Nottingham Day Trip

I had a free afternoon and decided to head to a nearby town to explore and visit their Christmas market. Nottingham is a quick train ride away, only 20 minutes if it's direct. The town is known as the City of Caves due to the network of man-made sandstone caves beneath the city. The afternoon I visited was a pretty gray, rainy one so I didn't catch too many photos of the area.

I didn't tour the caves this time, but will keep it in mind for the future! On this visit I headed straight toward the Old Market Square where the Christmas Market was held. There were loads of stalls, a large Christmas tree, and Ferris wheel encircled by an ice skating ring which spanned two floors- the sky skate was a main differentiator of the Nottingham market.

After wandering around a bit, I decided to check out another major landmark: the Nottingham castle and Robin Hood statue. If you're familiar with the legend, you may be familiar with the name of the town as it relates to Robin Hood's frequent adversary: the Sherriff of Nottingham. Just outside the castle walls I passed a classic pub, The Old Trip to Jerusalem.

Around the corner of the walls, I came across the well-known statue. I was interested to see that it was completed in honor of a visit from then-Princess Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh.

When I got around to the gate, I discovered that the castle was closed indefinitely.

I wasn't able to get in to check it out, but I was able to snap a quick photo of the grounds through the gate.

As the sun set, the rain persisted so I looked for a place to grab a quick snack and warm up. I considered heading back to the pub but wasn't super hungry so I found a nearby café instead. Fortunately, there was a Kitty Café only a few blocks away! I enjoyed a pot of tea and a scone in the colorful café in the company of some lovely rescue cats. Here are a few favorites.

After a few hours, I decided to head back to Leicester. I passed through the square and admired the brilliant lights on my way to the train station. It was a quick trip, but I enjoyed the opportunity to check out another nearby city and Christmas market!