Nottingham is a major sporting centre and, in October 2015, was named "Home of English Sport".[17] TheNational Ice Centre,Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre andTrent Bridge international cricket ground are all based in or around the city, which is also the home of two professional football teams:Notts County, recognised as the world's oldest professional league club, andNottingham Forest, two-time winners of theUEFA European Cup underBrian Clough in1979 and1980. The city has professional rugby, ice hockey and cricket teams; it also hosts the AegonNottingham Open, an international tennis tournament on the ATP and WTA tours. This accolade came just over a year after Nottingham was named as the UK's firstCity of Football.[18]
The nameNottingham comes from theOld EnglishSnotingaham, meaning "homestead of theSnotingas" (that is, "the family or followers of a man called Snot"). The loss of the initial S is due to Norman influence.[22] In hisLife of King Alfred, the Welsh clericAsser refers to Nottingham asTigguocobauc (modern WelshTŷ Gogofawg), meaning "cave house". It is unclear, however, whether this is a genuine Welsh name for Nottingham or an invention of Asser's.[23]
The Anglo-Saxon settlement was originally confined to the area today known as the Lace Market and was surrounded by a substantial defensive ditch and rampart. The ditch had fallen out of use and been filled in by the time of theDomesday Book (1086).[25] Following the Norman Conquest, the Saxon settlement developed into the "EnglishBorough" of Nottingham. A "French Borough" also developed around the castle on the hill opposite. Eventually, the space between was built on as the town grew and theOld Market Square became the focus of Nottingham.[25] Defences consisted initially of a ditch and bank in the early 12th century. The ditch was later widened, in the mid-13th century, and a stone wall built around much of the perimeter of the town. A short length of the wall survives, and is visible at the northern end of Maid Marian Way, and is protected as a Scheduled Monument.[25]
During the Black Death of 1349, it is believed that approximately 60% of Nottingham's population died, but that migration from other parts of England helped begin the process of population recovery.[28]
By the 15th century, Nottingham had established itself as the centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture made fromNottingham alabaster.[29] During the late medieval period Nottingham alabasters were exported as far afield as Iceland, and may be one reason why a small number of Icelandic immigrants lived in Nottingham during the 15th century.[30] The town became acounty corporate in 1449[31] giving it effective self-government, in the words of the charter, "for eternity". The Castle and Shire Hall were expressly excluded and remained as detached parishes ofNottinghamshire.
One of those highly impressed by Nottingham in the late 18th century was the German travellerC. P. Moritz, who wrote in 1782, "Of all the towns I have seen outside London, Nottingham is the loveliest and neatest. Everything had a modern look, and a large space in the centre was hardly less handsome than a London square. A charming footpath leads over the fields to the highway, where a bridge spans the Trent. … Nottingham … with its high houses, red roofs and church steeples, looks excellent from a distance."[32]
During theIndustrial Revolution, much of Nottingham's prosperity was founded on thetextile industry; in particular, the city became an internationally important centre oflace manufacture. In 1831 citizens rioted in protest against theDuke of Newcastle's opposition to theReform Act 1832, setting fire to his residence on the site of Nottingham Castle.
Nottingham in 1831
In common with the British textile industry, Nottingham's textile sector fell into decline in the decades following theSecond World War.[33] Little textile manufacture now takes place in Nottingham; however, many of the former industrial buildings in the Lace Market district have been restored and put to new uses.
Nottingham was one of the boroughs reformed by theMunicipal Corporations Act 1835, and at that time consisted of the parishes of St Mary, St Nicholas and St Peter. It was expanded in 1877 by the addition of the parishes ofBasford, Brewhouse Yard,Bulwell,Radford,Sneinton, Standard Hill, and parts of the parishes ofWest Bridgford,Carlton,Wilford (North Wilford). In 1889 Nottingham became acounty borough under theLocal Government Act 1888. City status was awarded as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, being conveyed in a letter from the prime minister, theMarquess of Salisbury to the mayor, dated 18 June 1897. The city was enlarged in 1933 by the addition ofBilborough andWollaton, parts of the parishes of Bestwood Park andColwick, and a recently developed part of theBeeston Urban District. A further boundary extension occurred in 1951, when Clifton and Wilford (south of the River Trent) were incorporated into the city.[34][35]
Electric trams were introduced to the city in 1901; they served the city for 35 years until 1936. Trams were reintroduced after 68 years whena new network opened in 2004.[35]
During the second half of the 20th century Nottingham saw urban growth with the development of new public and private housing estates and new urban centres, which have engulfed former rural villages such as Bilborough, Wollaton, Gedling and Bramcote. South of the river there has also been expansion with new areas such as Edwalton and West Bridgford, adding to Nottingham'surban sprawl. Although this growth slowed towards the end of the century, the modern pressures for more affordable and council housing is back on the political agenda and there is now pressure on thegreen belt which surrounds the city.[39]
The city also has aLord Mayor who is selected by city councillors from among themselves. The position is largely ceremonial but the Lord Mayor also acts as Chair of Full Council meetings.
