Robin Hood, [pictured] if he existed, led a revolt against injustice and taxes by the ruler (Sheriff) of Nottingham in the middle ages. In the 18th century some of its workers were Luddites who smashed up new factory machinery to protect their jobs
Nottingham City is sited in the East Midlands of England, near an airport it has good road and rail links to the rest of Great Britain. It is a multicultural city of 337,000 people on the banks of the River Trent.
Buses trains and Canals:
A well-connected city through trains and buses – railway station (below left). Modern Law Courts (left) built alongside the old canal basin (below) which is now a site of bars and leisure
Trams:
The new trams opened in 2004 linking the City centre and railway station (below centre) to outlying areas and suburbs, to the main hospital, Queens Medical Centre (below right), and to the universities.
The Nottingham and District Tramways Company began operating horse-drawn trams in Nottingham in 1878.
St Mary’s (left) is in the Lacemarket and is used for civic ceremonial occasions, Nottingham is famous for lace making until the a.rival of the railways ruined it in the later nineteenth century. St Mary’s, originally a Norman church, was built to dominate the Saxon town below it. Below are pictures of the lacemarket area and of the Contemporary Art Gallery at Weekday cross.
National Museum of Justice:
In the Lacemarket (left) is the National Museum of Justice. Below, shows the museum, originally a national court building and its courtroom which were used for many years for administering regional justice. Here, nowadays, trials can be enacted. The museum explains how prisons ran in earlier centuries, and explains how transportation ruined the lives of people for very minor offences
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is an 18th century building that replaced the old castle of the middle ages where lived the Sheriff of Nottingham. It was the site of an important battle in the English Civil War (17th century). It now houses Nottingham’s art collection as well as a celebratory journey through the tales of Robin Hood.
Nottingham Caves run underneath the castle as well as under the centre of Nottingham. A visit to them is very interesting. In Mediaeval times people lived in these and they housed many industries like leather tanning … and a brewery.
The oldest pub in Nottingham is also partly built into the caves under the castle. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem [left and below], in the Brewhouse yard dates to 1189, we think, and was a site from which soldiers went off to fight in the Crusades. There is also an old brewery in the caves under the castle, and a museum.
Breweries and other industries
The only surviving large scale brewery (left) in Nottingham, it owns the Canalhouse pub (see below), a converted canal warehouse and dry dock. Bicycle making used to be a major industry in Nottingham, Raleigh still has its headquarters here but is now part of a European group.
There were major coal mining areas just outside Nottingham, from where D.H. Lawrence, an early 20th century English writer drew much of his inspiration.
City Centre:
City Hall, (left) has two lions one at each corner of the facade onto the Market Square (see below). The left Lion (see below) is a well-known meeting spot for people . The famous Goose Fair, held in early October, now a funfair, used to be held here. In summer this square gets taken over by a ‘beach’ and other fun activities
Theatre Royal and concert hall (below left) are two of the main venues for visiting orchestras and theatre companies to Nottingham. The Playhouse (below centre and right) is a second main theatre. The Albert Hall (below centre) also hosts various concerts, mainly of local choirs and orchestras. There is also a lively club scene in Nottingham.
Victoria Centre
As well as many streets of shops around the Market Square, the Viccy Centre (left and below) & Market is Nottingham's shopping mall. It is just round the corner from the Royal Centre. It is joined to the Market square by a short busy shopping street
Queens Medical Centre is a short tram or bus ride from the city centre. It is linked to the University by a tram bridge across the main Nottingham ring road and is also linked academically as the QMC is a major teaching hospital that supports medical practice in a wide area around Nottingham
Nottingham City is host to two major universities.
Nottingham University has two main campuses in the city, another one in China and one in Malasia, too. The picture (left) shows the main administration building overlooking a park (see below - actually owned by Nottingham City) that also houses a small theatre and concert hall that often host avant-guard and multi-cultural events as well as a beautiful lake. Below is the library centre on the Jubilee Campus.
Nottingham Trent University, a former polytechnic, is a more recently established university with campuses in the City centre (left and below) and in the western suburbs of Nottingham, the Clifton campus (below). Students of both universities live in the city centre as well as on their campuses which are linked to the city by regular bus routes.
To the South of the city centre, on the banks of the river Trent, close to the remains of the original mediaeval river crossing into Nottingham, lie various sporting places of national importance, the international cricket ground at Trent Bridge (below right), and Nottingham Forest Football club (below left) which is currently in the Premiership – top league - in England. Close by is Notts County Football ground, one of the oldest clubs in England but now poorly supported and funded. Not far away is the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
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