What will you do if you get to visit Nottingham in December for one day? Is one day enough to cover everything the city’s got to offer?
As my trip began, I arrived in Nottingham on an unexpectedly freezing Saturday morning. It’s the beginning of December with dark skies, a damp chill in the air and a widespread lethargic atmosphere. Picking up a city map at the bus station, I started navigating my way out to explore the city.
Read on to find out what it’s like to visit Nottingham in December, popular attractions to check out for a one day itinerary, and what Robin Hood has to do with this city.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
It was an easy 10-minute walk for me from Broadmarsh bus station to the first popular attraction in Nottingham – Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which is claimed to be the oldest pub in England. Dated back to 1189 AD, the pub is said to be connected to the caves of Castle Rock as a brewhouse to the Nottingham Castle in the old days.
Arriving at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem at around 10.30 AM, I sadly did not have the chance to venture inside as the pub would open from 11. Nonetheless, I could feel its ancient ambiance already from the outside.
Nottingham Castle and surrounding
Right next to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem lies the imposing Nottingham Castle. This outstanding castle as we see nowadays is actually a rebuilt of the original mansion which was destroyed in the early 19th century.
The Nottingham Castle now hosts a museum, an art gallery, and also a cave tour for curious tourists from around the world. The entrance fee is £7 for adults and £5 concession (student discount yay!).
Situated right beside Castle Rock is a must-see for all visitors to Nottingham: the Statue of Robin Hood aiming his arrow! Robin Hood as depicted by the statue looked strong and powerful with sharp and focused eyes. Although there have been inconsistent opinions about Robin Hood’s characteristics, the statue surely gives us the impression of a forceful, tough, and strong-willed figure.
The legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood’s legend is directly connected with the Nottinghamshire region. This is why Robin Hood is regarded as one of Nottingham city’s symbols nowadays.
According to the legend, Robin Hood was an outlaw in the late medieval period who robbed the rich and provided for the poor. In contrast, the major villain who encountered Robin Hood and challenged his outlaw status was the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood’s exceptional archery and swordsmanship were notable skills that accompanied his status of “hero” as regarded by many.
Old Market Square and Christmas Market
From the Robin Hood Statue, I walked for 10 more minutes to the Old Market Square, where a bustling Christmas market took place.
The atmosphere was overwhelmingly Christmassy with a carol, an outdoor skating rink, and a glittering merry-go-round full of smiley children. Stalls at the Christmas market offered a wide variety of mouth-watering food ranging from berry-sourced burgers to chocolate-mixed fruits. I found a Finnish stall offering traditional Finnish food such as dried berries, meatballs, and cinnamon buns as well. Amazing!
Besides, you will find the Tourist Centre right in this Old Market Square. Feel free to drop by to pick up a map or ask for useful travel advice.
Sherwood Forest
After roaming around the Christmas market, I rushed to Victoria Bus Station to catch the bus to Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood and his merry men once dwelt and robbed from passers-by.
How to get to Sherwood Forest
The trip from Nottingham to Sherwood Forest by the Sherwood Arrow bus normally takes around 1 hour. This bus departs daily from Bay 9 at Victoria Bus Station. You can read more about getting here and parking from the Sherwood Forest’s website.
If you visit Nottingham in December, the sun sets already from 4 PM. Therefore, it’s better to schedule a morning visit here as it’s not a good idea to venture into the forest when it’s already dark.
What to see in Sherwood Forest
The forest itself appeared quite sacred, especially during this wintertime. Dozens of oaks dating back hundreds of years stood strong like soldiers guarding the old spirits of the forest. It takes roughly 20-30 minutes to walk to the Major Oak where Robin Hood hid himself while dwelling here.
Besides, I would also recommend watching the 15-minute informative documentary about Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest in the Visitor Centre.
Whether or not you believe in the Robin Hood legend, these oaks can tell you the truth. Because after all this time, they have borne witness to even the smallest secrets in this forest. In addition to its historical value, the Sherwood Forest is also a great place to explore for those who have an interest in biology and geography.
For those seeking a more active visit, Sherwood Forest is also an ideal place for trekking, cycling, and horse riding. There are also lots of interesting events and festivals taking place all year round.
Facilities around Sherwood Forest include a small restaurant and a souvenir shop. You can also walk to Robin Hood’s Village Edwinstowe nearby. Here you can see the church where Robin Hood married his sweetheart Maid Marion.
