Nottingham
Encyclopedia
Nottingham is a city
and unitary authority
in the East Midlands
of England
. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire
and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group
. Whilst Nottingham has always had a tightly-drawn boundary (accounting for its relatively small population
of 306,700), Nottingham's Urban Area has a population of approximately 805,800; according to the 2001 census, it is the seventh largest urban conurbation in the United Kingdom
, ranking between those of Liverpool
and Sheffield
, and the largest in the East Midlands. Eurostat's concept of the Larger Urban Zone listed the area's population at 825,600 as of 2004.
Nottingham is famed for its links with the legend of Robin Hood
and, during the Industrial Revolution
, obtained worldwide recognition for its lace-making and bicycle industries. It was granted its city charter as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897 and has since been officially titled the City of Nottingham.
times, around 600 AD the site formed part of the Kingdom of Mercia
and was known in the Brythonic language as Tigguo Cobauc, meaning Place of Caves
. In Welsh it is known poetically as Y Ty Ogofog, "The Cavey Dwelling". When it fell under the rule of a Saxon chieftain named Snot it became known as "Snotingaham"; the homestead of Snot's people (Inga = the people of; Ham = homestead). Snot brought together his people in an area now known as the Lace Market
.
Nottingham was captured in 867 by Danish Viking
s and later became one of the Five Burghs
– or fortified towns – of The Danelaw
.
In the 11th century Nottingham Castle
was constructed on a sandstone
outcrop by the River Leen
. The Anglo-Saxon settlement developed into the English Borough
of Nottingham and housed a Town Hall and Law Courts. A settlement also developed around the castle
on the hill opposite and was the French borough supporting the Normans in the castle. Eventually, the space between was built on as the town grew and the Old Market Square
became the focus of Nottingham several centuries later. On the return of Richard Coeur de Lion
from the Crusades
, the castle stood out in Prince John
's favour. So, it was besieged by Richard, and after a sharp conflict, captured.
By the 15th century, Nottingham had established itself as the centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture
made from alabaster
The town became a county corporate
in 1449 giving it effective self-government, in the words of the charter, "for eternity". The Castle and Shire Hall were expressly excluded and technically remained as detached Parishes of Nottinghamshire
.
During the Industrial Revolution
, much of Nottingham's prosperity was founded on the textile industry
; in particular, Nottingham was an internationally important centre of lace
manufacture. However, the rapid and poorly planned growth left Nottingham with the reputation of having the worst slum
s in the British Empire
outside India. Residents of these slums rioted in 1831, in protest against the Duke of Newcastle
's opposition to the Reform Act 1832
, setting fire to his residence, Nottingham Castle
.
In common with the UK textile industry as a whole, Nottingham's textile sector fell into headlong decline in the decades following World War II, as British manufacturers proved unable to compete on price or volume with the output of factories in the Far East and South Asia. Very little textile manufacture now takes place in Nottingham, but the city's heyday in this sector endowed it with some fine industrial buildings in the Lace Market
district. Many of these have been restored and put to new uses.
Nottingham was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
, and at that time consisted of the parishes of Nottingham St Mary, Nottingham St Nicholas and Nottingham St Peter. It was expanded in 1877 by adding the parishes of Basford
, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell
, Radford
, Sneinton
, Standard Hill and parts of the parishes of West Bridgford
, Carlton
, Wilford (North Wilford). In 1889 Nottingham became a county borough
under the Local Government Act 1888
. City
status was awarded as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, being signified in a letter from the Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury to the Mayor, dated 18 June 1897. Nottingham was extended in 1933 by adding Bilborough
and Wollaton
, parts of the parishes of Bestwood Park and Colwick
, and a recently developed part of the Beeston Urban District
. A further boundary extension was granted in 1951 when Clifton and Wilford (south of the River Trent) were incorporated into the city.
Demographic evolution of Nottingham
Electric trams revolutionised public transport in Nottingham on their inception in 1901; they would serve the city for 35 years until the bus network was expanded in 1936. The city's road network was improved drastically between 1922 and 1932 when a new dual carriageway was built. Housing conditions also began to improve the city's poorer residents at this time, when the first council houses were built on new suburban estates to rehouse families from slum clearances. Mass private house building also took place, with the process continuing to boom until some 30 years after World War II
ended in 1945.
Trams made their comeback in Nottingham after 68 years when a new tram network was opened in 2004.
To the sporting world, Nottingham's biggest claim to fame was undoubtedly being home to the world's oldest professional club, Notts County
, who were formed in 1862. However, Notts County's subsequent history has proven to be a relatively low profile one, and in 1975 a significant event occurred which would change the sporting image of Nottingham forever.
Brian Clough
, who had managed nearby Derby County
to Football League First Division
title glory in 1972, was appointed manager of Nottingham Forest
, then struggling in the Football League Second Division
, in January 1975. Forest reached the First Division in 1977 and incredibly won the First Division title a year later - only the third English club in history to win a top division league title a year after promotion. They were also Football League Cup
winners that year and would retain that trophy a year later. They also won the European Cup in 1979 and retained it a year later, adding two more Football League Cups to their honours list before Clough finally retired as Forest were relegated in 1993. Nottingham Forest consistently fielded international class players during Clough's management; the most high profile being Trevor Francis
, who joined the club in February 1979 from Birmingham City
as Britain's first £1million footballer. However, the club has declined since Clough's retirement, having only played a total of four seasons in the top flight since his retirement, the most recent ending in 1999.
government: Nottingham City Council
(local), UK Parliament (national), and European Parliament
(Europe). The city also has a Lord Mayor
; though now simply a ceremonial position, in the past the office carried considerable authority, with executive powers over the finances and affairs of the city council. As of 2010, the Lord Mayor of Nottingham
is Brian Grocock.
The city is the seat of regional government bodies, including the East Midlands Development Agency
and Government Office East Midlands
.
Emergency services are provided by Nottinghamshire Police
, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
and East Midlands Ambulance Service
.
It consists of 55 councillors, representing a total of 20 wards. It is led by Jon Collins, of the majority
Labour Party
. Nottingham City Council is elected every four years, the last elections were held on 5 May 2011. The council meet in Nottingham Council House
in the Old Market Square
.
has been represented since 1987 by Labour
MP
Graham Allen, Nottingham East
represented since 2010 by Labour MP Chris Leslie and Nottingham South
represented since 2010 by Labour MP Lilian Greenwood
.
European parliamentary constituency. In 2009 it elected five MEPs
; Derek Clark
(UKIP), Bill Newton Dunn
(Liberal Democrat
), Roger Helmer
(Conservative
), Emma McClarkin
(Conservative) and Glenis Willmott
(Labour).
The City of Nottingham's boundaries are tightly drawn and exclude several suburb
s and satellite towns that are usually considered part of Greater Nottingham
, including Arnold
, Carlton
, West Bridgford, Beeston
and Stapleford
. Outlying towns and villages include Hucknall
, Eastwood
, Tollerton
, Bingham
, Ruddington
, Ilkeston
and Long Eaton
of which the last two are in Derbyshire
. The geographical area of Greater Nottingham includes several local authorities: Gedling
, Broxtowe
, Rushcliffe
, Ashfield
, Erewash
and Amber Valley
.
Sutton Bonington
agricultural campus, about 10 miles to the South West of the city centre, and Watnall, previously known as Nottingham Weather Centre, about 6 miles North West of the city centre. Sutton Bonington is perhaps more representative of the lower lying areas of the city such as the city centre
, and southern suburbs around the river Trent, lying as it does only 48 m above sea level, while Watnall is perhaps more relevant to some of the hillier northern suburbs with an evelation of 117 m.
The absolute maximum temperature at Watnall stands at 34.6 C (94.3 F) whilst at Sutton Bonington it is 34.8 C (94.6 F) Both occurred on 3 August 1990. 10.7 days annually will record a temperature of 25.1 C (77.2 F) or above on average at Watnall (1971-00) and the warmest day of the year should reach 29.0c(84.2f) for the same location.
For the period 1971-00 Watnall should record 44.3 days of air frost, Sutton Bonington 47.9. Also reflecting the lower frost tendency at Watnall is the absolute minimum temperature, a relatively high (for a inland location) -13.3c(8.1f), recorded in both January 1963 and January 1987. Most recently, the temperature fell to -11.9c(10.6f) during December 2010.
Nottingham is home to a multitude of different architectural styles, with buildings dating from the 1100s. Architects such as Alfred Waterhouse
, Thomas Chambers Hine
and Nottingham's own Watson Fothergill
produced elaborate buildings in the 19th century to meet the expansion generated by increasing industrial output.
The geographical centre of Nottingham is usually defined as the Old Market Square
, the largest city square in the UK. The square is dominated by the Council House
, which replaced The Nottingham Exchange Building, built in 1726. The Council House was built in the 1920s to display civic pride, ostentatiously using baroque
columns and placing stone statues of two lions at the front to stand watch over the square. The Exchange Arcade, on the ground floor, is an upmarket shopping centre containing high-end boutiques. Portland Stone
was used to construct the Council House and Exchange Arcade.
faces the Gothic revival
St Barnabas' Cathedral
by Pugin. Nottingham Castle
and its grounds are located further south in the western third of the city. The central third descends from the University district in the north, past Nottingham Trent University
's Gothic revival Arkwright Building. The University also owns many other buildings in this area. The Theatre Royal on Theatre Square, with its pillared façade, was built in 1865. King and Queen Streets are home to striking Victorian
buildings designed by the likes of Alfred Waterhouse
and Watson Fothergill
.
. The Canal-side further south of this is adjacent to the Nottingham railway station and home to numerous redeveloped 19th Century industrial buildings reused, as bars and restaurants.
. (Photos) Hockley is where many of Nottingham's unique, independent shops are to be found. It is also home to two alternative cinemas. The Screen Room in Hockley claims to be the smallest cinema in the world with only 21 seats. (Link)
area just south of Hockley has densely packed streets full of four to seven-story red brick warehouses, ornate iron railings and red phone boxes.
New College Nottingham
occupies the Adams Building
, built by Thomas Chambers Hine for Thomas Adams (1817–1873). Many buildings have been converted into apartments, bars and restaurants. St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
on High Pavement
is the largest medieval building still standing in Nottingham. The Georgian-built Shire Hall is home to the Galleries of Justice
and was Nottingham's main court and prison building, for 200 years from 1780, although the site's use as a court stretches back as far as 1375.
, partially built into the cave system beneath Nottingham Castle, is a contender for the title of "England's Oldest Pub" due to its supposed establishment in 1189. The Bell Inn
on the Old Market Square
, and Ye Olde Salutation Inn
on Maid Marian Way, have both disputed this claim. An episode of the Channel 4
TV documentary series History Hunters
tested attributes of the three claimants and found that, while each has its own evidence, none can claim exclusivity. The Trip, whilst the oldest building, was for most of its early life a brewery and not a public house
. The "Salutation" sits on the oldest recognised public house site, but the current building is comparatively recent. "The Bell Inn", although not in such an antiquated location, boasts the oldest public house building. There is also conflicting information available: dendrochronology
from roof timbers in the "Salutation" give a date for the building of c. 1420 with similar dates for the "Bell". Ultimately, the roots of the multiple claims can be traced to various subtleties of definition in terms such as public house
and inn
.
, Nottingham City LEA remains near the bottom of the league tables at both primary school and secondary school
levels. However, there are some exceptions with Secondary schools such as Rushcliffe School
and George Spencer Academy attaining a 100% GCSE pass rate in 2010-2011, with the latter receiving an "Outstanding" Ofsted
Report in 2010. At primary level, Nottingham was ranked fourth from bottom in the country, at 147th out of 150 local authorities rated in 2006, whilst at secondary level, Nottingham came eighth from bottom nationally in terms of GCSE results attained.
Nottingham also has a number of independent schools, with Nottingham High School
, which was founded in 1513, being the city's oldest educational establishment by far. Nottingham High School came eighth nationally for A-Levels in 2008 according to the Sunday Times.
is the largest and was formed from the merger of Broxtowe College and The People's College, Nottingham. New College Nottingham
is the result of the merger of four smaller further education colleges, whilst Bilborough College
is solely a Sixth Form
college. South Nottingham College
also has a campus in the city centre
.
(formerly University College Nottingham), and Nottingham Trent University
, (formerly Trent Polytechnic), centered on Burton Street in the City. Together they are attended by over 40,000 full-time students. The University of Nottingham's teaching hospital
, University of Nottingham Medical School
, is part of the largest hospital in the UK, the Queen's Medical Centre
(or QMC). There is also a large College, Victoria College Nottingham
, primarily teaching foreign students, and the city is home to the headquarters of the National College for School Leadership
, whilst the Nottingham School of Art (part of Nottingham Trent University
) is notable for having trained acclaimed fashion designer Sir Paul Smith
.
Nottingham is home to the headquarters of many well-known companies. One of the best known is Boots the Chemists (now Alliance Boots), founded in the city by Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent
in 1849 and substantially expanded by his son John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent
. Other large current employers include the credit reference agency Experian
, the energy company E.ON UK
, the tobacco
company John Player & Sons
, betting company Gala Group
, amusement and gambling machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit-Games, engineering company Siemens
, sportswear manufacturers Speedo
, high street opticians Vision Express
, games and publishing company Games Workshop
(creator of the popular Warhammer series), PC software developer Serif Europe
(publisher of PagePlus
and other titles), Web hosting provider Heart Internet
, the American
credit card company Capital One
, whose European offices are situated by the side of Nottingham railway station. Nottingham is also the home of HM Revenue and Customs, the Driving Standards Agency
, and Nottingham Building Society
, set up in 1849.
Although Boots itself is no longer a research-based pharmaceutical company, a combination of former Boots researchers and university spin-off companies have spawned a thriving pharmaceutical/science/biotechnology sector. BioCity, the UK's biggest bioscience innovation and incubation centre, sits in the heart of the city and houses around seventy science-based companies. Other notable companies in the sector include Perceptive Informatics (ClinPhone plc before being bought by Parexel
) and Pharmaceutical Profiles. The city was made one of the UK's six Science Cities in 2005 by the then Chancellor
Gordon Brown
.
Until recently bicycle manufacturing was a major industry, the city being the birthplace of Raleigh Cycles in 1886 and later joined by Sturmey-Archer
, the creator of 3-speed hub gears. However, Raleigh's factory on Triumph Road, famous as the location for the filming of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
, was demolished in Summer 2003 to make way for the University of Nottingham's
expansion of Jubilee Campus.
