Postponed from 2nd April, today was another of our cultural days out with mates, Dennis and Sandra. This time it was Nottingham Castle and then lunch at the famous Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub, nearby!
We let the train take the strain and grabbed the 9.28 out of Kettering that got us to Nottingham Station around 40 minutes later.
The four of us are building up quite a portfolio – and this is our 18th day out together!
Previously…
Wollaton Hall (October 2024)
Nottingham City (May 2024)
Doddington Hall (December 2023)
International Bomber Command (September 2023)
Southwell (March 2023)
Chatsworth House (November 2022)
Belvoir Castle (August 2022)
Kedlestone Hall (May 2021)
Hardwick Hall (August 2020)
Castle Howard (December 2019)
The Royal Armouries Museum (March 2019)
Bolsover Castle (October 2018)
Belton House (May 2018)
York (February 2018)
Burghley House (October 2017)
Hull (May 2017)
Leeds (February 2017)
The Castle
A short taxi ride got us to the castle in around 10 minutes.
Well, it was certainly a nice day for it, but if you’re looking for a ‘castle castle’, then Nottingham Castle isn’t the one! It’s actually a Ducal Mansion (Duke’s mansion) on the site of the original Castle that was built in 1068. The castle has had its ups and downs through history, but today, in 2025, it was in fine condition.
In recent years, a serious amount of money has been spent on revamping the entrance area with a combined Admissions/Gift Shop before you get as far as the actual building.
Admission was £15 each (no concessions at all, but if you trade them your email address, you can return for up to a year for free!). Trading over, we decided the first stop would be their nearby Café (there’s another, inside the Mansion).
Given that it was only 10.40 (and the Castle hadn’t opened until 10) everywhere was pretty much empty. Still, having a Castle to yourself, is no bad thing! 😀.
Suitably refreshed, and after a thorough catch-up of each other’s news, we headed up towards the summit and the direction of the castle-that’s-not-a-castle. Given the supposed connection between Nottingham and Robin Hood, there was a distinct lack of arrows (not the killing kind, but the directional sort), and where this was to become a ‘thing’ in a short while. However, the lack of direction was more than made up for by the stunning views across the surrounding land.
Yes, some very stunning views across the countryside, but we were here for the views on the INSIDE.
Those expecting to see typical ruins of a Castle inside will be disappointed, maybe even confused (but I’ll get to that in a minute!). Entering through the glass doors, we were all unclear as to which way to turn – left or right? OK, we had a 50/50 chance, so what could possibly go wrong? Again, it was the distinct lack of directional arrows, leaving it all to chance.
We turned right and stumbled into a Gallery of some sort, complete with a stained glass window and a bank of personal LED screens.
It was all fascinating to look at, but none of us were getting the ‘castle-vibe’ at all.
We found ourselves in an exhibition about the ‘Major Oak‘ – located in Sherwood Forest. Still no sign of anything relating to Robin Hood though!
It soon became clear that much of the Castle’s interior was in fact an Art Gallery/Exhibition space – nothing wrong with that, per se, but we were expecting something else. And so, with our ‘Art Gallery/Exhibition’ heads now firmly screwed on, we saw the Castle’s interior in a different light.
Once we’d accepted that there were no turrets/cannons/arrow slits and cold stone walls, it was all very enjoyable. There were plenty of exhibits and a wide range of pictures, painted in various styles.
Lots to see here and if you like Lace and the best was yet to come…
It was a this point, we realised that we seemed to be doing everything BACKWARDS. It didn’t make an awful lot of difference, but we’d viewed the lace dresses above from the NEWER to the OLDER rather than how the exhibitors had intended – the other way around.
Next stop? A visit to the Basement to look at the ‘Rebellion Gallery‘. Obviously, we knew we had to head down, but to do that, we needed either stairs or a lift. Neither of which were obvious! (Signage! 🤬🤬🤬🤬). A friendly member of staff spotted our confusion and helped us out, pointing us in the right direction. It was still a voyage of discovery, with one arrow pointing to a locked door! We eventually arrived!
The Rebellion Gallery looked at the riotous moments in Nottingham’s history and it did a good job using a mix of technologies to bring it alive. It was the first time I’ve seen LED TVs used ‘portrait’ fashion to tell some of the stories – and it was very effective. Our ‘doing everything backwards’ strategy continued to confuse, as we realised once more that we had entered the Gallery via the exit. Rebellious that’s us! 🤔
Our final stop was the Lower Basement where, at last, there were some Robin Hood-related exhibits. Many of them were interactive, including archery practice and using a wooden staff to herd geese (yes, really!) – an essential life-skill! 😀. Dennis and I resisted the temptation to show-off, leaving Class 3B to embarrass themselves!
No trip to Nottingham would be complete without the obligatory photograph of ‘Robin Hood’ – success! 👍👍
All-in-all, it was an enjoyable visit, once we’d reoriented ourselves away from ‘castles as castles’ towards ‘art/history/culture’. What let it down for this visitor was the poor/lack of signage. For a City known for its excess of arrows, they were singularly lacking here at Nottingham Castle! 🤔
At just before 1pm, we headed for Lunch about a five-minute walk away.
The Pub
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem – Weird name and very old Pub! Opened in 1189, makes it England’s oldest surviving Inn, and there were plenty of reminders, some more obvious than others 😂.
Apparently, the Pub was frequented by none other than the famous Richard the Lionheart before heading off to the Crusades (hope he settled his tab!)
Inside was lovely! A typical (very) old Pub. Narrow staircases, lots of nooks and crannies and a resident family of ghosts! Oh, and a great range of ales!!! 😋
The menu didn’t disappoint, and after we ordered, we spent the next 10 minutes or so discussing where we’ll go on our cultural day-trip next time in September. No firm decisions yet, but we’ve narrowed it down! 🤔
We were soon tucking in, reflecting on our trip around the Castle.
We finished lunch just after 2pm and wandered back down the hill towards the Station. Dennis and Sandra headed off towards John Lewis, whilst we saw that our train was cancelled, meaning the next one wasn’t until just after 3pm, meaning we arrived home just before 4.30. It had been another great day out – here’s to the next one in September! 👍👍😀
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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