The City of Nottingham's boundaries are tightly drawn and exclude several suburbs and towns that are usually considered part ofGreater Nottingham. Unlike the city, these areas are governed by a two tier system of local government. Nottinghamshire County Council is based at the county hall. It provides the upper tier of local government whilst the lower tier is split into several district or borough councils. The County Council are responsible for Health, Social Care, Education, Highways, Transport, Libraries and Trading Standards, whilst the lower tier councils are responsible for local planning, neighbourhood services, housing, licensing, environmental health and leisure facilities. The towns ofBeeston,Stapleford andEastwood are administered byBroxtowe Borough Council. Further west still, the Nottingham urban district extends intoDerbyshire whereIlkeston andLong Eaton are administered byErewash Borough Council, andRipley byAmber Valley. To the north,Hucknall is governed byAshfield District Council, while in the eastArnold andCarlton form part of theBorough of Gedling. South of the river, the town ofWest Bridgford lies inRushcliffe, as do the outlying villages ofRuddington andTollerton and the town ofBingham.
Map illustrating the boundaries of the city and the widerGreater Nottingham area
Nottingham has three UK parliamentaryconstituency seats within its boundaries.Nottingham North has been represented since 2017 byLabourMember of Parliament (MP)Alex Norris,Nottingham East since 2019 by Labour MPNadia Whittome andNottingham South since 2010 by Labour MPLilian Greenwood. Each of the outer districts (Broxtowe, Ashfield, Gedling and Rushcliffe) are also parliamentary constituencies in their own right although the parliamentary constituency boundaries do not align with the boundaries of the council districts of which they share their name.
In 2017 it was reported that Nottingham was one of a number of UK cities that broke WHO air pollution guidelines for the maximum concentration of small particulate matter; the pollution in part being caused by harmful wood-burning stoves.[43]
Nottingham is bounded by a green belt area, provisionally drawn up from the 1950s. Completely encircling the city, it extends for several miles into the surrounding districts, as well as towards Derby.
Like most of the United Kingdom, Nottingham has atemperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) and experiences warm mild summers and mild to cool winters with abundant precipitation throughout the year. There are two weather-reporting stations close to Nottingham: the former "Nottingham Weather Centre", atWatnall, about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the city centre; and theUniversity of Nottingham's agricultural campus atSutton Bonington, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the city centre. The highest temperature recorded in Nottingham (Watnall) stands at 39.8 °C (103.6 °F),[44] whilst Sutton Bonington recorded a temperature of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F),[45] both recorded on19 July 2022, and the record-high minimum temperature is 20.3 °C (68.5 °F)[46] recorded on 20 July 2022. On average, a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) or above is recorded on 11 days per year, whilst a temperature of 30 °C (86 °F) is recorded at least 1 day per year[47] at Watnall for the period of 1991–2020, and the warmest day of the year reaches an average of 30.0 °C (86.0 °F).[48]
For the period 1991–2020 Nottingham (Watnall) recorded on average 36.9 days of air frost per year,[49] and Sutton Bonington 42.2.[50] The lowest recorded temperature in Nottingham (Watnall) is −13.3 °C (8.1 °F) recorded on23 January 1963[51] and13 January 1987,[52] whilst a temperature of −17.8 °C (0.0 °F) was recorded in Sutton Bonington on24 February 1947.[53] The record-low maximum temperature is −6.3 °C (20.7 °F)[54] recorded inJanuary 1963. For the period of 1991–2020, the coldest temperature of the year reaches an average of −5.5 °C (22.1 °F)[55] in Nottingham (Watnall).
The city centre of Nottingham is usually defined as theOld Market Square. The square is dominated by theCouncil House, which was built in the 1920s to replace theNottingham Exchange. The Council House hasbaroque columns and two stone lion statues in the front to stand watch over the square. TheExchange Arcade, on the ground floor, is a shopping centre.
Tall office buildings line Maid Marian Way. The Georgian area around Oxford and Regent Streets is dominated by small professional firms. TheAlbert Hall faces theGothic revivalSt Barnabas' Roman Catholic Cathedral byPugin.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, pastNottingham 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 strikingVictorian buildings designed by such architects asAlfred Waterhouse andWatson Fothergill.[63]
The canal-side to the south of the city is adjacent toNottingham railway station and home to multiple repurposed (as bars and restaurants) 19th-century industrial buildings.[64]
Canal-Side, Nottingham
The eastern third of the city containsHockley Village, with specialist and independent shops. TheVictoria Centre is also in the area; it was built in the 1970s on the demolishedVictoria railway station site. All that remains of the old station is the station hotel and clock tower. The 250-foot-high Victoria Centre flats stand above the shopping centre and arethe tallest buildings in the city.