Nottingham is also joint headquarters of Paul Smith
, the high fashion house.
Creative Industries are a target growth sector for the city with graphic design, interiors and textile design being a particular focus. There is already a thriving design and new media industry in the city.
Nottingham City Council announced that other target sectors include Financial and Business Services, Science and Technology, Public Sector and Retail and Leisure as part of their economic development strategy for the city.
The global Business SMS company Esendex was founded in the Lace Market district and now operates in 6 markets across the world.
Ceramics manufacturer Mason Cash
was founded and continues to have operations in Nottingham.
The schools and aerial photographers, H Tempest Ltd were Nottingham-based for many years, until relocating to St. Ives (Cornwall) around 1960. A skeleton office remained for many years in the original building next to Mundella School.
Many of the UK's railway ticket machines and platform departure boards run software written by Atos Origin
in their offices in Nottingham. Other major industries in the city include engineering, textiles, knitwear and electronics. An increasing number of software developers are located in Nottingham: Reuters
, Crytek UK and Monumental Games
are based in the city centre
, and Serif Europe
are based between Wilford
and Ruddington
, south west of the Trent and east of Clifton.
Nottingham is progressively changing from an industrial city to one based largely in the service sector. Tourism — particularly from the United States and the Far East — is becoming an increasingly significant part of the local economy.
In 2004 Nottingham had a GDP per capita of £24,238 (US$48,287, €35,529), which was the highest of any English city after London
, and the fourth highest of any city of the UK, after London, Edinburgh
and Belfast
.
In 2010, Nottingham was positioned sixth in the retail centre expenditure league of the UK, behind the West End of London
, Glasgow
, Birmingham
, Manchester
and Liverpool
.
There are two main shopping centres in Nottingham: Victoria Centre
and Westfield Broadmarsh. The Victoria Centre was established on the site of the former Nottingham Victoria railway station
, and was the first to be built in the City, with parking for up to 2,400 cars on several levels and two levels of shopping with bus station. Victoria Centre is also topped by 26 floors of flats, the tallest building in Nottingham. Work on redeveloping Westfield Broadmarsh at a cost of £400 million (creating 400 stores, 136,000 m2 of shopping space) was due to start in 2008. However, the downturn in the economy meant that redevelopment was delayed throughout from 2008 to 2010. Finally in 2010, Westfield announced that it would not be redeveloped but would benefit form a $40 million refurbishment instead. Months after this announcement, the Victoria Centre also announced plans for expansion, to compete with new centres in Derby
and Leicester
. In 2011, in light of the Victoria Centre's redevelopment plans, Westfield announced that it was once again planning a £500 million development which is planned to start in 2012. Smaller shopping centres are The Exchange Arcade, the Flying Horse Walk
and new developments in Trinity Square and The Pod. The new developments will increase the shopping sales area in the city centre by 28% to 4300000 square feet (399,483.1 m²). The Bridlesmith Gate
area has numerous designer shops, and is the home of the original Paul Smith
boutique. There are also various side streets and alleys that hide some interesting and often overlooked buildings and shops – streets such as Poultry Walk, West End Arcade and Hurts Yard. These are home to many specialist shops, as is Derby Road, near the Cathedral and once the antiques area but now home to some the city's most interesting independent shops.
Nottingham has a number of department store
s including the House of Fraser
, John Lewis
, and Debenhams
. Hockley Village
caters to alternative tastes with shops like 'Ice Nine', 'Void' and 'Fuzz Guitar Boutique', famous across the city.
s, the Nottingham Playhouse
and the Theatre Royal
(which, together with the neighbouring Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
forms the Royal Centre) and a smaller theatre space at the University of Nottingham's Lakeside Arts Centre. The city is also host to smaller theatre venues, such as the Nottingham Arts Theatre
and the Lace Market Theatre
. Also, within the University of Nottingham Campus grounds, The New Theatre
, the only entirely student-run theatre in England.
, the University of Nottingham's Djanogly Gallery and Wollaton Park's Yard Gallery. Both of the city's universities also put on a wide range of theatre, music and art events open to the public throughout the year.
complex sited within The Corner House and Showcase Cinema operated by National Amusements
, as well an Arthouse cinema in Hockley
. Independent cinemas include the Broadway Cinema, one of the major independent cinemas in the UK, Savoy Cinema, a four-screen Art Deco
cinema. Broadway was redeveloped and expanded in 2006. Quentin Tarantino
held the British premiere of Reservoir Dogs
there in 1992.
, Bach Choir, Early Music Group Musica Donum Dei and the Symphonic Wind Orchestra giving regular performances in the city.
Nottingham is also well known for Rock City
, a concert venue, along with its sister venues – Rescue Rooms, The Bodega Social Club and Stealth. The city is home to a few independent record labels actively contributing for the alternative rock, pop and garage music scene, such as Hello Thor, Dead by Mono Records. The Sumac Centre
based in Forest Fields has for many years supported local upcoming musicians, artists and film makers, and a variety of campaign groups. There are also a large number of live music venues promoting rock and metal music throughout the city, including The Central, The Old Angel, The Maze and Ye Olde Salutation Inn.
Wollaton Park in Nottingham hosts an annual family-friendly music event called Splendour
. In 2009 it was held on Sunday 19 July and was headlined by Madness
and The Pogues
. Splendour returned on 24 July 2010, headlined by The Pet Shop Boys and featuring Calvin Harris
, Noisettes
, Athlete
and OK Go
among others. It returned again in 2011, featuring headline acts Scissor Sisters
, Blondie
, Eliza Doolittle
and Feeder
, alongside many others.
Nottingham is renowned as one of the biggest cities supporting the Dubstep
movement of dance music. Nottingham has several weekly and monthly Dubstep and Drum and Bass nights. It also has a strong 'DIY' music scene, with a large number of independent promoters using a variety of venues, pubs/bars, warehouse spaces and gallerys to host gigs throughout the city.
Nottingham is also one of the most well known cities outside of London for Grime music, along with Birmingham and Manchester. There are countless MC's from Nottingham, some of whome have garnered national attention, like Wariko and Fangol, who have both appeared on London radio shows. There are also a few notable grime producers, most recently the likes of the Beat Geeks. This thriving scene could be seen as a result of Nottingham's close cultural affiliation with London, and its diverse ethnic background.
Nottingham's City Ground
also played host to rock band R.E.M.
in 2005, the first time a concert had been staged at the football stadium.
Arts Market, is a new arts market that runs alongside Sneinton
Market on the fourth Saturday of every month. Started by a collective of Textile graduates from Nottingham Trent University
, the market acts as a platform for independent artists to showcase and sell their wares.
Nottingham artists are represented by The Nottingham Society of Artists, formed in 1880, to bring together artists and art lovers. They have regular exhibitions at their headquarters in St. Lukes House
; but now there are several restaurant entries and a range of cuisine reflecting the ethnic diversity of the city. The Nottingham Restaurant Awards play a leading role in promoting the industry.
There are several hundred restaurants in Nottingham, with several AA rosette winning restaurants and one Michelin starred
restaurant, Sat Bains
.
The Old Market Square is host to the Nottingham Food and Drink Festival.
Nottingham receives around 300,000 overseas visitors each year. Many visitors are attracted by Nottingham's nightlife and shops, by its history, and by the legend of Robin Hood, visiting Sherwood Forest
and Nottingham Castle
. Popular history-based tourist attractions in central Nottingham include the Castle, City of Caves
, Lace Market
, The Galleries of Justice, and the City's ancient pubs.
Parks and gardens include Wollaton Park (over 500 acres) near the University Highfields Park on the University of Nottingham
campus, Colwick Park, which includes the racecourse, and the Nottingham Arboretum, Forest Recreation Ground
and Victoria Park which are in or close to the city centre. Sherwood Forest
, Rufford Country Park, Creswell Crags
and Clumber Park
are further away from the city itself. A new park is being developed in the city at the Eastside City development.
The Nottingham Robin Hood Society was originally formed by Robin Hood historian Jim Lees and two Nottingham teachers Steve and Ewa Theresa West in 1972. Steve and Ewa Theresa played the part of Maid Marion and Robin Hood and attracted a ' band' of like minded followers who ' costumed up ' nearly every weekend for a function. The then society acted in street theatre, appeared at charity events and functions and for several years ' held up ' the appointed Sheriff of Nottingham at the opening of the annual Nottingham Festival. The society also made a film for Japanese Television and joined in picnics and midnight vigils around in Major Oak to promote tourism. Although a Nottingham Robin Hood Society remains, the original society members disbanded after the death of Jim Lees.
There are two main Robin Hood events throughout the Nottingham area, including the Robin Hood Pageant during October, and the Robin Hood Festival during the summer. The pageant is held at the Castle, whilst the festival is held in nearby Sherwood Forest.
In 2009 the Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Leon Unczur set up a Commission to look at the possibility of setting up a World Class Robin Hood Attraction. The Commission was due to report in May 2010.
In February 2008, a Ferris wheel was put up in the Old Market Square and was a major attraction of Nottingham City Council's 'Light Night' on February 8. The wheel returned to Nottingham in February 2009 to mark another night of lights, activities, illuminations and entertainment. Initially marketed as the Nottingham Eye, it was later redubbed as the Nottingham Wheel, to avoid any association with the London Eye
. It was seen again in 2010, and is now a much welcomed annual event happening in Nottingham.
In 2010, Nottingham has seen a rise in recommendations from publications around the world, including a positive write up in the New York Times as well as being touted as one of the Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2010, alongside Delhi
, Nara
, Tel Aviv
and Reykjavik
, by DK Travel.
The 2,500-capacity Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
and 10,000-capacity Nottingham Arena attract the biggest names in popular music. For less mainstream acts and a more intimate atmosphere, Nottingham has a selection of smaller venues, including Ye Olde Salutation Inn
, Seven (formerly Junktion 7) and The Old Angel. Nottingham is host to the award-winning dedicated rock music
venue Rock City
and its smaller sister venues, The Rescue Rooms, The Bodega, Social Club and Stealth. These venues, with their close proximity, make Nottingham one of the centres of live popular music in the UK.
The large number of students within the city bolsters its night-time entertainment scene. There are several well established areas of the city centre focused on evening entertainment, such as Lace Market
, Hockley
, The Waterfront and The Corner House.
is held during the first week of October and is one of the largest travelling fairs in the country. The fair is held on the Forest Recreation Ground
.
Nottingham won the Britain in Bloom
competition, in the Large City category, in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007. It also won the Entente Florale
Gold Award in 1998.
Nottingham is home to the acclaimed GameCity
annual videogame festival, which attracts leading industry speakers from around the world.
Wikimedia UK has its registered office in Nottingham.
Nottingham Forest
, who current play in the Football League Championship
, were English league champions in 1978 and won the European Cup twice over the next two seasons under the management of Brian Clough
, who was the club's manager from January 1975 to May 1993 and also led them to four Football League Cup
triumphs in that time. They have played at the City Ground
, on the banks of the River Trent
, since 1898. Numerous high profile English and non-English international footballers have turned out for Forest over the years. Nottingham Forest joined the Football League in 1892, four years after its inception, and 100 years they were among the FA Premier League's
founder members in 1992 - though they have not played top division football since May 1999.
Notts County
, are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They were also among the Football League's founder members in 1888. For most of their history they have played their home games at Meadow Lane
, which currently holds some 20,000 spectators all-seated. They currently play in Football League One
- the third tier of English league football - and most recently played top division football in May 1992.
The two grounds are notable for being the closest in English league football.
. The team compete in the 10 team professional Elite Ice Hockey League
, and share an intense rivalry with the Sheffield Steelers
.
The city is also home to the Nottingham Mavericks, a University team of players from the city's two universities.
, who play at Trent Bridge
(a major international cricket venue with a capacity of 17,000) and a regular host of Test Cricket
each summer. In 2009 the city was chosen as one of the three host cities for the ICC
T20 tournament
.
The National Water Sports Centre is based at Holme Pierrepont
, with a 2000 metre regatta
lake for rowing
, canoeing
and sailing
, and a white water slalom canoe course fed from the river.
Nottingham RFC who play their home games at League One
Notts County's Meadow Lane
stadium
which is staged at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre
and the Robin Hood Marathon.
Nottingham is served by East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington
which is within 20 miles of Nottingham and is the 10th busiest airport in the UK in terms of passenger traffic. It is connected to the city by the Skylink bus service. Nottingham is also well connected by both road and rail. The M1 motorway
is close by and rail services to other major cities which are all operated by East Midlands Trains
with the exception of the Nottingham to Cardiff service run by CrossCountry
and the Nottingham to Leeds service run by Northern Rail
. The Robin Hood Line
links the city with Mansfield
and other towns in the north of the county.
The opening of Nottingham Express Transit
in 2004 made Nottingham one of only six English cities to have a light rail system. The trams run from the city centre to Hucknall
in the north, with an additional spur to the Phoenix Park Park and Ride close to Junction 26 of the M1. Two new lines are in the planning process to the southern suburbs of Wilford
and Clifton and the western suburbs of Beeston
and Chilwell
.
The vast majority of Nottingham’s local bus services are operated by Nottingham City Transport
which runs a colour-coded network of 68 routes and is the city’s fifth largest private employer. Trent Barton
is the other major bus operator, running services from Nottingham to locations throughout the East Midlands. Both companies are frequent winners at the National Bus Operator of the Year awards.
Nottingham’s waterways have been extensively used for transport in the past, with the River Trent, up until the mid 20th century, providing important industry transport links, along with both the Nottingham and Beeston Canals. These are now primarily used for leisure.
In September 2010 research by the Campaign for Better Transport rated Nottingham as the least car dependent city in England with London
and Brighton & Hove
in second and third place respectively.
In November 2010, Nottingham City Council won Transport Authority of the Year by the UK Bus Awards, for services for providing safer and sustainable public transport. Nottingham City Council has 2 hybrid Alexander Dennis Enviro400Hs on order which are due for delivery early next year, it is not known if they will be handed over to their owned transport operator Nottingham City Transport
.
and has a Crown Court
and Magistrates' Court
.
