Posts Tagged ‘nottingham hotels’

Think of Nottingham and nearly all folk consider the legend of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest and although folklore attracts increasing numbers of folk each and every year there is much more to Nottinghamshire and the city of Nottingham than meets the eye. Infact Nottingham is home to a reasonable collection of fascinating visitor attractions making it an excellent place for a vacation and the following article examines the city and a small selection of attractions in, and close to, Nottingham, as well as some hotels offering Nottingham bed and breakfast accommodation.

The city of Nottingham is in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of  England. As well as Sherwood Forest and the legend of Sir Robin Hood, Nottingham is also known for the production of lace especially during the period of the Industrial Revolution when it gained a worldwide reputation for excellence.

The Lace Market, Nottingham

Once the heart of the world’s lace industry, at the time of the British Empire, the Lace Market in Nottingham is, today, a protected heritage area. It  features many superb examples of 19th Century industrial architecture. The Lace Market was not like a normal market area, as such, rather than having stalls and stall holders, the lace market featured a selection of warehouses and salesrooms selling and displaying lace. Following the decline in the lace industry the area became rundown however, today, the majority of the warehouses have been renovated and restored for other purposes for example photographic studios and similar. The Lace Market in Nottingham is a popular visitor attraction.

Shire Hall & Galleries of Justice

Near to the Lace Market you will discover the Galleries of Justice and Shire Hall. Shire Hall is a Georgian-built civic building featuring Neoclassical pilasters, columns and dome. The facade has, if you examine it carefully, a misspelled word Goal rather than Gaol. The Hall has 2 well preserved Victorian courtrooms and bath house, old cells, a women’s prison, a prisoner’s exercise yard and an Edwardian police station.

The City of Nottingham is a fantastic place to take a short city break. There is plenty to see and do within the city and an incredible number of visitor attractions not too far away. Places to visit include; Wollaton Hall, Hardwick Hall and Newstead Abbey.

As all all England bed and breakfast, Nottingham accommodation is usually top class at a reasonable price and many people choose to stay in Nottingham for only part of their break and then elsewhere for the remainder.

Nottingham is the largest city in the East Midlands. Over the centuries it has been home to many different races and cultures. During Anglo Saxon times it’s name was Snottingham as the Saxon chief was called Snot. Then in 867 AD Vikings from Denmark captured the town and they held onto the fortified town along with 4 other similar towns. 

The city is well known for lace production, earlier on, in the 15th century, the city was also famous for alabaster religious sculptures that were exported across the world. Then during the industrial revolution textiles were the pre-eminent industry in the town. Nottingham remained famous for this trade until the end of the second world war, when cheaper imports became more widely available. In recent times, the buildings associated with the textile industry have been restored to their former glory. 

So just what is there for you to do when you visit Nottingham?

1.     The Tales Of Robin Hood – This attraction allows you to travel back in time to when Robin Hood and his Merry Men roamed the forests surrounding this city in medieval times. The museum offers a range of films and live shows reconstructing the times of this folk hero and there is an adventure ride to take and you could even have a try at some archery as well.

2.    The Galleries Of Justice – On this historic site you can learn about 300 years of crime and punishment that occurred in the city. It is situated in the heart of Nottingham’s Lace Market which is located in the very centre of the city. The site was used as a court and a prison until as recently as the 1980s. You have the chance during your visit to this wonderful attraction to watch a real trial take place in the Victorian Courtroom and witness the prisoner being sentenced and then taken down to the cells. If you have time, you should take a trip around the medieval caves below the courts.

3.    Wollaton Hall & Park – This can be found a few miles outside the city and also boasts a natural history museum. Tracing its roots back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I this was designed by Robert Smythson and was finally completed in 1588. You can look around the house and the Natural History Museum one is able to explore the 500 acre park that surrounds it. You can also look around the Tudor kitchens.

Choose your Nottingham accommodation from this list.