A trip to Nottingham Castle
I’ve visited Nottingham Castle many-a-times since being a child. I have fond memories of dressing up as Robin Hood and charging through the castle grounds with a bow and arrow, ready to fight the rich and feed the poor. I have a slightly foggy memory of my dad also feeding a squirrel some of our packed lunch sandwiches from his hand, perhaps in his own way he too was playing at being Robin Hood. Knowing my dad it would have been coronation chicken flavoured, lucky squirrel.
I decided to visit again recently as an adult with my younger brother, Frankie, after their recent refurbishment. The refurbishment includes the newly reinvigorated Brewhouse Yard that showcases life of Nottingham through the ages from the 1500s to 1900s, a new visitor centre and café at the entrance and a Hood’s Hideout adventure playground, alongside interactive games and virtual reality experiences.
Admission prices:
Adult: £12 for unlimited access for a year
Children: free (15 years & under, 3 per paid adult)
With a picnic in hand and sunshine over our heads, we entered the castle.
Mortimer’s Hole Cave Tour
Our first stop was the tour of Mortimer’s Hole cave. This cost an extra £5 and you can book a slot through the website when purchasing your tickets. We had a fantastic tour guide called Barry who led us through the cave, whilst telling stories through time along the way. It was a great experience and I was happy we booked on, but I wouldn’t feel the need to do this tour again after experiencing it once. The tour lasted one hour, but without the storytelling you would probably get through the cave in less than 15 minutes!
Brewhouse Yard: Life beneath Castle Rock
This Museum at Brewhouse Yard has been part of Nottingham’s changing story and important cloth trades for hundreds of years; affecting the lives of many of the city’s different communities.
Nottingham Castle
Brewhouse Yard is included in your ticket price, and we had fun wandering around the museum. We explored the homes of four families, each with a connection to Nottingham’s history of textiles – and of course we posed for some photographs!
Picnic in the grounds
After out cave tour and Brewhouse Yard visit, we decided to find a spot in the beautiful grounds at Nottingham Castle. There are plenty of places to choose from with views over Nottingham city. We opted for a shady spot on the grass, but there were plenty of picnic tables and benches around. I loved walking around the grounds and inspecting the views of the city. It brought back the memories I mentioned earlier in my post, though unfortunately we didn’t see any squirrels on this day. There’s also a great Robin Hood themed park for the young ones with slides and wooden walk ways through the trees.
Robin Hood Adventures
We went on to explore Robin Hood Adventures. A little underground hideaway that is new to Nottingham Castle. You travel through the Castle tunnel into Robin Hood Adventures, where fun awaits! Here we played dress up and had a go at video games on a giant table top where you get to steal from the rich and give to the poor. You can also have a go at archery, but the queue was fairly long and a lot of children were waiting to have a go, so we decided to leave this to the little ones.
The museum and galleries
It was time to go into the castle museum and explore the new galleries. Whilst the rooms were familiar and I felt the tingle of nostalgia, the content of the rooms were completely new. Inside, you’ll find galleries of Nottinghamshire crafts, Nottinghamshire lace, collections dating back to 1878, art, the Museum of the Mercian Regiment, the Rebellion Gallery and more. There are elements for young ones to interact with on your way around, and there are things to look out for from floor to ceiling. My favourite rooms were the rebellion gallery and art gallery. My brother and I played a game of choosing which painting we’d hang up at home, and there was plenty to choose from old and new!
A tipple in the Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem
Walking around the castle was thirsty business, so we were in much need of refreshments! After a visit to Nottingham Castle, there is no better place for a drink than the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham’s oldest pub built into the rocks of Nottingham Castle. It’s famous for being a popular drinking spot for crusaders like Richard the Lion Heart and a hideout for Robin Hood and his merry men. In the rooms of the atmospheric pub, you’ll find knights, hidden rooms, secret caves and perhaps even the odd ghost or ghoul! The pub serves traditional pub grub such as fish n chips and proper pies, but it’s a lovely spot to have a drink in a nook inside a cave. Check out my food review here. There’s also a large garden right next to the castle walls. I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area or after exploring the castle.
And that was our trip to Nottingham Castle! Have you been since the refurbishment? What are your favourite bits to explore? Let me know in the comments.