Between 2000 and 2003 the press and other media claimed that Nottingham was the 'gun-crime capital of the UK', and was dubbed "Shottingham" in some areas. In 2005, it had one of the highest crime rates in the country, with 115.5 crimes per 1000 people. By 2007 the BBC reported that the number of shootings in the city had fallen from 51 (in 2003) to 13 (in 2006). However, in January 2008 it was reported that gun crime in the city had risen for a second consecutive year, with a 50% increase in gun crime during 2007. The incidence rate of many crimes in Nottingham is several times higher than the English average. A crime survey by Reform stated that Nottingham topped the crime rankings for police statistics on murders, burglaries, and vehicle crime, and "had almost five times the level of crime as the
safest town in the rankings". The survey was condemned as inaccurate by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police due largely to the use of out of date (2001) population figures. The University of Nottingham argued that the way in which statistics such as these are calculated is severely flawed; if the population of the entire conurbation were taken into account instead of just the centre of the city then a more accurate picture would be revealed. A revised survey based on 2004 population estimates, however, appeared to back up the original rankings. In 2007 TV programme Location, Location, Location
named Nottingham as the 4th worst city to live in, stating the city has "loads of good aspects but crime lets it down". The programme also ranked the neighbouring Nottinghamshire borough of Rushcliffe
, which contains suburbs of greater Nottingham
, among the best 20 places to live in the UK.
While the crime figures in the city are high, initiatives introduced to tackle the levels of crime appear to be having an effect, with a 2006 Home Office
survey showing that the overall level of crime in the city was down by 12% since 2003.
Initiatives include the Community and Neighbourhood Protection Service developed by Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police and Nottingham City Homes to take an uncompromising stance towards anti-social behaviour
. It comprises Community Protection Officers (CPOs), Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Anti-Social Behaviour Officers who work with internal and external agencies to reduce anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime.
Community Protection Officers (also known as City Wardens) in their high-visibility
stab vest
s, are accredited by the Chief Constable
of Nottinghamshire Police to issue Fixed Penalty Notice
s (FPNs) for littering and are employed to tackle other anti-social behaviour.
Like most industrialised cities and large towns, Nottingham attracted a significant influx of Commonwealth
immigrants after the Second World War. These immigrants, from Ireland
, Asia
and the Caribbean
, were greeted with hostility from a large percentage of the city's residents, and in the summer of 1958 Nottingham was the scene of some of Britain's very first race riots.
More recently, racial tension in Nottingham has been a major factor in a number of serious crimes. In July 2005, shortly after the London terrorist attacks in which 52 people were killed
by Muslim
suicide bombers, 48-year-old Pakistan
born Muslim man Kamal Raza Butt was beaten to death in the Meadows area of the city. 17-year-old white British teenager Nathan Williams was accused of his murder in May 2006 but cleared on the charge after witnesses refused to testify in court. Nathan Williams was fatally shot in the chest in the Meadows area just four months later.
Nottingham has three notable historic Anglican parish church
es all of which date back to mediæval times. St. Mary the Virgin
, in the Lace Market
, a member of the Greater Churches Group
is the oldest foundation (dating from the eighth or ninth centuries) but the building is at least the third on the site dating from 1377 to 1485. St. Mary's is considered the mother church of the city and civic services are held here, including the welcome to the new Lord Mayor of Nottingham
each year. St.Peter's
in the heart of the city is the oldest building in continuous use in Nottingham, with traces of building starting in 1180. St. Nicholas'
was rebuilt after destruction in the Civil War.
Non-conformism was strong from the 17th century onwards and a variety of chapel
s and meeting rooms proliferated throughout the town. Many of these grand buildings have been demolished, including Halifax Place Chapel, but some have been re-used, notably High Pavement Chapel
which is now a public house. The offices of the Congregational Federation
are in Nottingham. William Booth
, the founder of the Salvation Army
, was born in Nottingham in 1829.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Barnabas
on Derby Road was designed by the architect
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, it was consecrated
in 1844 and is the cathedral church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nottingham
established in 1850 which covers Nottinghamshire
(except Bassetlaw
District), Leicestershire
, Derbyshire
(except Chesterfield
and parts of the High Peak), Rutland
and Lincolnshire
(pre-1974 boundaries).
Today there are places of worship for all major religions, including Christianity
, Islam
, Hinduism
, Sikhism
, Taoism
and Judaism
. The Nottingham Inter-faith Council works to make connections between faith groups and show the wider public the importance of spiritual aspects of life and the contribution faith groups make to the community.
has its East Midlands
headquarters in Nottingham on London Road. BBC East Midlands Today is broadcast from the city every weeknight at 6:30. Central Television the ITV
region for the East Midlands until recently broadcast regional news from the city, but has now been moved to Birmingham
. This decision was controversial and although a petition was set up to try to stop it, the TV studios were shut down in early 2005. Central News still keep a news bureau outside of the city at Chilwell
, however. The former studios were purchased by the University of Nottingham
to accommodate their administrative departments.
stations (though all broadcast to a wider area than the city), three community radio stations, one student station broadcasting on a Low powered AM Restricted Service Licence and a BBC local radio station.
which was once home to (BBC Radio Five Live
's Simon Mayo
who was the rival to Trent's Dale Winton.
on 4 October 1988 as a split service from Radio Trent and Leicester Sound and was initially broadcast to Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester – however broadcasts on MW ceased in Leicester in 1995. The station was rebranded Classic Gold GEM in the mid 1990s and by 2007 most local programming had already ceased, at which point it became part of the new national Gold service will all local programming (except news and advertising) ending.
and Heart 106) is a regional Adult Contemporary radio station which has broadcast to the whole East Midlands from its headquarters in the City Link business park (the same location as the BBC) since its launch in 1997.
) in 2004 as a new service for the East Midlands serving the over 50s from its base in Nottingham. In 2008 the station was relaunched as 106.6 Smooth Radio playing classic hits and modern easy listening music to an older audience. In October 2010 the station became part of the national Smooth Radio and all local programming ended – only local news and advertising remains.
(was Trent FM
, originally Radio Trent) was Nottinghamshire's first commercial radio station and currently broadcasts across the East Midlands from its studios in Nottingham. Prior to 2008, the Trent FM building was a converted Victorian hospital which connects to the underground network of caves. Many famous presenters have been employed at Trent FM (formerly Radio Trent), including Dale Winton
, Kid Jensen, John Peters and Penny Smith
.
The station was rebranded and merged with neighbouring stations Leicester Sound
and Ram FM
on Monday 3 January 2011, airing regional breakfast and drivetime programming alongside networked output from London.
). URN has won many awards for quality and which is broadcast on medium wave (AM) around the main campus (University Park) at 1350 kHz and from Sutton Bonnigton campus on 1602 kHz. It is also streamed over the Internet. Nottingham Trent University also runs the equally successful FlyFM
, based at the university's city campus, broadcasting online at www.flyfm.co.uk. New College Nottingham also broadcast an online radio station, NCN RADIO which has received wide notability for its shows.
There are also three community radio stations serving the city; Faza FM
on 97.1FM is aimed at Asian women and their families. Faza has been broadcasting since 2002; Dawn FM
on 107.6FM used to share its broadcast hours with Faza, but in 2006 became a separate service in its own right – broadcasting news, current affairs and music of relevance to the Asian (specifically Islamic) community within the city; Kemet Radio on 97.5 broadcasts urban music while also serving the Afro-Caribbean community. Prior to its launch in 2007 such programming had only been available on pirate radio stations Unique 106.3 (later 107.3) and 107.9 Switch FM (later Freeze FM, networked with the London pirate of the same name), both of which appear to have ceased broadcasts as of late 2006.
and is published daily from Monday to Saturday each week. There are also a number of other publications which focus on individual areas within the city, for instance the Hucknall and Bulwell Dispatch.
A local culture and listings magazine is available free from many sites around the city called LeftLion
, whilst a complimentary, bi-monthly glossy magazine is also available from a number of outlets across the city called Life&Style Magazine. This consists of features typically focused on the area's interest in fashion, entertainment and politics.
Nottingham Trent University
's Student Union produces the regular Platform Magazine, while Impact Magazine
is a monthly magazine written for, and written by students at the University of Nottingham. It has won many national awards for student journalism, and is entirely run by, compiled, and edited by students at the University.
The quarterly Ceasefire Magazine is also based in Nottingham.
.
Online entertainment guide NG Magazine covers music, events and entertainment in the city, while This City exclusively covers local music.
The Registered Office of Wiki UK Limited who use the operating name of Wikimedia UK is in Nottingham.
Nottingham is home to Wellington Films, an independent production company most notable for their award-winning film London to Brighton
.
with the following cities:
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
and unitary authority
Unitary authorities of England
Unitary authorities of England are areas where a single local authority is responsible for a variety of services for a district that elsewhere are administered separately by two councils...
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group
English Core Cities Group
The Core Cities Group is a coalition of some of England's major regional cities:*Birmingham - West Midlands*Bristol - South West England*Leeds - Yorkshire and the Humber*Liverpool - North West England*Manchester - North West England...
. Whilst Nottingham has always had a tightly-drawn boundary (accounting for its relatively small population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 306,700), Nottingham's Urban Area has a population of approximately 805,800; according to the 2001 census, it is the seventh largest urban conurbation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, ranking between those of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, and the largest in the East Midlands. Eurostat's concept of the Larger Urban Zone listed the area's population at 825,600 as of 2004.
Nottingham is famed for its links with the legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and, during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, obtained worldwide recognition for its lace-making and bicycle industries. It was granted its city charter as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897 and has since been officially titled the City of Nottingham.
History
In Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, around 600 AD the site formed part of the Kingdom of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
and was known in the Brythonic language as Tigguo Cobauc, meaning Place of Caves
City of Caves
City of Caves was an award-winning visitor attraction in Nottingham which consists of a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery, public house cellars, and as an air raid shelter....
. In Welsh it is known poetically as Y Ty Ogofog, "The Cavey Dwelling". When it fell under the rule of a Saxon chieftain named Snot it became known as "Snotingaham"; the homestead of Snot's people (Inga = the people of; Ham = homestead). Snot brought together his people in an area now known as the Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
.
Nottingham was captured in 867 by Danish Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s and later became one of the Five Burghs
Five Burghs
The Five Boroughs or The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were the five main towns of Danish Mercia . These were Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stamford...
– or fortified towns – of The Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
.
In the 11th century Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
was constructed on a sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
outcrop by the River Leen
River Leen
The River Leen rises in the Robin Hood Hills just outside Kirkby-in-Ashfield. It then flows through the grounds of Newstead Abbey, skirts Hucknall, goes through Papplewick and on through Bestwood Country Park, and following the route of the Leen Valley into suburban and urban Nottingham, passing...
. The Anglo-Saxon settlement developed into the English Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Nottingham and housed a Town Hall and Law Courts. A settlement also developed around the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
on the hill opposite and was the French borough supporting the Normans in the castle. Eventually, the space between was built on as the town grew and the Old Market Square
Old Market Square
The Old Market Square is an open, pedestrianised city square in Nottingham, England. It is the largest such surviving square in the United Kingdom, forming the heart of the city, and covering an area of approximately 22,000 m²....
became the focus of Nottingham several centuries later. On the return of Richard Coeur de Lion
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
from the Crusades
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
, the castle stood out in Prince John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
's favour. So, it was besieged by Richard, and after a sharp conflict, captured.
By the 15th century, Nottingham had established itself as the centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture
Nottingham Alabaster
Nottingham alabaster is a term used to refer to the English sculpture industry, mostly of relatively small religious carvings, which flourished from the fourteenth century until the early sixteenth century...
made from alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
The town became a county corporate
County corporate
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing counties...
in 1449 giving it effective self-government, in the words of the charter, "for eternity". The Castle and Shire Hall were expressly excluded and technically remained as detached Parishes of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, much of Nottingham's prosperity was founded on the textile industry
Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution changed the nature of work and society. Opinion varies as to the exact date, but it is estimated that the First Industrial Revolution took place between 1750 and 1850, and the second phase or Second Industrial Revolution between 1860 and 1900. The three key drivers in...
; in particular, Nottingham was an internationally important centre of lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
manufacture. However, the rapid and poorly planned growth left Nottingham with the reputation of having the worst slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
outside India. Residents of these slums rioted in 1831, in protest against the Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
's opposition to the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
, setting fire to his residence, Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
.
In common with the UK textile industry as a whole, Nottingham's textile sector fell into headlong decline in the decades following World War II, as British manufacturers proved unable to compete on price or volume with the output of factories in the Far East and South Asia. Very little textile manufacture now takes place in Nottingham, but the city's heyday in this sector endowed it with some fine industrial buildings in the Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
district. Many of these have been restored and put to new uses.
Nottingham was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
, and at that time consisted of the parishes of Nottingham St Mary, Nottingham St Nicholas and Nottingham St Peter. It was expanded in 1877 by adding the parishes of Basford
Basford, Nottingham
Basford is a suburb in northern Nottingham. Basford parish was absorbed into Nottingham in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District which existed from 1894 to 1974....
, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell
Bulwell
Bulwell is an English market town approximately northwest of Nottingham city centre, on the northern edge of the city. The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed there were almost 30,000 people living in the Bulwell area, accounting for over 10% of the population of the city of Nottingham.-Early...
, Radford
Radford, Nottingham
Radford is an inner-city area of Nottingham, located just outside the city centre itself.-History:Radford is bounded on the south by Lenton and Nottingham, and comprises around of land....
, Sneinton
Sneinton
Sneinton is a south-eastern suburb of Nottingham, England. The area is bounded by Carlton to the north, Colwick to the south, Meadow Lane to the southwest and Bakersfield to the east.-Description:...
, Standard Hill and parts of the parishes of West Bridgford
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
, Carlton
Carlton, Nottinghamshire
Carlton is a suburb to the east of the city of Nottingham in the borough of Gedling. It is close to Sneinton, Bakersfield, Mapperley, and St Anns. It is near the River Trent and has an NG4 postcode...
, Wilford (North Wilford). In 1889 Nottingham became a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
under the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
. City
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
status was awarded as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, being signified in a letter from the Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury to the Mayor, dated 18 June 1897. Nottingham was extended in 1933 by adding Bilborough
Bilborough
Bilborough is a suburb of the city of Nottingham, England.Located just off the A6002 road is Bilborough College.Bilborough has a high street containing a bank , a butcher's shop, a Gregg's, a library and a Co-op store among others....
and Wollaton
Wollaton
Wollaton is an area in the western part of Nottingham, England. It is home to Wollaton Hall with its museum, deer park, lake, walks and golf course...
, parts of the parishes of Bestwood Park and Colwick
Colwick
Colwick is a suburb in the east of Greater Nottingham in England. It forms part of the Nottinghamshire borough of Gedling, although Colwick Country Park is actually within the city boundary. It lies between the River Trent and the railway line, with nearby places being Netherfield , Bakersfield ,...