Many of the buildings have been converted into apartments, bars and restaurants. The largest building in the Lace Market is theAdams Building, built byThomas Chambers Hine forThomas Adams (1807–1873), and currently used byNottingham College. The Georgian-built Shire Hall, which was once Nottingham's maincourt andprison building, is now home to theNational Justice Museum (formerly the "Galleries of Justice").
Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem (the Trip), partially built into the cave system beneath Nottingham Castle, is a contender for the title of England's Oldest Pub, as it is supposed to have been established in 1189.[65]
The Bell Inn in the Old Market Square, andYe Olde Salutation Inn (the Salutation) in Maid Marian Way have both disputed this claim. The Trip's current timber building probably dates back to the 17th or 18th century, but the caves are certainly older and may have been used to store beer and water for the castle during medieval times. There are also caves beneath the Salutation that date back to the medieval period, although they are no longer used as beer cellars. The Bell Inn is probably the oldest of the three pub buildings still standing, according todendrochronology, and has medieval cellars that are still used to store beer.[66]
There are three colleges offurther education located in Nottingham:Bilborough College is solely asixth form college; Nottingham College was formed in 2017, by the amalgamation ofCentral College Nottingham and New College Nottingham (which had both previously formed from the merger of smaller FE colleges); and theConfetti Institute of Creative Technologies, owned by Nottingham Trent University, is a further education college that specialises in media.[69] The city has dozens of sixth form colleges and academies, providing education and training for adults aged over sixteen.[70]
Green's Mill, Sneinton and Science Centre – A unique working windmill in the heart of the city that was home to the 19th-century mathematical physicist and millerGeorge Green.
Nottingham Castle Museum – Home to the city's fine and decorative art collections, along with the Story of Nottingham galleries, and theSherwood Foresters Regimental Museum.
In 2015, theNational Videogame Arcade was opened in the Hockley area of the city; being "the UK's first cultural centre for videogames".[75] It was announced in June 2018 that the arcade was soon to close and relocate toSheffield city centre,[76] where it reopened in November 2018 as the National Videogame Museum.[77]
Nottingham was named one of the UK's six science cities in 2005 by the thenChancellor of the ExchequerGordon Brown. Among the science-based industries within the city isBioCity. Founded as a joint venture between Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, it is the UK's biggest bioscience innovation and incubation centre, housing around 80 science-based companies.[80] In 2010, Nottingham City Council announced that the target sectors of their economic development strategy would include low-carbon technologies;digital media;life sciences; financial and business services; and retail and leisure.[81]
Economic trends
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
The city formerly had a major bicycle manufacturing industry sector.Raleigh Bicycle Company was established in 1886 andSturmey-Archer, the developer of three-speed hub gears, was also founded in the city. Raleigh's factory on Triumph Road, famous as the filming location ofSaturday Night and Sunday Morning, was demolished in 2003 to make way for the University of NottinghamJubilee Campus's expansion.
In 2015, Nottingham was ranked in the top 10 UK cities for job growth (from 2004 to 2013), in the public and private sectors.[82] and in the same year, it was revealed that more new companies were started in Nottingham in 2014–15 than in any other UK city, with a 68% year-on-year increase.[83] In 2017, Nottingham came seventh in Harper Dennis Hobbes's Top 50 British Centres, behind theWest End of London,Glasgow,Birmingham,Manchester,Leeds andLiverpool.[84]
TheBridlesmith Gate area has numerous designer shops, one being the originalPaul Smith boutique. There are various specialist shops and small businesses in side streets and alleys: notable streets include Poultry Walk, West End Arcade and Hurts Yard and Derby Road (the latter once known for antiques). Smaller shopping areas in the city are the olderFlying Horse Walk,The Exchange Arcade,Hockley and newer Trinity Square and The Pod.
In March 2011, the government announced the creation ofNottingham Enterprise Zone, anenterprise zone sited on part of theBoots Estate.[86] In March 2012, Nottingham Science Park, Beeston Business Park and Nottingham Medipark were added to the zone.[87] In December 2014, the government announced that the zone would be expanded again, to include Infinity Park Derby, a planned business park for aerospace, rail and automotive technology adjacent to theRolls-Royce site inSinfin, Derby.[88]
The Creative Quarter is a project started by Nottingham City Council as part of the Nottingham City Deal. Centred on the east of the city (including the Lace Market, Hockley, Broadmarsh East, the Island site and BioCity), the project aims at creating growth and jobs. In July 2012, the government contributed £25million towards a £45millionventure capital fund, mainly targeted at the Creative Quarter.[89]
Nottingham Central Library opened in November 2023 at a cost of more than £10 million and provides books, computer access and other public services.[90][91]
Galleries includeNottingham Contemporary art centre in the Lace Market, opened in 2009, andNew Art Exchange contemporary art gallery, the largest in the UK dedicated to showing diverse artists, opened in 2008.
