests.
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