, and a recently developed part of the Beeston Urban District
Beeston Urban District
Beeston was an urban district in Nottinghamshire, England, from 1894 to 1935.The urban district was created by the Local Government Act 1894 on the borders of the Beeston Civil Parish and the Beeston Urban Sanitary District...
. A further boundary extension was granted in 1951 when Clifton and Wilford (south of the River Trent) were incorporated into the city.
Demographic evolution of Nottingham
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|
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|
|
Electric trams revolutionised public transport in Nottingham on their inception in 1901; they would serve the city for 35 years until the bus network was expanded in 1936. The city's road network was improved drastically between 1922 and 1932 when a new dual carriageway was built. Housing conditions also began to improve the city's poorer residents at this time, when the first council houses were built on new suburban estates to rehouse families from slum clearances. Mass private house building also took place, with the process continuing to boom until some 30 years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended in 1945.
Trams made their comeback in Nottingham after 68 years when a new tram network was opened in 2004.
To the sporting world, Nottingham's biggest claim to fame was undoubtedly being home to the world's oldest professional club, Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, who were formed in 1862. However, Notts County's subsequent history has proven to be a relatively low profile one, and in 1975 a significant event occurred which would change the sporting image of Nottingham forever.
Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, who had managed nearby Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
to Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
title glory in 1972, was appointed manager of Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, then struggling in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, in January 1975. Forest reached the First Division in 1977 and incredibly won the First Division title a year later - only the third English club in history to win a top division league title a year after promotion. They were also Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners that year and would retain that trophy a year later. They also won the European Cup in 1979 and retained it a year later, adding two more Football League Cups to their honours list before Clough finally retired as Forest were relegated in 1993. Nottingham Forest consistently fielded international class players during Clough's management; the most high profile being Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
, who joined the club in February 1979 from Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as Britain's first £1million footballer. However, the club has declined since Clough's retirement, having only played a total of four seasons in the top flight since his retirement, the most recent ending in 1999.
Government
Nottingham is represented by three tiers of electedElections in the United Kingdom
There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to the European Parliament, local elections and mayoral elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday...
government: Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council is the non-metropolitan district council for the unitary authority of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire. It consists of 55 councillors, representing a total of 20 wards, elected every four years. It is led by Jon Collins, of the majority Labour Party. The deputy leader of the...
(local), UK Parliament (national), and European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
(Europe). The city also has a Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
; though now simply a ceremonial position, in the past the office carried considerable authority, with executive powers over the finances and affairs of the city council. As of 2010, the Lord Mayor of Nottingham
Lord Mayor of Nottingham
The Lord Mayor of Nottingham is a largely ceremonial role for the city of Nottingham, England. The position was historically Mayor of Nottingham; this was changed to Lord Mayor in 1928. The current Lord Mayor of Nottingham for 2010/2011 is Councillor Brian Grocock...
is Brian Grocock.
The city is the seat of regional government bodies, including the East Midlands Development Agency
East Midlands Development Agency
East Midlands Development Agency is the regional development agency for the East Midlands region of England formed in 1999.-Structure and function:...
and Government Office East Midlands
Government Office
Government Offices for the English Regions were established in 1994 by the John Major administration. Until 2011, they were the primary means by which a wide range of policies and programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom were delivered in the regions of England.There were Government...
.
Emergency services are provided by Nottinghamshire Police
Nottinghamshire Police
Nottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million....
, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England....
and East Midlands Ambulance Service
East Midlands Ambulance Service
East Midlands Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust provides emergency 999, urgent care and patient transport services for the 4.8 million people within the East Midlands region of the UK - covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire , Northamptonshire and...
.
Nottingham City Council
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Nottingham City Council is elected every four years, the last elections were held on 5 May 2011. The council meet in Nottingham Council House
Nottingham Council House
Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides magnificently over the Old Market Square....
in the Old Market Square
Old Market Square
The Old Market Square is an open, pedestrianised city square in Nottingham, England. It is the largest such surviving square in the United Kingdom, forming the heart of the city, and covering an area of approximately 22,000 m²....
.
UK Parliament
Nottingham has 3 UK parliamentary constituency seats within its borders. Nottingham NorthNottingham North (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham North is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
has been represented since 1987 by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Graham Allen, Nottingham East
Nottingham East (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
represented since 2010 by Labour MP Chris Leslie and Nottingham South
Nottingham South (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
represented since 2010 by Labour MP Lilian Greenwood
Lilian Greenwood
Lilian Rachel Greenwood is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Nottingham South since 2010.-Pre-parliamentary career:...
.
European Parliament
Nottingham lies within the East MidlandsEast Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 5 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
European parliamentary constituency. In 2009 it elected five MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
; Derek Clark
Derek Clark
Derek Roland Clark is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region. He is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party, first elected in 2004, and subsequently re-elected in 2009.He is a retired science teacher.-External links:**...
(UKIP), Bill Newton Dunn
Bill Newton Dunn
William "Bill" Newton Dunn is a British politician. He is a Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands for the Liberal Democrats.-Early life:...
(Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
), Roger Helmer
Roger Helmer
Roger Helmer is a British politician and a Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region. He has described himself as a eurosceptic and is a supporter of the Better Off Out campaign. He was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999 as a Conservative Party...
(Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
), Emma McClarkin
Emma McClarkin
Emma McClarkin is a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region for the Conservative Party.-Early life and education:...
(Conservative) and Glenis Willmott
Glenis Willmott
Glenis Willmott is a British politician, currently leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party and Labour member of the European Parliament for East Midlands....
(Labour).
Geography
Nottingham is located at 52°58′00"N 01°10′00"W (52.9667,-1.1667).The City of Nottingham's boundaries are tightly drawn and exclude several suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s and satellite towns that are usually considered part of Greater Nottingham
Greater Nottingham
The Nottingham Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics, consisting of the city of Nottingham and the adjoining urban areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England...
, including Arnold
Arnold, Nottinghamshire
Arnold is a suburb of Nottingham, England. It is to the north-east of the city boundary, and is in the local government district of Gedling. It has only had a market since 1968, and had a number of factories associated with the hosiery industry...
, Carlton
Carlton, Nottinghamshire
Carlton is a suburb to the east of the city of Nottingham in the borough of Gedling. It is close to Sneinton, Bakersfield, Mapperley, and St Anns. It is near the River Trent and has an NG4 postcode...
, West Bridgford, Beeston
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
Beeston is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is southwest of Nottingham city centre. Although typically regarded as a suburb of the City of Nottingham, and officially designated as part of the Nottingham Urban Area, for local government purposes it is in the borough of Broxtowe, lying outside...
and Stapleford
Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
-External links:***...
. Outlying towns and villages include Hucknall
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
, Eastwood
Eastwood, Nottinghamshire
Eastwood is a former coal mining town in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of over 18,000, it is northwest of Nottingham, and northeast of Derby, on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Mentioned in Domesday Book, it expanded rapidly during the...
, Tollerton
Tollerton, Nottinghamshire
Tollerton is a village situated in Rushcliffe just to the south of Nottingham, United Kingdom.The village is located in the Borough of Rushcliffe. The Parish Council of nine members runs local affairs and the population of the parish is registered as 1,776 residents.There is an annual village...
, Bingham
Bingham, Nottinghamshire
Bingham is a market town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England.-Geography:With a population of around 9,000 people it lies about nine miles east of Nottingham, a similar distance south-west of Newark-on-Trent and west of Grantham. It is situated where the A46 intersects the A52...
, Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
, Ilkeston
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...
and Long Eaton
Long Eaton
Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
of which the last two are in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. The geographical area of Greater Nottingham includes several local authorities: Gedling
Gedling
Gedling is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in Arnold. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area lying to the North and East of the City of Nottingham....
, Broxtowe
Broxtowe
Broxtowe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England, west of the City of Nottingham. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area...
, Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
, Ashfield
Ashfield
Ashfield is a local government district in western Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 111,387. The district is mostly urban, with a tradition of coal mining. There are three towns in the district; the largest being Sutton-in-Ashfield...
, Erewash
Erewash
Erewash is a local government district and borough in eastern Derbyshire, England, to the east of Derby and the west of Nottingham. It contains the towns of Ilkeston, Long Eaton and Sandiacre and fourteen civil parishes....
and Amber Valley
Amber Valley
Amber Valley is a local government district and borough in Derbyshire, England. It takes its name from the River Amber and covers a semi-rural area with a number of small towns formerly based around coal mining and engineering...
.
Within the city
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Around the city
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Climate
Two official weather reporting stations are in close proximity to Nottingham - The University of NottinghamUniversity of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington is a village and civil parish lying along the valley of the River Soar in the Borough of Rushcliffe, south west Nottinghamshire, England. The University of Nottingham has a site just to the north of the village: Sutton Bonington Campus....
agricultural campus, about 10 miles to the South West of the city centre, and Watnall, previously known as Nottingham Weather Centre, about 6 miles North West of the city centre. Sutton Bonington is perhaps more representative of the lower lying areas of the city such as the city centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
, and southern suburbs around the river Trent, lying as it does only 48 m above sea level, while Watnall is perhaps more relevant to some of the hillier northern suburbs with an evelation of 117 m.
The absolute maximum temperature at Watnall stands at 34.6 C (94.3 F) whilst at Sutton Bonington it is 34.8 C (94.6 F) Both occurred on 3 August 1990. 10.7 days annually will record a temperature of 25.1 C (77.2 F) or above on average at Watnall (1971-00) and the warmest day of the year should reach 29.0c(84.2f) for the same location.
For the period 1971-00 Watnall should record 44.3 days of air frost, Sutton Bonington 47.9. Also reflecting the lower frost tendency at Watnall is the absolute minimum temperature, a relatively high (for a inland location) -13.3c(8.1f), recorded in both January 1963 and January 1987. Most recently, the temperature fell to -11.9c(10.6f) during December 2010.
Architecture
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
, Thomas Chambers Hine
Thomas Chambers Hine
Thomas Chambers Hine 1814 - 1899 was an architect based in Nottingham.He was born in Covent Garden into a prosperous middle class family, the eldest son of a hosiery manufacturer. He was articled to the London architect Matthew Habershorn. In 1837 he arrived in Nottingham and formed a partnership...
and Nottingham's own Watson Fothergill
Watson Fothergill
Watson Fothergill was an English architect who designed over 100 unique buildings in Nottingham in the East Midlands of England, his influences were mainly from the Gothic Revival and Old English vernacular architecture styles....
produced elaborate buildings in the 19th century to meet the expansion generated by increasing industrial output.
The geographical centre of Nottingham is usually defined as the Old Market Square
Old Market Square
The Old Market Square is an open, pedestrianised city square in Nottingham, England. It is the largest such surviving square in the United Kingdom, forming the heart of the city, and covering an area of approximately 22,000 m²....
, the largest city square in the UK. The square is dominated by the Council House
Nottingham Council House
Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides magnificently over the Old Market Square....
, which replaced The Nottingham Exchange Building, built in 1726. The Council House was built in the 1920s to display civic pride, ostentatiously using baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
columns and placing stone statues of two lions at the front to stand watch over the square. The Exchange Arcade, on the ground floor, is an upmarket shopping centre containing high-end boutiques. Portland Stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
was used to construct the Council House and Exchange Arcade.
West of the centre
The western third of the city has most of the city's modern office complexes. Tall office buildings line Maid Marian Way. The Georgian area around Oxford and Regent Streets is dominated by small professional firms. The Albert HallAlbert Hall, Nottingham
The Albert Hall, Nottingham, is a City Centre Conference and Concert venue, situated in Nottingham, England.-History:The original Albert Hall was started in 1873 as a Nottingham Temperance Hall. Watson Fothergill, a local architect won the commission. On completion the building cost around £15,000 ,...
faces the Gothic revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
St Barnabas' Cathedral
Nottingham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas in the city of Nottingham, England, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic church. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Nottingham and seat of the Bishop of Nottingham.-Location:...
by Pugin. Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
and its grounds are located further south in the western third of the city. The central third descends from the University district in the north, past Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
's Gothic revival Arkwright Building. The University also owns many other buildings in this area. The Theatre Royal on Theatre Square, with its pillared façade, was built in 1865. King and Queen Streets are home to striking Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
buildings designed by the likes of Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
and Watson Fothergill
Watson Fothergill
Watson Fothergill was an English architect who designed over 100 unique buildings in Nottingham in the East Midlands of England, his influences were mainly from the Gothic Revival and Old English vernacular architecture styles....
.
South of the centre
To the south, is Broadmarsh Shopping CentreBroadmarsh Shopping Centre
Westfield Broadmarsh is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England, owned by the Australian company The Westfield Group. The centre has 86 stores and a total retail floor space of 45,000 m² . The main retailers are Argos, Bhs, Boots, H&M, with other stores such as JD Sports, Wilkinson...
. The Canal-side further south of this is adjacent to the Nottingham railway station and home to numerous redeveloped 19th Century industrial buildings reused, as bars and restaurants.
East of the centre
The eastern third of the city centre contains the Victoria Shopping Centre, built in the 1970s on the site of the demolished Victoria Railway Station. All that remains of the old station is the clock tower and the station hotel, now the Nottingham Hilton Hotel. The 250 feet-high Victoria Centre flats stand above the shopping centre and are the tallest buildings in the city. The eastern third contains Hockley VillageHockley Village
Hockley Village is a marketing term for Hockley - an area near the centre of Nottingham, England. Hockley Village lies adjacent to the Lace Market. With many bars, restaurants and trendy clothes shops, it is a vibrant, modern section of the city, and has been described as...
. (Photos) Hockley is where many of Nottingham's unique, independent shops are to be found. It is also home to two alternative cinemas. The Screen Room in Hockley claims to be the smallest cinema in the world with only 21 seats. (Link)
Lace Market
The Lace MarketLace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
area just south of Hockley has densely packed streets full of four to seven-story red brick warehouses, ornate iron railings and red phone boxes.
New College Nottingham
New College Nottingham is an amalgamation of education establishments in the City of Nottingham. The College caters for students from the age of 14 and has several campuses throughout the Nottingham conurbation, primarily in the City itself...
occupies the Adams Building
The Adams Building Nottingham
The Adams Building on Stoney Street is the largest building in the Lace Market district of Nottingham, England.-Background:Historically, it is probably the largest and finest example of a Victorian lace warehouse to survive in the country, and has been listed by the Department of Culture, Media and...
