Nottingham Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Nottingham is a compact, easy-going city with more to it than Robin Hood. The centre is built on sandstone riddled with hundreds of man-made caves, the old Lace Market is full of red-brick Victorian warehouses, and the independent bars and restaurants of Hockley are a short walk from the Old Market Square. Add Wollaton Hall, Byron's Newstead Abbey and the remains of Sherwood Forest, and there is plenty for a long weekend.

How long to stay

Two nights is about right: one day in the city centre and one out at Wollaton, Newstead or Sherwood. Trains from London take under two hours, and the city has a tram network that reaches the station, the university and the Park and Ride sites, so you can manage without a car for most of the trip.

Where to stay in Nottingham

Stay in the centre for the Lace Market, Hockley and the castle quarter, or outside the ring road for spa hotels with parking. Our Nottingham hotels page lists them all.

Central and practical

Crowne Plaza Nottingham is a large, central hotel within a few minutes' walk of the Old Market Square and the theatres. The Orchard Hotel is a modern, eco-designed hotel by the University Park campus with a rooftop terrace, handy for Highfields Park and Wollaton.

Spa and country house stays

Nottingham Belfry Hotel & Spa is rated 4.5 from over 9,600 Google reviews and has a spa and indoor pool, making it a good choice for a relaxed couples' break. Colwick Hall Hotel is a Georgian country house hotel next to the racecourse, and Mercure Nottingham Sherwood has a heated indoor pool on the north side of the city.

Pubs and dogs

The Bowman is a traditional pub with rooms that accepts dogs. For something active, the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont has rooms beside its lakes and rowing course.

Things to do in Nottingham

Our Nottingham attractions page has the full list. These are the ones to prioritise.

Wollaton Hall and Park is the city's biggest draw: an Elizabethan mansion housing a natural history museum, set in a deer park with herds of red and fallow deer. It is rated 4.7 from over 14,000 Google reviews, and dogs are welcome in the park. Beneath the city centre, the City of Caves takes you through tunnels used since Anglo-Saxon times, and the National Justice Museum in the old Shire Hall has Victorian courtrooms and cells, with interactive tours.

North of the city, Newstead Abbey was the ancestral home of Lord Byron, with period rooms, the ruined west front of the priory church and extensive gardens. For outdoor time closer in, Attenborough Nature Reserve has lakes, bird hides and a visitor centre, Highfields Park has a boating lake by the university, and Rushcliffe Country Park has meadows and a large playground. With children, Stonebridge City Farm is a friendly, hands-on stop.

Where to eat and drink

Hockley and the Lace Market hold most of the city's independent restaurants and bars. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, built into the castle rock, is one of several pubs that claim to be England's oldest inn and is worth a pint either way. Royal Thai (Dao's Kitchen) serves Thai street food, Saffron Persian Restaurant is rated 4.9 on Google, and Pizza Punks is a reliable casual choice. For an evening show, the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall share a site near the centre. See more on our Nottingham restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Start in the Old Market Square, then tour the City of Caves and the National Justice Museum. Have lunch in Hockley, walk up past the Robin Hood statue below the castle rock, and finish with a drink at the Trip to Jerusalem before dinner in the Lace Market.

Day two

Spend the morning at Wollaton Hall and walking the deer park. In the afternoon, drive north to Newstead Abbey, or carry on to Sherwood Forest at Edwinstowe to see the Major Oak, the ancient tree linked to the Robin Hood legend.

Day trips from Nottingham

Lincoln has one of England's finest cathedrals and a castle that holds one of the surviving copies of the 1215 Magna Carta. Newark-on-Trent has a ruined riverside castle and a large market square, Leicester is home to the King Richard III visitor centre, and Derby is close by. For hills, Ashbourne is the gateway to Dovedale in the southern Peak District.

Camping and cottages near Nottingham

Sherwood Pines Campsite near Edwinstowe takes tents, caravans, motorhomes and glamping guests, with dogs welcome, right by the forest. Trinity Farm at Cossall is an organic farm site that allows campfires and dogs, and Southwell Retreat offers tents and glamping near the minster town of Southwell. Browse camping near Nottingham or cottages near Nottingham.

Practical tips

The centre is walkable, and the tram is the easiest way to reach the university side of the city. Nottingham fits our guides to UK city breaks without flying and historic staycations, and the caves and museums make it a sound choice for rainy-day staycations.