Sum up: My one day trip to Nottingham in December
Overall, visiting Nottingham in December allowed me to enjoy the city’s cozy Christmas atmosphere while avoiding tourist crowds. However, one day in Nottingham was definitely not enough for me, since I would love to spend more time in Sherwood Forest to follow Robin Hood’s trail and explore other attractions in this city as well.
Have you visited Nottingham in December before? Please share your experience in the comments below 🙂
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Growing up I was a huge Robin Hood fan because of the Kevin Costner adaptation of the story. It’s great that you were able to visit this area but too bad you didn’t have the best time. Your recommendations for more time there is definitely helpful, which I will keep in mind should I (hope to) make my way there someday.
I don’t think I have ever been to Nottingham and I live in the UK so should try and visit. I used to love watching Robin Hood when I was little maybe I might see him and his merry men lol
Such a shame that you didn’t have enough time to explore Sherwood Forest as much as you had hoped. I would love to take my kids to visit one day! And yes, your pics are great!
Oh, what a wonderful trip! We always travel with the kids and I blog about making it educational. This trip would lend itself so well to reading as we would get all caught up on the adventure of Robin Hood before hand! I’m amazed at the Inn that has been around since 1189. That is hard to even wrap your head around!!
Really enjoyed your photos. It looks like such a fun place to visit and I know the kids would love!
How I love these British places, they are so charming and beautiful. Even though I grew up partly also on the countryside – but such a forest I haven’t seen before. This is in my opinion just beautiful! Pity to hear that for you it wasn’t in the end that interesting…
I had no idea Robin Hood was from Nottingham and that he has his very own festival! I wonder if people dress up like Robin Hood – that would be quite a sight to see! It’s too bad you didn’t have enough time to explore Sherwood forest but at least you got to visit a charming little town on some otherwise wasted time.
So cool that you took advantage of just 7 hours to see a brand new city! I work full time so most of my trips are super quick like this too. And I’ve definitely done what you did and inadvertently “wasted” a lot of time traveling somewhere that in retrospect I really didn’t have the time for. Were there other things in Nottingham you wish you got to see had you not spent so much time commuting to Sherwood Forest?
Yes, I’d love to visit Wollaton Hall – a 16th century house (now a museum) surrounded by a beautiful garden. It’d also be great to visit the 2 universities in Notts as well 🙂 Guess I’ll just have to come back another time!
I love the story of Robin Hood – my name is Emma Oxley and he was Robin of Loxley so I always got associated with him growing up! Love the sound of a walk in Sherwood Forest and that pub looks so quaint!
I love the story of Robin Hood. Would love to visit Nottingham and learn even more about it. I’ve only ever been to the train station to change to a connecting train from Birmingham to I don’t remember where :/
As I was reading the part about the statue, I don’t know what possessed me but I was expecting to see a statue of a fox! Too much Disney growing up I guess haha. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub looks so cute! I can definitely believe that it’s one of if not the oldest pubs in England, and maybe even the whole of the UK. It wouldn’t look out of place in a Lord of the Rings film either!
I’ve never thought about Nottingham as a place to visit before, but now I think it definitely is, so thanks for sharing!
I was also preoccupied with the image of the fox when I went there haha 😀 Thanks for your comment 🙂
Really nice post, it is always what you do of your time that makes it cool or boring. Interesting article.
I like the part of Robin hood and the forest!
These are reasons to spend time in Nottingham
Very cool and informative post, thank you very much! I have only been to London so far in England, but Nottingham is definitely under my radar. Great photos too!
I’m from England so it is easy for me to visit Nottingham, yet I never have. I muzt admit I know Nottingham more for Brian Cloughs’ European Cup winning football team than Robin Hood. Although the rest of the world know it for Robin Hood. As for the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub, I had no idea. I gotta order a pint in there!
A little surprised it was directly linked to Nottingham I thought Robin Hood was more Lancahishire…?
It looks like a fairyland! The pictures are really lovely. This definitely looks like a place to spend more time in than just a few hours. Wish you had more time and hope I will be able to visit this beautiful place someday!
Nottingham is truly magical! Keep up the good work Fiona!
The only thing I did in Nottingham was visiting the best rock music nightclub in the country, Rock City. I wonder if its still there. Never really explored the area so really need to check out the Robin Hood county. Fantastic post. 🙂
Such a wonderful trip. Awesome post.
good article
it has amazing information