, built by Thomas Chambers Hine for Thomas Adams (1817–1873). Many buildings have been converted into apartments, bars and restaurants. St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest religious foundation in the City of Nottingham, England, the largest church after the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the largest mediæval building in Nottingham....
on High Pavement
High Pavement
High Pavement is a street in Nottingham, England. It is one of the earliest streets in the city, and most of its buildings are listed.-History:...
is the largest medieval building still standing in Nottingham. The Georgian-built Shire Hall is home to the Galleries of Justice
Galleries of Justice
The Galleries of Justice museum is a tourist attraction on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, England. It is home to The Villainous Sheriff of Nottingham where you will discover Nottingham's horrible history and delve into the dark and disturbing past of Crime and PunishmentThe...
and was Nottingham's main court and prison building, for 200 years from 1780, although the site's use as a court stretches back as far as 1375.
Pubs
Ye Olde Trip To JerusalemYe Olde Trip To Jerusalem
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham is one of the 20 public houses which claim to be the oldest drinking establishment in England. Its painted sign states that it was established in 1189 AD...
, partially built into the cave system beneath Nottingham Castle, is a contender for the title of "England's Oldest Pub" due to its supposed establishment in 1189. The Bell Inn
The Bell Inn
The Bell Inn is a Grade II listed public house dating from around 1437 that lays claim to being the oldest in Nottingham.-Foundation and early history:...
on the Old Market Square
Old Market Square
The Old Market Square is an open, pedestrianised city square in Nottingham, England. It is the largest such surviving square in the United Kingdom, forming the heart of the city, and covering an area of approximately 22,000 m²....
, and Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn is a public house dating from around 1240 that lays claim to being the oldest in Nottingham.-History:...
on Maid Marian Way, have both disputed this claim. An episode of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
TV documentary series History Hunters
History Hunters
History Hunters is a British television series that aired on Channel 4 from 1998 to 1999. Presented by the actor Tony Robinson, the show was a spin-off of the archaeology series Time Team, first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1994...
tested attributes of the three claimants and found that, while each has its own evidence, none can claim exclusivity. The Trip, whilst the oldest building, was for most of its early life a brewery and not a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. The "Salutation" sits on the oldest recognised public house site, but the current building is comparatively recent. "The Bell Inn", although not in such an antiquated location, boasts the oldest public house building. There is also conflicting information available: dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
from roof timbers in the "Salutation" give a date for the building of c. 1420 with similar dates for the "Bell". Ultimately, the roots of the multiple claims can be traced to various subtleties of definition in terms such as public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
.
Secondary education
Nottingham's state schools consistently rank poorly in national league tables. Despite a lot of investment, the closure of numerous schools and the opening of new city academiesAcademy (England)
In the education system of England, an academy is a school that is directly funded by central government and independent of control by local government in England. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
, Nottingham City LEA remains near the bottom of the league tables at both primary school and secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
levels. However, there are some exceptions with Secondary schools such as Rushcliffe School
Rushcliffe School
Rushcliffe School is a comprehensive school in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire and is situated on Boundary Road in West Bridgford, one of the most wealthy areas in the county.-History:...
and George Spencer Academy attaining a 100% GCSE pass rate in 2010-2011, with the latter receiving an "Outstanding" Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
Report in 2010. At primary level, Nottingham was ranked fourth from bottom in the country, at 147th out of 150 local authorities rated in 2006, whilst at secondary level, Nottingham came eighth from bottom nationally in terms of GCSE results attained.
Nottingham also has a number of independent schools, with Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School is a British boys' independent school situated about a mile north of Nottingham city centre. It has around 900 pupils from ages 11 to 18 and there is the adjoining Nottingham High Junior School catering for younger boys and, from September 2008, the Lovell House...
, which was founded in 1513, being the city's oldest educational establishment by far. Nottingham High School came eighth nationally for A-Levels in 2008 according to the Sunday Times.
Further education
Four further education colleges are located in Nottingham. Castle CollegeCastle College Nottingham
Castle College Nottingham was a British further education college located in Nottingham. It was formed on 1 June 2006 from the merger of Broxtowe College and The People's College Nottingham...
is the largest and was formed from the merger of Broxtowe College and The People's College, Nottingham. New College Nottingham
New College Nottingham
New College Nottingham is an amalgamation of education establishments in the City of Nottingham. The College caters for students from the age of 14 and has several campuses throughout the Nottingham conurbation, primarily in the City itself...
is the result of the merger of four smaller further education colleges, whilst Bilborough College
Bilborough College
Bilborough College is a sixth form college in College Way, Bilborough, Nottingham, United Kingdom.The college has students from across the conurbation...
is solely a Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
college. South Nottingham College
South Nottingham College
South Nottingham College is a further education college based over five sites in Nottinghamshire, England.South Nottingham College was founded in September 1970 on the site of the old Lutterell Comprehensive School on Greythorn Drive West Bridgford....
also has a campus in the city centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
.
Higher education
Nottingham is home to two universities: the University of NottinghamUniversity of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(formerly University College Nottingham), and Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
, (formerly Trent Polytechnic), centered on Burton Street in the City. Together they are attended by over 40,000 full-time students. The University of Nottingham's teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
, University of Nottingham Medical School
University of Nottingham Medical School
The University of Nottingham Medical School is a medical school in the city of Nottingham, UK. It was the first new medical school to be set up in the 20th century in the country, with the first intake of 48 students graduating in 1975...
, is part of the largest hospital in the UK, the Queen's Medical Centre
Queen's Medical Centre
The Queen's Medical Centre situated in Nottingham, England, is the largest hospital in the United Kingdom, and the largest teaching hospital in Europe.-History:...
(or QMC). There is also a large College, Victoria College Nottingham
Victoria College Nottingham
Victoria College Nottingham is a higher education establishment based in Nottingham, England. It is primarily involved in teaching aspects of Business, Business Management and Accountancy to foreign-based students, as well as teaching English Language. As of 2011, it had around 1,000 students...
, primarily teaching foreign students, and the city is home to the headquarters of the National College for School Leadership
National College for School Leadership
The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services is a British government-funded non-departmental public body which offers head teachers, school leaders and senior children's services leaders opportunities for professional leadership development.- History :Established in 2000...
, whilst the Nottingham School of Art (part of Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
) is notable for having trained acclaimed fashion designer Sir Paul Smith
Paul Smith (fashion designer)
Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry....
.
Economy
Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent
Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent transformed The Boots Company, founded by his father, John Boot, into a national retailer, which branded itself as "Chemists to the Nation", before he sold out his controlling interest to American investors in 1920.John Boot offered his best friend, John Harston, the...
in 1849 and substantially expanded by his son John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent
John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent
John Campbell Boot, 2nd Baron Trent KBE was the son of the Jesse Boot who turned the Boots Company, founded by his father John Boot, into a major national company. He was educated at The Leys School and Jesus College, Cambridge and served in the First World War...
. Other large current employers include the credit reference agency Experian
Experian
Experian plc, formerly known as CCN Systems, is a global credit information group with operations in 36 countries. The company employs 15,500 people with corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and operational headquarters in Nottingham, England and Costa Mesa, California, US...
, the energy company E.ON UK
E.ON UK
E.ON UK is an energy company in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of E.ON, the world's largest investor-owned power and gas company. As Powergen, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but since 1 July 2002 has been owned by E.ON AG of...
, the tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
company John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons
John Player & Sons, known simply as Player's, was a tobacco and cigarette manufacturer based in Nottingham, England. It is today a part of the Imperial Tobacco Group.-History:...
, betting company Gala Group
Gala Group
Gala Coral Group Ltd is a British betting shop, bingo and casino operator owned by private equity houses Candover Investments, Cinven and Permira. In October 2005 it merged with Coral Eurobet for £2.18 billion. The acquisition made it the UK's third largest bookmaker and largest bingo operator. It...
, amusement and gambling machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit-Games, engineering company Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, sportswear manufacturers Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
, high street opticians Vision Express
Vision Express
Vision Express is one of the four major opticians that control 70% of the British market for spectacles and contact lenses.The company opened its first store in 1988 at the MetroCentre. After buying out LensCrafters' UK base, they further increased their number of stores. They had over 220 stores...
, games and publishing company Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
(creator of the popular Warhammer series), PC software developer Serif Europe
Serif europe
Serif is an independent developer and publisher of desktop publishing and graphic design software for the PC. Established in 1987, Serif is a privately owned British company with operations in Europe and North America...
(publisher of PagePlus
PagePlus
PagePlus is a desktop publishing program developed by Serif. The first version was released in 1991 as the first commercial sub-£100 DTP package for Microsoft Windows...
and other titles), Web hosting provider Heart Internet
Heart Internet
Heart Internet is a web hosting company based in Nottingham, UK selling domain names, shared hosting, reseller hosting and dedicated servers.-History:...
, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
credit card company Capital One
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
, whose European offices are situated by the side of Nottingham railway station. Nottingham is also the home of HM Revenue and Customs, the Driving Standards Agency
Driving Standards Agency
The Driving Standards Agency is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport .DSA’s vision is 'Safe Driving for Life'. Its overall mission is to contribute to the public service agreement objective to achieve 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road...
, and Nottingham Building Society
Nottingham Building Society
Nottingham Building Society is a building society founded in 1849 by a group led by Samuel Fox , a Quaker and prominent local grocer....
, set up in 1849.
Although Boots itself is no longer a research-based pharmaceutical company, a combination of former Boots researchers and university spin-off companies have spawned a thriving pharmaceutical/science/biotechnology sector. BioCity, the UK's biggest bioscience innovation and incubation centre, sits in the heart of the city and houses around seventy science-based companies. Other notable companies in the sector include Perceptive Informatics (ClinPhone plc before being bought by Parexel
Parexel
PAREXEL International is a contract research organization , based in Lowell, Massachusetts and founded in 1982 by Josef H. von Rickenbach and Anne Sayigh. It provides services for companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, including consulting, clinical studies...
) and Pharmaceutical Profiles. The city was made one of the UK's six Science Cities in 2005 by the then Chancellor
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.
Until recently bicycle manufacturing was a major industry, the city being the birthplace of Raleigh Cycles in 1886 and later joined by Sturmey-Archer
Sturmey-Archer
Sturmey-Archer is a manufacturing company originally from Nottingham, England. It primarily produces bicycle hub gears but has also produced motorcycle hubs....
, the creator of 3-speed hub gears. However, Raleigh's factory on Triumph Road, famous as the location for the filming of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (film)
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a 1960 British film. It is an adaptation of the 1958 novel of the same name by Alan Sillitoe. Sillitoe wrote the screenplay adaptation and the film was directed by Karel Reisz.-Synopsis:...
, was demolished in Summer 2003 to make way for the University of Nottingham's
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
expansion of Jubilee Campus.
Nottingham is also joint headquarters of Paul Smith
Paul Smith (fashion designer)
Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry....
, the high fashion house.
Creative Industries are a target growth sector for the city with graphic design, interiors and textile design being a particular focus. There is already a thriving design and new media industry in the city.
Nottingham City Council announced that other target sectors include Financial and Business Services, Science and Technology, Public Sector and Retail and Leisure as part of their economic development strategy for the city.
The global Business SMS company Esendex was founded in the Lace Market district and now operates in 6 markets across the world.
Ceramics manufacturer Mason Cash
Mason Cash
Mason Cash & Co is a kitchenware brand, with items such as mixing bowls, pudding basins and petware. The ceramics manufacturing company, based in Woodville, Swadlincote, Derbyshire is a part of The Rayware Group. They make earthenware mixing bowls and baking ware...
was founded and continues to have operations in Nottingham.
The schools and aerial photographers, H Tempest Ltd were Nottingham-based for many years, until relocating to St. Ives (Cornwall) around 1960. A skeleton office remained for many years in the original building next to Mundella School.
Many of the UK's railway ticket machines and platform departure boards run software written by Atos Origin
Atos Origin
Atos S.A. is an international information technology corporation which operates in 42 countries worldwide, with over 78,500 employees...
in their offices in Nottingham. Other major industries in the city include engineering, textiles, knitwear and electronics. An increasing number of software developers are located in Nottingham: Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, Crytek UK and Monumental Games
Monumental games
Monumental Games is an independent UK video game developer. It was founded by industry veterans Rik Alexander and Rocco Loscalzo in 2005...
are based in the city centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
, and Serif Europe
Serif europe
Serif is an independent developer and publisher of desktop publishing and graphic design software for the PC. Established in 1987, Serif is a privately owned British company with operations in Europe and North America...
are based between Wilford
Wilford
Wilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
and Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
, south west of the Trent and east of Clifton.
Nottingham is progressively changing from an industrial city to one based largely in the service sector. Tourism — particularly from the United States and the Far East — is becoming an increasingly significant part of the local economy.
In 2004 Nottingham had a GDP per capita of £24,238 (US$48,287, €35,529), which was the highest of any English city after London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the fourth highest of any city of the UK, after London, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
| Year | Regional Gross Value Added (£m) |
Agriculture (£m) |
Industry (£m) |
Services (£m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 4,149 | 2 | 1,292 | 2,855 |
| 2000 | 5,048 | 1 | 912 | 4,135 |
| 2003 | 5,796 | – | 967 | 4,828 |
| source: Office for National Statistics | ||||
Shopping
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
There are two main shopping centres in Nottingham: Victoria Centre
Victoria Centre, Nottingham
The Victoria Centre is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England. Its four main anchor stores are John Lewis, House of Fraser, Boots and Next. Other notable stores are The Entertainer, Topshop, Republic, Monsoon, Swarovski, GAP, Tesco Metro and HMV....
and Westfield Broadmarsh. The Victoria Centre was established on the site of the former Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
, and was the first to be built in the City, with parking for up to 2,400 cars on several levels and two levels of shopping with bus station. Victoria Centre is also topped by 26 floors of flats, the tallest building in Nottingham. Work on redeveloping Westfield Broadmarsh at a cost of £400 million (creating 400 stores, 136,000 m2 of shopping space) was due to start in 2008. However, the downturn in the economy meant that redevelopment was delayed throughout from 2008 to 2010. Finally in 2010, Westfield announced that it would not be redeveloped but would benefit form a $40 million refurbishment instead. Months after this announcement, the Victoria Centre also announced plans for expansion, to compete with new centres in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. In 2011, in light of the Victoria Centre's redevelopment plans, Westfield announced that it was once again planning a £500 million development which is planned to start in 2012. Smaller shopping centres are The Exchange Arcade, the Flying Horse Walk
Flying Horse Walk
The Flying Horse Walk, or FH Mall as it says at the entrance, is an elegant shopping arcade located at the heart of Nottingham City Centre in Nottingham, England...
and new developments in Trinity Square and The Pod. The new developments will increase the shopping sales area in the city centre by 28% to 4300000 square feet (399,483.1 m²). The Bridlesmith Gate
Bridlesmith Gate
Bridlesmith Gate is a pedestrianised shopping street in the city centre of Nottingham, England.It is located between Middle Pavement and Victoria Street. St. Peter's Gate and Bottle Lane stem off it along with Byard Lane....
area has numerous designer shops, and is the home of the original Paul Smith
Paul Smith (fashion designer)
Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry....
boutique. There are also various side streets and alleys that hide some interesting and often overlooked buildings and shops – streets such as Poultry Walk, West End Arcade and Hurts Yard. These are home to many specialist shops, as is Derby Road, near the Cathedral and once the antiques area but now home to some the city's most interesting independent shops.
