East Midlands
Date ideas in Nottingham
Updated
Nottingham is built on sandstone, and it shows: there are caves under the streets, a castle on a great rock and a pub carved into its side. Up the hill, Hockley and the Lace Market are full of independent shops, bars and an arthouse cinema, and the Trent and Sherwood Forest are close by when you want fresh air. These are our picks, rain or shine.
Our picks in Nottingham
Nottingham Castle
Castle Road, city centre
Address: Lenton Road, Nottingham NG1 6EL- Culture
- Mid-price
- Rainy day
Explore the ducal mansion on Castle Rock, with its museum, art gallery and Robin Hood galleries, then go underground on a tour of the caves beneath it.
Why it's a good date: Views over the city from the terrace, a cave tour to give you a thrill, and a ticket that lets you come back all year. Finish at the pub at the bottom of the rock.
Photo: JimmyGuano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Brewhouse Yard, below the castle
Address: 1 Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham NG1 6AD- Bar
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
- Culture
Have a drink in the pub at the foot of Castle Rock that claims to date from 1189, with back rooms carved straight into the sandstone.
Why it's a good date: Sitting in a cave with a pint is hard to beat for atmosphere. Grab one of the rock rooms on a cold evening, or the courtyard on a sunny one, and dogs are welcome.
Photo: Jonathan Clitheroe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
City of Caves
Bottom of Garner's Hill steps, by Nottingham Contemporary
Address: Garner's Hill, Nottingham NG1 1HF- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Head under the city into a network of sandstone caves dug by hand over centuries, from a medieval tannery to a Second World War air-raid shelter.
Why it's a good date: Spooky, surprising and dry whatever the weather. Book a time slot, and wear shoes you don't mind getting dusty.
Wollaton Hall and Deer Park
Wollaton Road, three miles west of the city centre
Address: Wollaton Hall, Wollaton Road, Nottingham NG8 2AE- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Culture
Walk among the red and fallow deer in the big park round Wollaton Hall, an Elizabethan mansion you might recognise as Wayne Manor from The Dark Knight Rises.
Why it's a good date: The park is free to walk in, and the deer are the stars, especially in the autumn rut. Look round the hall if you've time, and bring a picnic for the lake.
Photo: Harry Mitchell, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Nottingham Contemporary
Weekday Cross, Lace Market
Address: Weekday Cross, Nottingham NG1 2GB- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See what's on at the free contemporary art centre on Weekday Cross, whose green walls are stamped with a Victorian lace pattern.
Why it's a good date: Free, and the exhibitions always give you something to argue about over coffee. It's right by the City of Caves, so do both.
Broadway Cinema
Broad Street, Hockley
Address: 14-18 Broad Street, Nottingham NG1 3AL- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Catch an independent or classic film at Hockley's arthouse cinema, with a busy café bar for a drink before or after.
Why it's a good date: A cinema date with more to talk about than the usual blockbusters. Hockley's bars and restaurants are on the doorstep for after.
Photo: Bryn Holmes, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Hockley and the Lace Market
Hockley and the Lace Market, east of Old Market Square
Address: Broad Street, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 3AL- Other
- Free
Wander Hockley's independent shops, record stores and cafés, then drift into the Lace Market's grand Victorian warehouses, built when the city made lace for the world.
Why it's a good date: The most characterful part of the city, and it costs nothing to explore. Time it for late afternoon so you can roll straight into a bar.
Photo: Aethonatic, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Kushi-ya
Low Pavement, city centre
Address: 14a Low Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DL- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Foodie
- Cosy
Share skewers grilled over charcoal and small plates at a Japanese-inspired izakaya with a menu that changes all the time.
Why it's a good date: Small plates mean you get to try lots and steal from each other. Book ahead, as it's one of the city's favourites.
Malt Cross
St James's Street, off Old Market Square
Address: 16 St James's Street, Nottingham NG1 6FG- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Have a drink under the arched glass roof of a restored Victorian music hall, with balconies all round and food from the kitchen.
Why it's a good date: One of the few Victorian music halls left in the country, and a lovely, relaxed place to talk. Grab a seat on the balcony and look down on the room.
Photo: Veggiebacon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall
Theatre Square, Upper Parliament Street
Address: Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Culture
Dress up for a touring musical, a play or a concert at the grand Victorian theatre and its concert hall next door.
Why it's a good date: A proper night out, with the city's bars all a short walk away for after.
Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Victoria Embankment and the Trent
Victoria Embankment, the Meadows
Address: Victoria Embankment, Nottingham NG2 1DW- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
Stroll the tree-lined riverside along the Trent, past the war memorial and its gardens to Trent Bridge, watching the rowers and swans.
Why it's a good date: Flat, free and green, so it's perfect for a slow walk and a proper chat. Bring a picnic in summer and find a spot on the grass by the water.
Photo: Photograph by Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. (www.clemrutter.net)., CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Attenborough Nature Reserve
Barton Lane, Attenborough, six miles south-west of the city
Address: Barton Lane, Attenborough, Nottingham NG9 6DY- Outdoors
- Free
- Out of town
Walk the paths between the lakes and reed beds of old gravel pits by the Trent, now full of birds, then warm up in the nature centre's café on the water.
Why it's a good date: Peaceful and wild-feeling, with herons, swans and the odd kingfisher. The train stops at Attenborough, so you don't need a car.
Photo: Crep171166, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Newstead Abbey
Ravenshead, twelve miles north of the city
Address: Newstead Abbey, Ravenshead, Nottingham NG15 8NA- Trip
- Mid-price
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Culture
- Out of town
Visit Lord Byron's ancestral home, a house built onto the ruins of a medieval priory, with lakes, waterfalls and gardens to walk round.
Why it's a good date: Romantic in every sense, especially if one of you likes a poem. The house opens at weekends and in school holidays, so check before you go and make an afternoon of the gardens.
Photo: brianfagan from Nottingham, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak
Edwinstowe, about twenty miles north of the city
Address: Sherwood Forest, Edwinstowe, Mansfield NG21 9RN- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Out of town
Head out to Sherwood Forest and walk through the ancient oaks to the Major Oak, a huge, propped-up tree that's been growing for centuries.
Why it's a good date: Robin Hood's forest, and lovely in autumn when the leaves turn. The walk is easy, so make a day of it with lunch in Edwinstowe.
Photo: Ema Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Dates in Nottingham: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Nottingham?
Nottingham Contemporary is free and indoors, and the City of Caves, the castle's museum and a film at Broadway keep you dry too. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and the Malt Cross are cosy places to sit out a shower.
Are there free date ideas in Nottingham?
Yes. Nottingham Contemporary is free, and so are a wander round Hockley and the Lace Market, a walk on Victoria Embankment, the deer park at Wollaton and Attenborough Nature Reserve.
Where can we go for a day out from Nottingham?
Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak are about half an hour's drive north, and Newstead Abbey, Byron's old home, is on the way. Attenborough Nature Reserve is a short train ride south-west.
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