Nottingham

I just got back from a trip to Nottingham to visit a friend of mine who is studying at the university there. She is a big history fan like me and we had a great time touring around Nottingham and other nearby towns. 

I love when a town leans in to what most people associate it with, in this case Robin Hood. As we walked up to the castle we took Friar Lane and then turned onto Maid Marian Way. 

We also saw many shops with Robin Hood logos and selling related merchandise. The local travel card for busses and trams is also called Robin Hood. 

I had to go see the man himself, or at least a statue, as we headed up to the castle. The stories of Robin Hood were an oral tradition told by travelling storytellers dating back to the late-medieval period. 

Nottingham has more manmade caves than any other city in Britain with over 500 caves found so far. These have been used as homes, tanneries, pub cellars, store rooms, and air raid shelters during World War II. 

Walking the streets of Notts (as the locals call it) we came across so many exceptional buildings. I thought that the buildings in Nottingham looked well maintained and it was fun to see a Taco Bell in the lower part of a beautiful old building. 

The Lace Market was once the center of the world's lace industry and was full of warehouses and salesrooms. These have been converted to modern stores, flats, and restaurants and is a very trendy part of town. 

We went inside St Mary's Church which has parts of the current building that date back to the 14th century and the reign of Edward III. As is common with most old churches, it was renovated in Victorian times and the stained glass comes from that time period. It is currently under renovation again with loads of scaffolding and pieces of stained glass removed. It was still beautiful even under renovation, but it didn't photograph very well. 

One building I was really excited to see is Wollaton Hall, an Elizabethan manor built in 1588. It was used as Wayne Manor in the most recent Batman movies and is five miles away from Gotham, Nottinghamshire which is where some think Gotham City got its name.

The Prospect Room inside Wollaton Hall is situated above the Great Hall but has never been used in the history of the house. There is not an easy staircase to access the room, especially if one were dressed in a formal Elizabethan attire. We had to climb up a very small spiral staircase to enter. 

We went out on the roof on our tour and the guide told us that it was traditional for homeowners to throw parties on the flat roof. It fell out of style after people who had too much to drink fell over the side of the house. 

Wollaton Hall has a rich history including its use as a base for the U.S. 508th Parachute Regiment before they took part in the D-Day landings. Our guide said his mother used to tell stories about the American soldiers she met who were staying at Wollaton Hall. 

This beautiful building has survived many tragic damages including a fire in 1642 and attacks by Reform Act rioters in 1831. But it has been restored each time and stands as a wonderful example of Elizabethan architecture in a lovely part of England. 

I really enjoyed my time in Nottingham and I think it is because the city felt vibrant and bustling, the local people were really friendly, and I had a great hostess for my time in Notts!