Nottingham has a number of department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s including the House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, John Lewis
John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned UK partnership which operates John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets and a number of other services...
, and Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
. Hockley Village
Hockley Village
Hockley Village is a marketing term for Hockley - an area near the centre of Nottingham, England. Hockley Village lies adjacent to the Lace Market. With many bars, restaurants and trendy clothes shops, it is a vibrant, modern section of the city, and has been described as...
caters to alternative tastes with shops like 'Ice Nine', 'Void' and 'Fuzz Guitar Boutique', famous across the city.
Culture
Theatres
Nottingham has two large-capacity theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
s, the Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse
The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema. Directors during this period included Val May and Frank Dunlop.-The building:...
and the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham in Nottingham, England, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. The theatre is in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council...
(which, together with the neighbouring Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
The Royal Concert Hall in the English city of Nottingham, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Victorian Theatre Royal...
forms the Royal Centre) and a smaller theatre space at the University of Nottingham's Lakeside Arts Centre. The city is also host to smaller theatre venues, such as the Nottingham Arts Theatre
Nottingham Arts Theatre
The Nottingham Arts Theatre is a theatre on George Street in Nottingham, England. It was formerly known as the Co-op Arts Theatre.It has a seating capacity of 321 in the Auditorium and a newer 50-seat studio theatre. It is operated by a charity and the local acting community...
and the Lace Market Theatre
Lace Market Theatre
The Lace Market Theatre is a small, independent amateur theatre, located in Nottingham, England. It is owned and operated by The Lace Market Theatre Trust Limited, which is a registered charity.-Origins:...
. Also, within the University of Nottingham Campus grounds, The New Theatre
New Theatre (Nottingham)
The New Theatre is a playhouse and production company based on University Park campus, Nottingham, England. It is funded in part by the University of Nottingham Students' Union and constitutes one of the Union's 10 Student-Run Services...
, the only entirely student-run theatre in England.
Galleries and museums
There are also several art galleries which often receive national attention, particularly the Nottingham Castle MuseumNottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
, the University of Nottingham's Djanogly Gallery and Wollaton Park's Yard Gallery. Both of the city's universities also put on a wide range of theatre, music and art events open to the public throughout the year.
- Brewhouse Yard Museum., the museum of Nottingham Life based within five 17th Century cottages at the base of the rock of Nottingham Castle. Once a refuge for persecuted members of dissenting religious groups, today, the museum investigates over 300 years of local history.
- The Galleries of Justice – Museum of Law Trust based at the Shire Hall in the Lace MarketLace MarketThe Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
- Green's WindmillGreen's WindmillGreen’s Windmill is a restored and working 19th century tower windmill in Sneinton, Nottingham.-History:The Mill was built shortly after 1807 by the father of 19th-century mathematical physicist George Green, whose name was also George Green. It is located on the site of a previous post mill and...
and Science Centre – A unique working windmill in the heart of the city that was home to the 19th Century mathematical miller, George Green. - New Art Exchange. – an award-winning contemporary art gallery based in Hyson GreenHyson GreenHyson Green is an area of Nottingham, England. It is the second most popular shopping area after the city centre and is now home to a variety of cultures with a thriving local economy...
. Focus on African, African Caribbean and South Asian art. - Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery – home to the city’s Decorative Art and Fine Art collections, along with the Story of Nottingham galleries, and the Sherwood Foresters Regimental Museum.
- Nottingham ContemporaryNottingham ContemporaryNottingham Contemporary is a contemporary art centre in the Lace Market area of Nottingham...
– Nottingham's newest art centre. - Nottingham Industrial Museum
- Nottingham Natural History Museum – based at Wollaton HallWollaton HallWollaton Hall is a country house standing on a small but prominent hill in Wollaton, Nottingham, England. Wollaton Park is the area of parkland that the stately house stands in. The house itself is a natural history museum, with other museums in the out-buildings...
, an Elizabethan mansion in the heart of Nottingham. - Nottingham Transport Heritage CentreNottingham Transport Heritage CentreThe Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre is a heritage centre based at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, the terminus of the northern section of the Great Central Railway . The site includes locomotive and rolling stock workshops , as well as cafeteria and shops...
in Ruddington is a museum of local transport. It has an eight mile (13 km) long railway where Heritage steam trains and Diesel locomotives are used on passenger runs, a classic Road Transport collection with many Nottingham associated vehicles, a miniature and model railway. - Nottingham's Independent Arts Centre.
- Lakeside is the University of Nottingham's unique public arts and craft centre.
Cinemas
The city has many multiplex cinemas, the largest being the CineworldCineworld
Cineworld Group plc is a cinema chain operating in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Jersey. The chain consists of 78 cinemas; 76 of which are located in the UK and one each in Ireland and Jersey. It is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with 801 screens, and the owner of...
complex sited within The Corner House and Showcase Cinema operated by National Amusements
National Amusements
National Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned theatre company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone....
, as well an Arthouse cinema in Hockley
Hockley Village
Hockley Village is a marketing term for Hockley - an area near the centre of Nottingham, England. Hockley Village lies adjacent to the Lace Market. With many bars, restaurants and trendy clothes shops, it is a vibrant, modern section of the city, and has been described as...
. Independent cinemas include the Broadway Cinema, one of the major independent cinemas in the UK, Savoy Cinema, a four-screen Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
cinema. Broadway was redeveloped and expanded in 2006. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
held the British premiere of Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
there in 1992.
Music
There is a classical music scene, with long-established groups such as the city's Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, Nottingham Harmonic SocietyNottingham Harmonic Society
Nottingham Harmonic Society is Nottingham's civic choir, and has established itself as one of the leading provincial choruses in Britain.It started life as the Vocal Music Club of the Nottingham Mechanics' Institution formed in 1846, but soon became independent of the Institute under the name...
, Bach Choir, Early Music Group Musica Donum Dei and the Symphonic Wind Orchestra giving regular performances in the city.
Nottingham is also well known for Rock City
Rock City (club)
Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:...
, a concert venue, along with its sister venues – Rescue Rooms, The Bodega Social Club and Stealth. The city is home to a few independent record labels actively contributing for the alternative rock, pop and garage music scene, such as Hello Thor, Dead by Mono Records. The Sumac Centre
Sumac Centre
The Sumac Centre is an independent community and social centre in Nottingham, UK, part of the UK Social Centre Network and Radical Routes. It provides resources, meeting spaces and skills for groups and individuals campaigning for human rights, animal rights, the environment, peace and co-operation...
based in Forest Fields has for many years supported local upcoming musicians, artists and film makers, and a variety of campaign groups. There are also a large number of live music venues promoting rock and metal music throughout the city, including The Central, The Old Angel, The Maze and Ye Olde Salutation Inn.
Wollaton Park in Nottingham hosts an annual family-friendly music event called Splendour
Splendour in Nottingham
Splendour in Nottingham is an annual music festival held in Nottingham, England during July. Organised by Nottingham City Council and DHP Concerts, the event is held within Wollaton Park, to the west of Nottingham city centre...
. In 2009 it was held on Sunday 19 July and was headlined by Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
and The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. Splendour returned on 24 July 2010, headlined by The Pet Shop Boys and featuring Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
, Noisettes
Noisettes
Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, comprising singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith, and drummer Jamie Morrison...
, Athlete
Athlete (band)
Athlete are a British rock band formed in Deptford, London, comprising Joel Pott , Carey Willetts , Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall...
and OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
among others. It returned again in 2011, featuring headline acts Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Sophie Caird , better known by her stage name Eliza Doolittle, is an English singer–songwriter from London, who signed to the Parlophone record label in October 2008. Her debut self-titled album, Eliza Doolittle was released on 12 July 2010, where it debuted at number 3 in the UK...
and Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
, alongside many others.
Nottingham is renowned as one of the biggest cities supporting the Dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
movement of dance music. Nottingham has several weekly and monthly Dubstep and Drum and Bass nights. It also has a strong 'DIY' music scene, with a large number of independent promoters using a variety of venues, pubs/bars, warehouse spaces and gallerys to host gigs throughout the city.
Nottingham is also one of the most well known cities outside of London for Grime music, along with Birmingham and Manchester. There are countless MC's from Nottingham, some of whome have garnered national attention, like Wariko and Fangol, who have both appeared on London radio shows. There are also a few notable grime producers, most recently the likes of the Beat Geeks. This thriving scene could be seen as a result of Nottingham's close cultural affiliation with London, and its diverse ethnic background.
Nottingham's City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
also played host to rock band R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
in 2005, the first time a concert had been staged at the football stadium.
Arts and Crafts
The HockleyHockley
Hockley is a large village and civil parish in Essex, England located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. More specifically it lies between Rayleigh and Rochford. It came to prominence during the coming of the railway in the 1890s and at the 2001 census had a population of 13,616 people, many...
Arts Market, is a new arts market that runs alongside Sneinton
Sneinton
Sneinton is a south-eastern suburb of Nottingham, England. The area is bounded by Carlton to the north, Colwick to the south, Meadow Lane to the southwest and Bakersfield to the east.-Description:...
Market on the fourth Saturday of every month. Started by a collective of Textile graduates from Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
, the market acts as a platform for independent artists to showcase and sell their wares.
Nottingham artists are represented by The Nottingham Society of Artists, formed in 1880, to bring together artists and art lovers. They have regular exhibitions at their headquarters in St. Lukes House
Food
In the 1980s, Nottingham was barely mentioned in the Good Food GuideGood Food Guide
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurants in the UK, published by Which?books.The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate, an enthusiastic gourmet, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to...
; but now there are several restaurant entries and a range of cuisine reflecting the ethnic diversity of the city. The Nottingham Restaurant Awards play a leading role in promoting the industry.
There are several hundred restaurants in Nottingham, with several AA rosette winning restaurants and one Michelin starred
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
restaurant, Sat Bains
Sat Bains
Sat Bains is a chef and restaurateur from Derby, England. He runs Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms, the only Michelin starred restaurant in Nottingham....
.
The Old Market Square is host to the Nottingham Food and Drink Festival.
Tourism
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
and Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
. Popular history-based tourist attractions in central Nottingham include the Castle, City of Caves
City of Caves
City of Caves was an award-winning visitor attraction in Nottingham which consists of a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery, public house cellars, and as an air raid shelter....
, Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
, The Galleries of Justice, and the City's ancient pubs.
Parks and gardens include Wollaton Park (over 500 acres) near the University Highfields Park on the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
campus, Colwick Park, which includes the racecourse, and the Nottingham Arboretum, Forest Recreation Ground
Forest Recreation Ground
The Forest Recreation Ground is a recreation ground in Nottingham, England, approximately one mile north of the city centre. This urban space is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Forest Fields to the north, Mapperley Park to the east, Arboretum to the south and Hyson Green to the west.- History...
and Victoria Park which are in or close to the city centre. Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Continuously forested since the end of the Ice Age, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares surrounding the village of...
, Rufford Country Park, Creswell Crags
Creswell Crags
Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge on the border between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England near the villages of Creswell, Whitwell and Elmton...
and Clumber Park
Clumber Park
Clumber Park is a country park in the Dukeries near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, England. It was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle.It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.-History:...
are further away from the city itself. A new park is being developed in the city at the Eastside City development.
The Nottingham Robin Hood Society was originally formed by Robin Hood historian Jim Lees and two Nottingham teachers Steve and Ewa Theresa West in 1972. Steve and Ewa Theresa played the part of Maid Marion and Robin Hood and attracted a ' band' of like minded followers who ' costumed up ' nearly every weekend for a function. The then society acted in street theatre, appeared at charity events and functions and for several years ' held up ' the appointed Sheriff of Nottingham at the opening of the annual Nottingham Festival. The society also made a film for Japanese Television and joined in picnics and midnight vigils around in Major Oak to promote tourism. Although a Nottingham Robin Hood Society remains, the original society members disbanded after the death of Jim Lees.
There are two main Robin Hood events throughout the Nottingham area, including the Robin Hood Pageant during October, and the Robin Hood Festival during the summer. The pageant is held at the Castle, whilst the festival is held in nearby Sherwood Forest.
In 2009 the Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Leon Unczur set up a Commission to look at the possibility of setting up a World Class Robin Hood Attraction. The Commission was due to report in May 2010.
In February 2008, a Ferris wheel was put up in the Old Market Square and was a major attraction of Nottingham City Council's 'Light Night' on February 8. The wheel returned to Nottingham in February 2009 to mark another night of lights, activities, illuminations and entertainment. Initially marketed as the Nottingham Eye, it was later redubbed as the Nottingham Wheel, to avoid any association with the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
. It was seen again in 2010, and is now a much welcomed annual event happening in Nottingham.
In 2010, Nottingham has seen a rise in recommendations from publications around the world, including a positive write up in the New York Times as well as being touted as one of the Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2010, alongside Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, by DK Travel.
Entertainment
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
The Royal Concert Hall in the English city of Nottingham, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Victorian Theatre Royal...
and 10,000-capacity Nottingham Arena attract the biggest names in popular music. For less mainstream acts and a more intimate atmosphere, Nottingham has a selection of smaller venues, including Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn
Ye Olde Salutation Inn is a public house dating from around 1240 that lays claim to being the oldest in Nottingham.-History:...
, Seven (formerly Junktion 7) and The Old Angel. Nottingham is host to the award-winning dedicated rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
venue Rock City
Rock City (club)
Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:...
and its smaller sister venues, The Rescue Rooms, The Bodega, Social Club and Stealth. These venues, with their close proximity, make Nottingham one of the centres of live popular music in the UK.
The large number of students within the city bolsters its night-time entertainment scene. There are several well established areas of the city centre focused on evening entertainment, such as Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
, Hockley
Hockley Village
Hockley Village is a marketing term for Hockley - an area near the centre of Nottingham, England. Hockley Village lies adjacent to the Lace Market. With many bars, restaurants and trendy clothes shops, it is a vibrant, modern section of the city, and has been described as...
