🇬🇧United Kingdom · Places to discover
What to see in Nottingham?
30 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
5 places
1Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
St Mary's Church, Nottingham
Nottingham's oldest parish church, dating to the 15th century and tucked within the Lace Market. Its Perpendicular Gothic architecture and fine stained glass make it a hidden gem, frequently overlooked by hurried visitors.
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Landmark
Landmark
Nottingham Trent University Arkwright Building
Grade II* listed Neo-Baroque building from 1877, formerly Nottingham University College, boasting a spectacular terracotta façade on Shakespeare Street. A hidden architectural gem that locals walk past without truly noticing.
3Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
Bromley House Library
Subscription-based private library founded in 1816, nestled within a Georgian townhouse in the city centre. Its rooms remain unchanged since their Victorian heyday, and a secret garden adds to the timeless atmosphere—a rarely visited gem for non-members.
4Wikipedia · CC BY-SALandmark
Wollaton Hall
A striking Elizabethan mansion from the 16th century, now housing Nottingham's Natural History Museum. Instantly recognisable as Wayne Manor from The Dark Knight Rises, it presides over a deer park of considerable charm.
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Landmark
Landmark
Green's Windmill and Science Centre
A fully restored and working 19th-century windmill, once home to mathematician George Green. This surprising landmark sits squarely in the residential heart of Sneinton, with an attached small science museum.
Museums
1 place
6Wikipedia · CC BY-SAMuseum
National Justice Museum
Eighteenth-century courthouse and prison transformed into an immersive museum exploring British legal history. The preserved original cells and courtrooms give you genuine goosebumps.
Castles & fortresses
1 place
7Wikipedia · CC BY-SACastle
Nottingham Castle
A medieval fortress reimagined as a museum, commanding sweeping views across the city from its commanding hilltop position. The sandstone cave network carved beneath the fortress offers essential insight into Nottingham's underground heritage.
Nature
4 places
8Wikipedia · CC BY-SANature
Victoria Embankment
A riverside promenade along the Trent with gardens, bowling green and war memorial. It's the locals' go-to spot for an early morning jog or summer picnic, with peaceful water views.
9Wikipedia · CC BY-SANature
Nottingham Canal and Beeston Lock
A stretch of the Nottingham Canal leading to the picturesque Beeston Lock, lined with colourful narrowboats and wetland meadows. A cycle or walking route from the city centre to Beeston ranks among the region's most pleasant.
10Wikipedia · CC BY-SANature
Forest Recreation Ground
Vast 72-acre green space north of the city centre and one of England's oldest public parks (1845), home to the annual Goose Fair each October. Locals come here to run, play cricket and picnic well away from the tourist trail.
11Wikipedia · CC BY-SANature
Attenborough Nature Reserve
A nature reserve carved from former Trent gravel pits, a haven for birdwatchers just minutes from Nottingham. Over 200 bird species have been recorded here—best visited early morning alongside locals armed with binoculars.
Parks & gardens
6 places
12Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
The Arboretum Nottingham
Nottingham's first public park, opened in 1852, showcasing a remarkable collection of trees and a central pond. Beloved by Forest Fields residents, it preserves an authentic Victorian atmosphere.
13Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
Rushcliffe Country Park
Countryside park south of Nottingham with wildflower meadows, ponds and sweeping views across the Trent valley. Far less crowded than Attenborough, it's ideal for a quiet walk well away from the beaten track.
14Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
Colwick Country Park
A sprawling 250-acre park along the Trent featuring two lakes, perfect for cycling, fishing and leisurely walks. Less crowded than Wollaton, it's where locals genuinely come to recharge at weekends.
15Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
Highfields Park and Boating Lake
Grand university park with a boating lake inherited from the 1920 British Empire Exhibition, surrounded by flower gardens and a waterside café. The favourite haunt of Nottingham University students for a peaceful afternoon out.
16Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPark
Bestwood Country Park
Former royal hunting estate of Charles II sprawling across 700 acres of woodland and meadow north of Nottingham. The remnants of the Bestwood Colliery steam pump add a fascinating industrial layer to the natural landscape.
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Park
Park
Bunkers Hill Allotments and Community Garden
Allotments perched on the heights of Sneinton offering surprising views across the city rooftops. A thriving community green space that reflects Nottingham's strong working-class allotment tradition.
Viewpoints
3 places
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Clifton Grove
A 2 km wooded promenade along limestone cliffs overlooking the Trent south of Nottingham, celebrated by 19th-century poet Henry Kirke White. Spectacular views across the Trent valley and floodplain meadows, yet largely unknown to visitors.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Nottingham Trent Bridge
Victorian ashlar stone bridge from 1871 with ornamental lamp standards, spanning between the city and West Bridgford. Splendid views across the Trent at sunset, far from the city centre bustle.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Trent Bridge and Embankment View
The Victorian Trent Bridge and south-bank meadows offer the quintessential view across the River Trent with Nottingham Forest Ground framed beyond. A classically English tableau, especially at sunset.
Activities
8 places
21Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Nottingham Playhouse
The city's principal theatre since 1963, producing original work of national calibre. The prism-shaped main auditorium and panoramic bar are essential cultural gathering spots for locals.
22Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Rock City Nottingham
Legendary 2,000-capacity concert venue on Talbot Street, a temple of rock and alternative music since 1980. Nearly every major act has played here before achieving stardom.
23Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Nottingham Contemporary
Internationally renowned contemporary art centre housed in a striking concrete building with lace-pattern façade. The exhibitions are always cutting-edge and admission is free—one of the finest contemporary art venues in the Midlands.
24Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Nottingham Ice Centre
Twin-sheet ice rink in the city centre, a training club for British Olympic champions for decades. An afternoon skating here is to experience Nottingham as locals do through the winter months.
25Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Nottingham Racecourse
Flat racing course from 1777 nestled in Colwick Park, with accessible race days and thoroughly British atmosphere. Less formal than Ascot, it's horse racing the English way without pretension.
26Wikipedia · CC BY-SAActivity
Nottingham Forest Ground – City Ground
Historic stadium of the double European champions 1979–1980 on the banks of the Trent, facing Trent Bridge. On match days, the atmosphere in Trent Bridge is electric and authentically working-class.
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Activity
Activity
Caves of Nottingham – Drury Hill
Network of medieval caves distinct from the City of Caves, accessible beneath the Broadmarsh shopping centre currently undergoing redevelopment. These sandstone chambers reveal the underground history of a city built upon 800 caverns.
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Activity
Activity
City of Caves Nottingham
Network of 800 caves carved into sandstone beneath the city centre, accessible from Broadmarsh. These medieval tunnels reveal millennia of Nottingham's underground story, from tanneries to bomb shelters.
More to discover
2 places
29Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPlace
Nottingham General Cemetery
Victorian cemetery from 1839 with remarkable funeral monuments, neo-Gothic chapels and lush vegetation creating an unexpected sanctuary of peace. Forest Fields residents walk their dogs amongst its leafy paths.
30Wikipedia · CC BY-SAPlace
Sneinton Market
Alternative Sunday market in the Sneinton neighbourhood, featuring local makers, street food and regional producers. This is where Nottingham reveals its most authentic, community-spirited face.
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