Hey, look it’s Robin Hood and other things to see in Nottingham

I can’t visit England without going to Nottingham, something about being born there and having family there, so we dragged along the in-laws in the hopes of seeing Robin Hood. 

And of course, you can’t visit Nottingham and not go to Sherwood Forest. Ade’s dad was very excited about visiting the Forest – keen to keep an eye out for any signs of Robin Hood or, more likely, arrow heads.

We didn’t see any of either (unless you count the 30 or so five-year-olds dressed as Robin Hood, Maid Marion and the Merry Men) but the Major Oak was far more impressive than I had remembered. It was far bigger than I remember it being.

The trunk is the equivalent of four trees – and there is some conjecture as to whether or not the tree is in fact multiple tree trunks intertwined to look like a single trunk.

Last time we were in Nottingham I had really wanted to see Wollaton Hall. I had grown up hearing stories about picnics at Wollaton Hall and watched cinefilm (yes, there was home movies before digital, CDs and videos) of myself as a baby in the park.

But when we first travelled to England in 2001, the country was battling Foot and Mouth so many of the parks, including Wollaton Hall, were closed to tourists.

This time I was determined to see it. I didn’t really know what to expect, while I had seen footage and plenty of photos of it, I wasn’t really aware that it was a stately old home. The day we arrived was the first day it was reopened. It had been closed while they filmed the latest Batman movie there. 

The building is stunning, it must have been a beautiful home, but now is in a state of some decay, they are fixing it up, but of course these things take time and money.

But the gardens are lovely and it’s worth wandering around both the house and gardens for an hour or two.

Unfortunately, the castle at Nottingham was burned down years ago and instead of rebuilding it as a castle, it now serves as a gallery, we went into the castle last time we were in Nottingham and it was quite disappointing, so we didn’t bother going in this time. 

From the outside the castle looks impressive, sitting high on a hill with a giant wall all the way around it. Set into the wall is Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, said to be the oldest Inn in the world, the crusaders used to drink here before heading off on a crusade.

And it’s worth sitting here and having a pint – yes, it’s still a working pub – and imagining the battle planning that might have taken place here.

There are tunnels from Ye Old Trip into the castle itself, which would make for an interesting tour. Unfortunately, we weren’t in Nottingham long enough to find out whether you actually could do such a tour, but maybe next time…

Nottingham is an interesting town, there is so much history there and the legends of Robin Hood and the Sherriff of Nottingham have given it an interesting profile, unfortunately they haven’t retained the old streetscapes. The city itself could be any city anywhere in the world – albeit with a giant castle keeping watch over it. 

There is the odd cobblestone road and the odd monument to the past, but so much of the physical history has been lost.

Fast Facts

We travelled on this trip in 2011 

We were in Nottingham for two nights.

Was it long enough: There is a lot to see here, plus we had family to visit so we could have done with longer. But overall two full days is probably enough.

Highlights:  We have visited the war tunnels here previously and they are well worth seeing, don’t miss Sherwood Forest and Ye Olde Trip.

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