, The Waterfront and The Corner House.
Miscellaneous
The annual Nottingham Goose FairNottingham Goose Fair
The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual fun fair held in Nottingham, England, during the first week of October. It is largely provided by travelling fair people...
is held during the first week of October and is one of the largest travelling fairs in the country. The fair is held on the Forest Recreation Ground
Forest Recreation Ground
The Forest Recreation Ground is a recreation ground in Nottingham, England, approximately one mile north of the city centre. This urban space is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Forest Fields to the north, Mapperley Park to the east, Arboretum to the south and Hyson Green to the west.- History...
.
Nottingham won the Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
competition, in the Large City category, in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007. It also won the Entente Florale
Entente Florale
The Entente Florale is an international horticultural competition established to recognise municipalities and villages in Europe for excellence in horticultural displays. Trophies are presented annually by tourist boards and horticultural societies of European countries...
Gold Award in 1998.
Nottingham is home to the acclaimed GameCity
Gamecity
GameCity is an independent, annual videogame festival in Nottingham, England. The festival is aimed at the general public, and many events allow members of the public to participate freely. The festival receives little funding from the commercial video game industry, and is concerned instead with...
annual videogame festival, which attracts leading industry speakers from around the world.
Wikimedia UK has its registered office in Nottingham.
Sport
Football
Nottingham is home to two high profile football clubs.Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, who current play in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, were English league champions in 1978 and won the European Cup twice over the next two seasons under the management of Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, who was the club's manager from January 1975 to May 1993 and also led them to four Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
triumphs in that time. They have played at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, on the banks of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, since 1898. Numerous high profile English and non-English international footballers have turned out for Forest over the years. Nottingham Forest joined the Football League in 1892, four years after its inception, and 100 years they were among the FA Premier League's
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
founder members in 1992 - though they have not played top division football since May 1999.
Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They were also among the Football League's founder members in 1888. For most of their history they have played their home games at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
, which currently holds some 20,000 spectators all-seated. They currently play in Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
- the third tier of English league football - and most recently played top division football in May 1992.
The two grounds are notable for being the closest in English league football.
Ice hockey
Ice Hockey is one of the biggest and most popular sports in Nottingham. The city is home to one of the biggest ice hockey teams in Britain, the Nottingham PanthersNottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
. The team compete in the 10 team professional Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
, and share an intense rivalry with the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
.
The city is also home to the Nottingham Mavericks, a University team of players from the city's two universities.
Cricket
Nottingham is also home to the 2010 Cricket County Champions Nottinghamshire County Cricket ClubNottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, who play at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
(a major international cricket venue with a capacity of 17,000) and a regular host of Test Cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
each summer. In 2009 the city was chosen as one of the three host cities for the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
T20 tournament
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
.
National Watersports Centre
Holme Pierrepont
Holme Pierrepont is a hamlet located south of the city of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. It is in the Gamston ward of the Rushcliffe local authority in the East Midlands region....
, with a 2000 metre regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
lake for rowing
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and a white water slalom canoe course fed from the river.
Rugby Union
Nottingham is also home to ChampionshipRFU Championship
The RFU Championship replaced National Division One as the second tier in the English rugby union system in September 2009. Unlike National Division One, which is semi-professional, the RFU Championship is a fully professional league.-History:...
Nottingham RFC who play their home games at League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Notts County's Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
stadium
Other sports
Notable sporting events that take place in the city include the annual tennis AEGON TrophyAEGON Trophy
The AEGON Trophy is an yearly tennis tournament played in Nottingham, England. The tournament is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour, and of the International Tennis Federation Women's Circuit as a 50k event. The tournament's key sponor is Dutch insurance...
which is staged at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre
Nottingham Tennis Centre
Nottingham Tennis Centre is a tennis venue in Nottingham, England. The centre holds a range of tournaments throughout the year, such as the Nottingham Open, which is held before The Championships, Wimbledon.- External links :*...
and the Robin Hood Marathon.
Transport
Castle Donington
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.-Transport and housing:...
which is within 20 miles of Nottingham and is the 10th busiest airport in the UK in terms of passenger traffic. It is connected to the city by the Skylink bus service. Nottingham is also well connected by both road and rail. The M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
is close by and rail services to other major cities which are all operated by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
with the exception of the Nottingham to Cardiff service run by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
and the Nottingham to Leeds service run by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. The Robin Hood Line
Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell are in Derbyshire.The towns and villages served by the route are listed below:*Nottingham*Bulwell*Hucknall...
links the city with Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
and other towns in the north of the county.
The opening of Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit is a light-rail tramway in the Nottingham area in England. The first line opened to the public on 9 March 2004, having cost £200 million to construct. The scheme took sixteen years from conception to implementation...
in 2004 made Nottingham one of only six English cities to have a light rail system. The trams run from the city centre to Hucknall
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
in the north, with an additional spur to the Phoenix Park Park and Ride close to Junction 26 of the M1. Two new lines are in the planning process to the southern suburbs of Wilford
Wilford
Wilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
and Clifton and the western suburbs of Beeston
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
Beeston is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is southwest of Nottingham city centre. Although typically regarded as a suburb of the City of Nottingham, and officially designated as part of the Nottingham Urban Area, for local government purposes it is in the borough of Broxtowe, lying outside...
and Chilwell
Chilwell
Chilwell is a residential suburb of Greater Nottingham, in the Borough of Broxtowe of Nottinghamshire, west of Nottingham city. Until 1974 it was part of Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having been in Stapleford Rural District until 1935.-History:...
.
The vast majority of Nottingham’s local bus services are operated by Nottingham City Transport
Nottingham City Transport
Nottingham City Transport is the major bus operator of the English city of Nottingham, running a comprehensive network of services in the Greater Nottingham area, with some services continuing to Southwell, Loughborough, and East Midlands Airport. There are over 80 routes across the City, giving...
which runs a colour-coded network of 68 routes and is the city’s fifth largest private employer. Trent Barton
Trent Barton
Trent Barton is one of the very small number of significant independent bus operators in the United Kingdom. It was formed as the result of merging Derbyshire's Trent Buses with Nottinghamshire's Barton Transport....
is the other major bus operator, running services from Nottingham to locations throughout the East Midlands. Both companies are frequent winners at the National Bus Operator of the Year awards.
Nottingham’s waterways have been extensively used for transport in the past, with the River Trent, up until the mid 20th century, providing important industry transport links, along with both the Nottingham and Beeston Canals. These are now primarily used for leisure.
In September 2010 research by the Campaign for Better Transport rated Nottingham as the least car dependent city in England with London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Brighton & Hove
Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort.In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium...
in second and third place respectively.
In November 2010, Nottingham City Council won Transport Authority of the Year by the UK Bus Awards, for services for providing safer and sustainable public transport. Nottingham City Council has 2 hybrid Alexander Dennis Enviro400Hs on order which are due for delivery early next year, it is not known if they will be handed over to their owned transport operator Nottingham City Transport
Nottingham City Transport
Nottingham City Transport is the major bus operator of the English city of Nottingham, running a comprehensive network of services in the Greater Nottingham area, with some services continuing to Southwell, Loughborough, and East Midlands Airport. There are over 80 routes across the City, giving...
.
Crime
Nottingham is served by Nottinghamshire PoliceNottinghamshire Police
Nottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million....
and has a Crown Court
Nottingham Crown Court
Nottingham Crown Court, or more formally the High Court of Justice and Crown Court, Nottingham is a Crown Court and High Court of Justice in Nottingham, England.-Description:...
and Magistrates' Court
Nottingham Magistrates' Court
Nottingham Magistrates' Court is a Magistrates' Court in Nottingham, England.-History:Until 1996, Nottingham Magistrates were housed in two separate buildings, the Guildhall and the Shire Hall....
.
Between 2000 and 2003 the press and other media claimed that Nottingham was the 'gun-crime capital of the UK', and was dubbed "Shottingham" in some areas. In 2005, it had one of the highest crime rates in the country, with 115.5 crimes per 1000 people. By 2007 the BBC reported that the number of shootings in the city had fallen from 51 (in 2003) to 13 (in 2006). However, in January 2008 it was reported that gun crime in the city had risen for a second consecutive year, with a 50% increase in gun crime during 2007. The incidence rate of many crimes in Nottingham is several times higher than the English average. A crime survey by Reform stated that Nottingham topped the crime rankings for police statistics on murders, burglaries, and vehicle crime, and "had almost five times the level of crime as the
safest town in the rankings". The survey was condemned as inaccurate by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police due largely to the use of out of date (2001) population figures. The University of Nottingham argued that the way in which statistics such as these are calculated is severely flawed; if the population of the entire conurbation were taken into account instead of just the centre of the city then a more accurate picture would be revealed. A revised survey based on 2004 population estimates, however, appeared to back up the original rankings. In 2007 TV programme Location, Location, Location
Location, Location, Location
Location, Location, Location is a Channel 4 property programme, presented by Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer and produced by IWC Media, part of the RDF Media Group. The reality show follows Kirstie and Phil as they try to find the perfect home for a different set of buyers each week. It first...
named Nottingham as the 4th worst city to live in, stating the city has "loads of good aspects but crime lets it down". The programme also ranked the neighbouring Nottinghamshire borough of Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
, which contains suburbs of greater Nottingham
Greater Nottingham
The Nottingham Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics, consisting of the city of Nottingham and the adjoining urban areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England...
, among the best 20 places to live in the UK.
While the crime figures in the city are high, initiatives introduced to tackle the levels of crime appear to be having an effect, with a 2006 Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
survey showing that the overall level of crime in the city was down by 12% since 2003.
Initiatives include the Community and Neighbourhood Protection Service developed by Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police and Nottingham City Homes to take an uncompromising stance towards anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
. It comprises Community Protection Officers (CPOs), Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Anti-Social Behaviour Officers who work with internal and external agencies to reduce anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime.
Community Protection Officers (also known as City Wardens) in their high-visibility
High-visibility clothing
High-visibility clothing, a type of personal protective equipment , is any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a colour that is easily discernible from any background. Yellow waistcoats worn by emergency services are a common example....
stab vest
Stab vest
A stab vest, or stab proof vest is a reinforced piece of body armor, worn under or over other items of clothing, which is designed to resist knife attacks to the chest, back and sides...
s, are accredited by the Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of Nottinghamshire Police to issue Fixed Penalty Notice
Fixed Penalty Notice
Fixed penalty notices were introduced in Britain in the 1950s to deal with minor parking offences. Originally used by police and traffic wardens, their use has extended to other public officials and authorities, as has the range of offences for which they can be used.In recent years, this has...
s (FPNs) for littering and are employed to tackle other anti-social behaviour.
Like most industrialised cities and large towns, Nottingham attracted a significant influx of Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
immigrants after the Second World War. These immigrants, from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, were greeted with hostility from a large percentage of the city's residents, and in the summer of 1958 Nottingham was the scene of some of Britain's very first race riots.
More recently, racial tension in Nottingham has been a major factor in a number of serious crimes. In July 2005, shortly after the London terrorist attacks in which 52 people were killed
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
suicide bombers, 48-year-old Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
born Muslim man Kamal Raza Butt was beaten to death in the Meadows area of the city. 17-year-old white British teenager Nathan Williams was accused of his murder in May 2006 but cleared on the charge after witnesses refused to testify in court. Nathan Williams was fatally shot in the chest in the Meadows area just four months later.
Religion
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es all of which date back to mediæval times. St. Mary the Virgin
St. Mary's Church, Nottingham
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest religious foundation in the City of Nottingham, England, the largest church after the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the largest mediæval building in Nottingham....
, in the Lace Market
Lace Market
The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, England.Once the heart of the world's lace industry during the days of the British Empire, it is full of impressive examples of 19th century industrial architecture and thus is a protected heritage area...
, a member of the Greater Churches Group
Greater Churches Group
The Greater Churches Network is a self-help organisation within the Church of England. There are currently 32 churches within the Greater Churches Network....
is the oldest foundation (dating from the eighth or ninth centuries) but the building is at least the third on the site dating from 1377 to 1485. St. Mary's is considered the mother church of the city and civic services are held here, including the welcome to the new Lord Mayor of Nottingham
Lord Mayor of Nottingham
The Lord Mayor of Nottingham is a largely ceremonial role for the city of Nottingham, England. The position was historically Mayor of Nottingham; this was changed to Lord Mayor in 1928. The current Lord Mayor of Nottingham for 2010/2011 is Councillor Brian Grocock...
each year. St.Peter's
St. Peter's Church, Nottingham
St Peter's Church, Nottingham is an Anglican parish church in the city of Nottingham.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest....
in the heart of the city is the oldest building in continuous use in Nottingham, with traces of building starting in 1180. St. Nicholas'
St. Nicholas' Church, Nottingham
St. Nicholas Church is an Anglican parish church in Nottingham.The church, since 1953, is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest.-History:...
was rebuilt after destruction in the Civil War.
Non-conformism was strong from the 17th century onwards and a variety of chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s and meeting rooms proliferated throughout the town. Many of these grand buildings have been demolished, including Halifax Place Chapel, but some have been re-used, notably High Pavement Chapel
High Pavement Chapel
High Pavement Chapel is a building on High Pavement in Nottingham. It is now the Pitcher and Piano public house and is Grade II listed.-History:...
which is now a public house. The offices of the Congregational Federation
Congregational Federation
The Congregational Federation is a Federation of independent Congregational churches in England, Scotland and Wales....
are in Nottingham. William Booth
William Booth
William Booth was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General...
, the founder of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, was born in Nottingham in 1829.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Barnabas
Nottingham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas in the city of Nottingham, England, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic church. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Nottingham and seat of the Bishop of Nottingham.-Location:...
on Derby Road was designed by the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, it was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in 1844 and is the cathedral church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nottingham
Diocese of Nottingham
The Diocese of Nottingham is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite which covers covers an area of 13,074 km², taking in the counties of Nottinghamshire , Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. The see is in the City of Nottingham where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church...
established in 1850 which covers Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
(except Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford...
District), Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
(except Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and parts of the High Peak), Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
and Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
(pre-1974 boundaries).
Today there are places of worship for all major religions, including Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. The Nottingham Inter-faith Council works to make connections between faith groups and show the wider public the importance of spiritual aspects of life and the contribution faith groups make to the community.
