Adventures around Nottinghamwith PlusBus
Famous historically for its lace industry, its underground cave network, and the legendary folk hero Robin Hood, Nottingham is also a centre for art, music and beer. And it's got some beautiful rural fringes with parks and woodland, lakes and marshes. If you come by train, you can buy a PlusBus ticket for a small extra fee and explore the city and its surroundings all day by bus and tram. Here are just a few of the adventures you could have.
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1. Art through the centuries
Nottingham has all kind of galleries and museums to visit, where you can see everything from Romano-celtic sculptures to installations inspired by quantum physics. Don’t forget your PlusBus ticket. It’s available when you book your train ticket online or from the station. PlusBus is valid on trams too, which is handy for reaching places like the Djangoly Gallery at the University of Nottingham. This free arts centre has changing exhibitions and a Museum of Archaeology too.
- But, if you’ve just arrived in Nottingham, you might want to check out the castle first. A very short bus ride from the railway station, you can visit recently-revamped Nottingham Castle with an elegant art gallery on its top floor. The paintings are sorted round themes like faces, landscape, nature and myth.
- How do I get to Nottingham Castle by bus? Come out of the railway station and turn right to Stops S4 and S5. Buses 1, 90A, the cotgrave, the keyworth, the mainline and more all run from here one stop to the Castle Gates. Between them, they run very frequently.
- Check out the nearby statue of Robin Hood and then head uphill to the tower gateway. Once inside the castle walls, keep on climbing. The entrance to the museum galleries is on the far side of the block-shaped Ducal Palace at the top of the hill. The doors face a terrace with views across a wide area.
- There are galleries dedicated to Robin Hood and to Nottingham’s rich history of rebellion, lace-making and other crafts. Head up to the top floor for to see the collections in the impressive Art Gallery.
- There are changing free art exhibitions at the Djangoly Art gallery, ranging from JS Lowry to scientific installations. The gallery is part of the Lakeside Arts complex in the University of Nottingham, another great area to explore.
- How do I get to the Djangoly Art gallery? From the castle, stroll along Friar Lane to reach Nottingham’s Old Market Square, where you can hop on the frequent tram to Toton Lane (don’t forget your PlusBus ticket is valid on the tram too!) The trams also run direct from a bridge above the railway station (follow the signs). Get off at the stop called University of Nottingham and the gallery is nearby.
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2. Knitting and cake
Nottingham’s PlusBus area reaches across the city from Wollaton Vale to the National Water Sports Centre in Holme Pierrepoint and from Bestwood in the north to the village of Ruddington in the south.
- Ruddington has managed to keep its villagey feel despite being only five miles south of the city. It’s home to the quirky Framework Knitters Museum with a lovely café in the courtyard. There are fresh tasty salads and pastries from Tough Mary’s bakery in Nottingham.
- How do I get to Ruddington by bus? Bus 10 runs from Nottingham railway station (or from stop M1 on Maid Marian Way near the castle) to Ruddington High Street. Look out as you cross Trent Bridge for the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest.
- To reach the Frame Work Knitters Museum, simply follow the sign opposite The Frame Breakers pub along Charles Street. Hugely knowledgeable volunteers can tell you all about the craft’s links with the Luddites and the lace industry. You can see the original machines, the cottages where workers lived and sit in the flowery garden to enjoy a cup of tea.
- Rushcliffe Country Park, a big area of woods and water, playgrounds and more, is just down the lane on the edge of the village, an easy walk from the museum. Rushcliffe Country Park has a reed-fringed lake and a heritage railway.
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3. Attenborough Nature Reserve
Another rural excursion south of the city is the watery Attenborough Nature Reserve, a huge and beautiful complex of lakes where wildlife can flourish. More than 250 species of birds have been spotted here since TV naturalist David Attenborough first opened the site 1966. For forty years before that, gravel was extracted here from huge pits. Sir David came back in 2005 to open the stylish, carbon-neutral Nature Centre with its waterside café.
- How do I get to the Attenborough Nature Reserve by bus? The skylink and indigo buses from Nottingham railway station stop at Barton Lane, a short walk from the Nature Centre. Less than ten minutes’ stroll down Barton Lane, you’ll find one of the entrances to the reserve and can follow a path that runs parallel with the lane to reach the Nature Centre.
- One of the region’s most crucial wetland sites, Attenborough also has wildflowers and butterflies, terns and sand martins in summer. From autumn, migrating wildfowl arrive for the winter, including shoveler, snipe, murmurations of starlings and lots more. In the garden behind the Nature Centre, there is a wildlife pond and sand martin hide, one of several bird hides dotted around the 350-acre site.
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And more...
Nottingham has great public transport and plenty to do. You can find more suggestions in our car-free guide with more car-free adventures here. Have fun!
