Things to do in Nottingham

There are many things to do in Nottingham. This city is famous for many things, and of course the the legend of Robin Hood comes to mind. Many story's of Robin and his band of merry men have been passed down through the ages by music and legend, though only scattered fragments remain of his origin. It seems one man, Robert Fitzooth, reputed to be the Earl of Huntingdon, who was born in 1160 during the reign of Henry II.

The Earle Of noble birth, squandered every penny of his inheritance at a very early age; so either by necessity or choice, he sought refuge in Sherwood forest in Nottinghamshire. Fortuneatelty for him, Robert Fitzooth was joined by a few men in similar circumstances, people like; Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, and of course the story has to include the the legend of love which is Maid Marian.

Robin Hood reigned in Sherwood forest, defying the powers of government, protecting the poor, and giving to the needy. Needless to say, the king's deer provided food, and the king's forest provided fuel. Other necessities were quite likely obtained through barter.

Taking the king's property was, of course, illegal and off limits, but all this drove the Sheriff of Nottingham crazy, to the point where he offered a substantial reward for Robin Hood's capture - dead or alive of course.

The castle was built as a fortress in 1068 by William the Conqueror. It was completely destroyed by mob's in 1831. Following its second restoration, the castle was transformed into a museum and art gallery late in the nineteenth century. A series of underground passages run beneath the castle.

Naturally, there are many tales of intrigue relating to their purpose. The castle is open to the public daily; the underground passages can be seen only on conducted tours. The Story of Nottingham at the Castle Museum and Art Gallery is a must see for the whole family.

Depending on your available time in the city, you should definitly make time to see the historic castle and area and plan to return another day to see the modern uptown and downtown areas. Visiting the castle on a self guided tour is easy and I recommend it.

From the rail station, turn right onto Carrington Street. Turn left at Canal Street and 3 blocks farther along in the same direction, you will come to Castle Road running up the hill to your right. Following Castle Road a short distance brings you to England's oldest inn, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem.

This is a great place to take a break for lunch before continuing up Castle Road to the Castle entrance, at Castle Place.

Built in 1189, a portion of the inn was dug into the almost vertical rock formation supporting the Castle above. Legend has it that Robin Hood scaled this rock in his invasions of the Castle.

The pub's food is pretty good too - so as I said before, you might want to arrive there about lunchtime. Books about Nottingham and the lore of Robin Hood are on sale in the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub and in the Castle itself, and of cours at Amazon. Internet: www.triptojerusalem.com.

The train passes through picturesque scenery through the Midlands en route to Nottingham, passing through cities like St. Albans, where Britain's first Christian martyr was executed, and Bedford, where John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress.

I recommend you return to London via Peterborough, which equally has stunning countryside to view, but don't forget you have to change trains here for King's Cross Station. Check the train information office at the Nottingham station.

The Nottingham main tourist information center is at the city's two huge shopping centers, called Victoria and Broad Marsh. Both are somewhat unbelievable in size, and they are linked by wide pedestrian avenues as well as a bus (No. 90) running between the two centers every fifteen minutes through the day, except Sunday of course.

The young modern shopper must not miss the Hockley area of shops to catch up on the latest craze, and the antiques collector must not miss the plethora of shops along Derby Road.

A site for crime and punishment fans is "Condemned!" at the Galleries of Justice. Be prepared as you visit the nineteenth-century Shire Hall to assume the identity of a criminal, experience a public trial, and be taken off to the hangman's gallows - bring your camera of course.

When you eventually make it back to the Old Market Square, the tourist information center has details of a few walking tours of Nottingham that take you to more interesting places along one of the city's main streets like Maid Marian Way.

A site for crime and punishment fans is "Condemned!" at the Galleries of Justice. Be prepared as you visit the nineteenth-century Shire Hall to assume the identity of a criminal, experience a public trial, and be taken off to the hangman's gallows - bring your camera of course.

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