Television
The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has its East Midlands
BBC East Midlands
BBC East Midlands is the BBC English Region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire, south Nottinghamshire, South Kesteven and Rutland.-Television:...
headquarters in Nottingham on London Road. BBC East Midlands Today is broadcast from the city every weeknight at 6:30. Central Television the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
region for the East Midlands until recently broadcast regional news from the city, but has now been moved to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. This decision was controversial and although a petition was set up to try to stop it, the TV studios were shut down in early 2005. Central News still keep a news bureau outside of the city at Chilwell
Chilwell
Chilwell is a residential suburb of Greater Nottingham, in the Borough of Broxtowe of Nottinghamshire, west of Nottingham city. Until 1974 it was part of Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having been in Stapleford Rural District until 1935.-History:...
, however. The former studios were purchased by the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
to accommodate their administrative departments.
Radio
In addition to the national commercial and BBC radio stations the Nottingham area is served by four licenced commercial radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
stations (though all broadcast to a wider area than the city), three community radio stations, one student station broadcasting on a Low powered AM Restricted Service Licence and a BBC local radio station.
BBC Radio Nottingham
Broadcast from the BBC East Midlands studios on London road across the county is BBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
which was once home to (BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
who was the rival to Trent's Dale Winton.
Gold
Gold is a quasi national MW station playing classic hits across the UK. The station started life in the East Midlands as GEM AMClassic Gold GEM
Classic Gold GEM was a United Kingdom radio station, broadcasting to much of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and East Staffordshire from studios in Dunstable, Bedfordshire...
on 4 October 1988 as a split service from Radio Trent and Leicester Sound and was initially broadcast to Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester – however broadcasts on MW ceased in Leicester in 1995. The station was rebranded Classic Gold GEM in the mid 1990s and by 2007 most local programming had already ceased, at which point it became part of the new national Gold service will all local programming (except news and advertising) ending.
Gem 106
Gem 106 (formerly Radio 106, Century FMCentury FM
Century Radio was the brand name of a group of independent local radio stations in England. The brand was developed with the launch of 100-102 Century Radio in North East England in 1994, with John Myers as managing director and John Simons as programme director...
and Heart 106) is a regional Adult Contemporary radio station which has broadcast to the whole East Midlands from its headquarters in the City Link business park (the same location as the BBC) since its launch in 1997.
Smooth
Smooth Radio was launched (as Saga 106.6 fmSaga 106.6 FM
Saga 106.6FM was an independent radio station for the East Midlands, broadcasting to Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. Part of the Saga Radio Group, the regional station was broadcast from the Riverside Business Park in Nottingham, close to the old...
) in 2004 as a new service for the East Midlands serving the over 50s from its base in Nottingham. In 2008 the station was relaunched as 106.6 Smooth Radio playing classic hits and modern easy listening music to an older audience. In October 2010 the station became part of the national Smooth Radio and all local programming ended – only local news and advertising remains.
Capital FM
Capital FMThe Capital FM Network
Capital is a radio network of nine Independent Local Radio stations in the United Kingdom which are owned and operated by Global Radio, launching on 3 January 2011. Capital was previously known as Mix, One, Galaxy and Hit Music at various times...
(was Trent FM
Trent FM
Trent FM was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Nottinghamshire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Leicester Sound and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-History:Launched on 3 July 1975 as Radio Trent and based in a...
, originally Radio Trent) was Nottinghamshire's first commercial radio station and currently broadcasts across the East Midlands from its studios in Nottingham. Prior to 2008, the Trent FM building was a converted Victorian hospital which connects to the underground network of caves. Many famous presenters have been employed at Trent FM (formerly Radio Trent), including Dale Winton
Dale Winton
Dale Winton is an English radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Winton's father, Gary, was "domineering" and died when Winton was 13. Winton was brought up by his mother, actress Sheree Winton...
, Kid Jensen, John Peters and Penny Smith
Penny Smith
Penelope Jane Smith is an English television presenter and newsreader. She has worked on the breakfast TV show GMTV, for Sky News and for Classic FM.-Early life:...
.
The station was rebranded and merged with neighbouring stations Leicester Sound
Leicester Sound
Leicester Sound was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Leicestershire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Trent FM and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-Background:Leicester Sound was launched by the owners of Radio Trent on...
and Ram FM
RAM FM
Ram FM was an Independent Local Radio station, which broadcast to central and southern parts of Derbyshire on 102.8 FM. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Trent FM and Leicester Sound to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-History:The station began life...
on Monday 3 January 2011, airing regional breakfast and drivetime programming alongside networked output from London.
Student Radio
Student Radio is broadcast in the city permanently by URN (University Radio NottinghamUniversity Radio Nottingham
University Radio Nottingham is the multi-award–winning university radio station of the University of Nottingham, England, where it is part of the Students' Union...
). URN has won many awards for quality and which is broadcast on medium wave (AM) around the main campus (University Park) at 1350 kHz and from Sutton Bonnigton campus on 1602 kHz. It is also streamed over the Internet. Nottingham Trent University also runs the equally successful FlyFM
FlyFM
Fly FM is the student radio station of Nottingham Trent University's student union. It broadcasts online at FlyFM.co.uk on term-time, and in March 2011 started to broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; with live programming between the hours of 9am and 11pm during weekdays. It is also broadcast...
, based at the university's city campus, broadcasting online at www.flyfm.co.uk. New College Nottingham also broadcast an online radio station, NCN RADIO which has received wide notability for its shows.
There are also three community radio stations serving the city; Faza FM
Faza FM
Faza FM is a community radio station in the United Kingdom. The station broadcasts on 97.1 FM in Nottingham.-Background:Radio Fiza was the sixth of the fifteen original pilot Access Radio stations in the United Kingdom which paved the way for the full launch of community radio stations in 2002...
on 97.1FM is aimed at Asian women and their families. Faza has been broadcasting since 2002; Dawn FM
Dawn FM
Dawn FM is a Muslim Community radio station, broadcasting from The Bobbersmill Community Centre, Nottingham. The station broadcasts to Nottingham and surrounding areas on 107.6FM, and also worldwide on www.radiodawn.com-Background:...
on 107.6FM used to share its broadcast hours with Faza, but in 2006 became a separate service in its own right – broadcasting news, current affairs and music of relevance to the Asian (specifically Islamic) community within the city; Kemet Radio on 97.5 broadcasts urban music while also serving the Afro-Caribbean community. Prior to its launch in 2007 such programming had only been available on pirate radio stations Unique 106.3 (later 107.3) and 107.9 Switch FM (later Freeze FM, networked with the London pirate of the same name), both of which appear to have ceased broadcasts as of late 2006.
Newspapers and magazines
Nottingham's main local newspaper, the Nottingham Post, is owned by Northcliffe MediaNorthcliffe Media
Northcliffe Media Ltd. is a large regional newspaper publisher in the UK and Central and Eastern Europe, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. The company's name was changed to Northcliffe Media from Northcliffe Newspaper Group in 2007.It operates from over 30 publishing centres, and also...
and is published daily from Monday to Saturday each week. There are also a number of other publications which focus on individual areas within the city, for instance the Hucknall and Bulwell Dispatch.
A local culture and listings magazine is available free from many sites around the city called LeftLion
LeftLion
LeftLion is a printed and online culture and listings magazine which covers Nottingham, with a specific focus on the local music and arts scene. It was originally set up by Alan Gilby, Tim Bates and Jared Wilson and the website was launched on 1 September 2003. The first issue of the Magazine came...
, whilst a complimentary, bi-monthly glossy magazine is also available from a number of outlets across the city called Life&Style Magazine. This consists of features typically focused on the area's interest in fashion, entertainment and politics.
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
's Student Union produces the regular Platform Magazine, while Impact Magazine
Impact (student magazine)
Impact Magazine is the official student magazine of the University of Nottingham, it has been published in various forms and various names since 1939 Run on a voluntary basis using funds from the Students' Union, the magazine is available free to students. Impact also publishes a website, which has...
is a monthly magazine written for, and written by students at the University of Nottingham. It has won many national awards for student journalism, and is entirely run by, compiled, and edited by students at the University.
The quarterly Ceasefire Magazine is also based in Nottingham.
Alternative media
Community news project Nottinghamshire Indymedia, which was set up in April 2005, works within a variety of groups to create community media and collaboration between communities throughout the county. At the centre of the project is an online news site, which is run on the principles of open publishingOpen publishing
Open publishing is a process of creating news or other content that is transparent to the readers. They can contribute a story and see it instantly appear in the pool of stories publicly available. Those stories are filtered as little as possible to help the readers find the stories they want....
.
Online entertainment guide NG Magazine covers music, events and entertainment in the city, while This City exclusively covers local music.
The Registered Office of Wiki UK Limited who use the operating name of Wikimedia UK is in Nottingham.
Film
Nottingham has been used as a location in many locally, nationally, and internationally, produced films. Movies that have been filmed (partly or entirely) in Nottingham include:- Saturday Night and Sunday MorningSaturday Night and Sunday MorningSaturday Night and Sunday Morning is the first novel by British author Alan Sillitoe and won the Author's Club First Novel Award.It was adapted by Sillitoe into a 1960 film starring Albert Finney, directed by Karel Reisz, and in 1964 was adapted by David Brett as a play for the Nottingham...
(1960) - The Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerThe Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (film)The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a 1962 film, based on the short story of the same name.The screenplay, like the short story, was written by Alan Sillitoe....
(1962) - The Ragman's DaughterThe Ragman's Daughter-Cast:* Simon Rouse as Tony Bradmore* Victoria Tennant as Doris Randall* Patrick O'Connell as Tony, aged 35 yrs* Jane Wood as Tony's Wife* Leslie Sands as Doris' father* Rita Howard as Doris' mother* Brenda Peters as Tony's mother...
(1972) - In CelebrationIn Celebration (film)In Celebration is a 1975 film adaptation of the play by David Storey. It was directed by Lindsay Anderson and was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series....
(1975) - Twenty Four SevenTwenty Four Seven (film)Twenty Four Seven is a 1997 film directed and written by Shane Meadows. It was co-written by frequent Meadows collaborator Paul Fraser.-Plot:In a typical English working-class town, the juveniles have nothing more to do than hang around in gangs...
(1997) - Once Upon a Time in the MidlandsOnce Upon a Time in the MidlandsOnce Upon a Time in the Midlands is a 2002 film directed and co-written by Shane Meadows and set in an anonymous town in the Midlands. It was filmed on location in Nottingham.-Plot:...
(2002) - One for the Road (2003)
- Nottingham Nobody (2004)
- This Is EnglandThis Is England-Track listing:#"54-46 Was My Number" - Toots & The Maytals#"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners#"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell#"Underpass/Flares" - Movie Dialogue From This Is England#"Nicole " - Gravenhurst...
(2006) - MagiciansMagicians (film)Magicians is a 2007 British comedy film released on 18 May 2007. It stars comic duo Robert Webb and David Mitchell as stage magicians Karl and Harry respectively. The two magicians compete together in a magic competition, despite their personal differences...
(2007)
- Control (2007)
- Mum & DadMum & DadMum & Dad is a 2008 horror film by director Steven Sheil. Its premiere was on August 22, 2008 during the London FrightFest Film Festival. One day later it was shown during the Fantasy Filmfest in Germany. The film is the directors debut of Steven Sheil.-Plot:...
(2008) - BronsonBronson (film)Bronson is a 2008 British fictionalised biographical crime film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Tom Hardy. The film follows the life of notorious prisoner Michael Gordon Peterson, who was re-named Charles Bronson by his fight promoter...
(2009) - The UnlovedThe UnlovedThe Unloved is a British television drama starring Molly Windsor, Susan Lynch and Robert Carlyle. It is about an eleven year old girl called Lucy growing up in a children's home in the UK's care system, and shown through her perspective...
(2009) - Le Donk & Scor-zay-zeeLe Donk & Scor-zay-zeeLe Donk & Scor-zay-zee is a 2009 British mock musical documentary film written and directed by Shane Meadows. It follows the fictional character of Le Donk, played by Paddy Considine, a roadie working for the Arctic Monkeys, and Scorzayzee, a young rapper playing himself.Similar in format to This...
(2009) - Goal 3 (2009)
- Bunny and the BullBunny and the BullBunny and the Bull is a 2009 British comedy film from writer-director Paul King. It stars Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby in a surreal recreation of a road trip...
(2009) - A Boy Called DadA Boy Called DadA Boy Called Dad is a British feature film, produced by Made Up North Productions. It stars Ian Hart and Kyle Ward and is the feature film début of BAFTA winning director Brian Percival BAFTA winning screenwriter Julie Rutterford, and BAFTA nominated producers Michael Knowles and Stacey Murray,...
(2009) - Big Things (2009)
- We Need to Talk About Kieran (2010)
- Oranges and Sunshine (2010)
- The Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight Rises is an upcoming epic superhero film. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film will be the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight...
(2011) - WeekendWeekend (2011 film)Weekend is a 2011 romantic drama film directed by Andrew Haigh. The film stars Tom Cullen and Chris New.- Plot :On a Friday night after a drunken house party with his friends, Russell heads out to a gay club, alone and on the pull...
(2011)
Nottingham is home to Wellington Films, an independent production company most notable for their award-winning film London to Brighton
London to Brighton
London to Brighton is a 2006 award-winning British film. The film was written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams.-Plot:The film opens with a woman and child, Kelly and Joanne, bursting into a London toilet. Joanne is crying and Kelly has a black eye...
.
Twin cities
Nottingham is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following cities:
| Country | Place | County / District / Region / State | Date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... |
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Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... |
.svg.png) |
City Municipality of Ljubljana City Municipality of Ljubljana The City Municipality of Ljubljana, also the City of Ljubljana is one of eleven city municipalities in Slovenia. Its center is Ljubljana, the largest and capital city of Slovenia.- Administrative division :... |
1963 |
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Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... |
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Minsk Minsk - Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened... |
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Minsk Voblast | 1966 |
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Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
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Karlsruhe Karlsruhe The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states... |
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Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants... |
1969 |
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Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... |
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Harare Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... |
Harare Province Provinces of Zimbabwe |Zimbabwe is divided into 8 provinces and 2 cities with provincial status:-See also:*Districts of Zimbabwe*Municipalities of Zimbabwe*List of provincial governors of Zimbabwe*ISO 3166-2:ZW-External links:*... |
1981 | |
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Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
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Ghent Ghent Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of... |
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Flemish Region Flemish Region The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system... |
1985 |
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China | Ningbo Ningbo Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,... |
Zhejiang Province Zhejiang Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital... |
2005 | ||
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Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
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Timişoara Timisoara Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the... |
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Timiş County Timis County Timiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area.... |
2008 |