Nottingham City Centre
Encyclopedia
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Nottingham
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...
, 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...
. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the 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...
conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
.
The centre of the city 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 UK's
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...
largest city square. A major redevelopment of the Old Market Square was completed in March 2007. Many of the main shopping streets are based around the square, which is dominated by Nottingham's city hall
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....
. The building's landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
dome may be seen for miles around. Much of the ground floor of the building houses the Exchange Arcade, a boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
shopping centre.
A Bohemian
Bohemian style
In modern usage, the term "Bohemian" is applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. The adherents of the "Bloomsbury Group", which formed around the Stephen sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf in the early 20th century, are among the best-known examples...
quarter of the city known as 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...
has arisen in recent years, situated close to 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...
area.
Nottingham's central railway station is located in the city centre. 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...
trams also service the area.
Shopping
Nottingham city centre has been voted 5th in Experian'sExperian
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...
list of the top 15 UK retail areas.
The city centre's fashion core is centred around 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....
, which is home to upmarket names such as Kurt Geiger, Ted Baker
Ted Baker
Ted Baker is a British clothing retail company, known for applying twists to its products, and has become a UK designer label through word of mouth rather than advertising.-History:...
and Diesel. Sir Paul Smith's
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....
flagship store is located on Middle Pavement, and Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
is located on St. Peter's Gate. London-based Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
have plans to open a Nottingham branch in 2012/2013.
Zones
Main article: Nottingham ParksmartNottingham Parksmart
Nottingham Parksmart is a parking scheme which divides Nottingham city centre into five distinctive zones to aid parking in the city, and to help tourists find attractions.-Plans:The plan first appeared in early 2004, and integration began in 2008....
Nottingham city centre is split into five "zones" which were introduced with the Nottingham Parksmart
Nottingham Parksmart
Nottingham Parksmart is a parking scheme which divides Nottingham city centre into five distinctive zones to aid parking in the city, and to help tourists find attractions.-Plans:The plan first appeared in early 2004, and integration began in 2008....
scheme in 2009 to signpost visitors to parking facilities and tourist attractions. The zones are:
- Lace Market
- Broadmarsh
- Castle
- Royal
- Victoria
Visitor attractions
Nottingham CastleNottingham 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...
is a popular attraction for visitors to the city due to its links with 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....
. The Brewhouse Yard Museum (Museum of Nottingham Life) and the Museum of Costume and Textiles are close by.
Part of Nottingham's vastly expansive cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
network is open to the public through the 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....
attraction, and 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...
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:...
were once a fully functioning Victorian courtroom
Courtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
.
Notable churches within the city centre include the Roman Catholic Nottingham 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:...
, and the medieval St. Mary's Church
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....
at the heart of the Lace Market.
The National Ice Centre (adjoined to Capital FM Arena Nottingham) is located close to the city's Lace Market quarter and is the first twin Olympic ice-pad facility in the UK. It is the home of the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, a professional ice-hockey team.
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:...
is a mid-sized music venue that draws many popular bands from across the world, and so is an important part of Nottingham's music tourism
Music tourism
Music tourism is the act of visiting a city or town, in order to see a gig or festival. With the presence of the tourist, money is spent and the local economy benefits...
scene.
Entertainment
Nottingham is home to a wide variety of entertainment venues, the largest of which is the 10,000-seater Capital FM Arena (part of the National Ice Centre), where many big-name acts perform regularly.The city's major producing theatre, 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:...
, has built up a national reputation for its exciting, innovative and contemporary new works.
The Nottingham Royal Centre incorporates the 2,500-seater 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...
and the 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...
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...
. The Royal Concert Hall is the region's top venue for classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and regularly plays host to world-class orchestras
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and ballets
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, while the Theatre Royal is considered one of the finest venues in the country for major touring West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
.
The Corner House entertainment complex houses a multi-screen Cineworld cinema
Cineworld
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...
and a multitude of continental pavement-cafes and restaurants.
Eastside City
Eastside City is the name of the redevelopment project that is set to transform an extensive former industrial brownfield area to the east of Nottingham city centre's historic core. This area stretches from the Nottingham-Beeston CanalNottingham Canal
The Nottingham Canal was a long canal between Langley Mill in Derbyshire and Nottingham, England. It opened in 1796, and most of it was closed in 1937. The southern section is now part of the River Trent Navigation, and the northern section is a nature reserve.-Origins:The idea for the canal first...
in the south towards the National Ice Centre. At the heart of the regeneration
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
zone will be The Island site which will be totally overhauled to become a thriving city quarter with public open spaces, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and a new park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
for the city's inhabitants. The development will consist of new homes, offices and retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
units.
Notable buildings
- Arkwright Building, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityNottingham 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...
- Newton Building, Nottingham Trent UniversityNottingham Trent UniversityNottingham 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...
- Nottingham Council HouseNottingham Council HouseNottingham 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....
- Nottingham PlayhouseNottingham PlayhouseThe 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:...
- Nottingham CastleNottingham CastleNottingham 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...
- Nottingham CathedralNottingham CathedralThe 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:...
- St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church, NottinghamThe 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....
- Nottingham railway station
- Broadmarsh Shopping CentreBroadmarsh Shopping CentreWestfield 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...
- Victoria Shopping Centre
- Victoria Shopping Centre apartments
- The Corner House
- National Ice Centre
- Theatre RoyalTheatre Royal, NottinghamThe 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...
- Marco Island
- iQ NottinghamIQ Nottingham#REDIRECT iQ Student AccommodationiQ Nottingham , is a student residence converted from a former telephone exchange on Lower Parliament Street in Nottingham city centre...