Nottingham has a range of public artworks across the city, largely from the twentieth century. These include traditional statues such asRobin Hood byJames Woodford, and Lee Johnson's statue ofBrian Clough. Contemporary artwork includesAnish Kapoor'sSky Mirror at Nottingham Playhouse, andAspire by Ken Shuttleworth at the University of Nottingham. In 2018 the site ofLenton Priory was declared a sculpture park and three new artworks commissioned on the site. These include 'Lenton Priory Stone' by James Winnet[92] based the carvings on the 12th century Norman baptismal font from the Priory, and the 'Lenton Priory Pillars' byAdrian Riley.[citation needed]
Nottingham has several large music and entertainment venues including theRoyal Concert Hall,Rock City,Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (2,500-capacity) and theNottingham Arena (Social centre). Nottingham'sCity Ground played host to rock band R.E.M with Idlewild and The Zutons supporting in 2005, the first time a concert had been staged at the football stadium.[95]
Nottingham also has a selection of smaller venues, including theAlbert Hall (800-capacity),Ye Olde Salutation Inn,Malt Cross, Rescue Rooms, the Bodega, the Old Angel, the Central, the Chameleon and the Corner.
Nottingham is known for itship-hop scene.[96] Audio Recording Studios opened in 2013,[97] on the site of a former square known as "Milk Square" which was known to have hosted musicians, bands and orchestras in the 1800s.[98][99] Since opening, the studios have hosted musicians and actors from various places including involvement in Hollywood films,[100] and British rock bandSpiritualized's albumAnd Nothing Hurt.[101] The studios are a base for rapper and producerSway Dasafo's New Reign Productions[102][non-primary source needed] and Jake Bugg's manager, Jason Hart.[103] The rock bandChurch of the Cosmic Skull are from Nottingham.[104][105]
The city is particularly famous for its annualGoose Fair, a large travelling funfair held at theForest Recreation Ground at the beginning of October every year. Established over 700 years ago, the fair was originally a livestock market where thousands of geese were sold in the Old Market Square, but the modern-day Goose Fair is known for its fairground rides and attractions.[113]
Since the late 1990s,Nottinghamshire Pride has organised an annualpride parade, a day-long celebration that usually takes place in the city in July.[114]
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There are more than three hundred restaurants in Nottingham, with severalAA Rosette winners (as of 2018[update]).[115] City-centre restaurant, Ibérico World Tapas, was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2013 Michelin Guide.[116] There are also two Michelin-starred restaurants: Alchemilla in the city centre has one star; andRestaurant Sat Bains with Rooms, on the edge of the city near Clifton Bridge, has two Michelin stars.[117] There were five other Nottingham restaurants recommended in theMichelin Guide in 2020.[117] Nottingham is recognised as one of the UK's most vegan-friendly cities,[118] and it is whereVeggies of Nottingham was founded in 1984. The Nottingham City Council in 2024 announced it had switched to all plant-based catering, following similar changes by other councils includingOxfordshire County Council andCambridge City Council.[119]
In 2010, Nottingham was named as one of the "Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2010" byDK Travel.[120] Nottingham was ranked number one for the 'Best Value City Break' in August 2017 by TripAdvisor.[121] According to the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) report, tourism in Nottingham city was valued at £628 million in 2017, an increase of 4.1% over the 2016 figure of £604 million.[122]
Many local businesses and organisations use the worldwide fame of Robin Hood to represent or promote their brands. The Robin Hood Pageant takes place in Nottingham each year and has been rebranded Robin Hood Live for 2020. The city is home to the Nottingham Robin Hood Society, founded in 1972 by Jim Lees and Steve and Ewa Theresa West.[123] Sherwood Forest County Park is a Natural Nature Reserve spanning 450 acres (1.8 km2) in the county of Nottinghamshire only 17 miles (27 km) north of Nottingham. This grand forest has been a part of great history for centuries, showing evidence of use by prehistoric hunters and gatherers. It is even said that the legendary Robin Hood of the 1200s has set foot here and hid near the Major Oak, referred to as the 1,000-year-old giant tree.[124] Today, Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre & Nature Reserve is internationally recognised, with annual visitors reaching around 350,000.[125]
Each February Nottingham celebratesLight Night, with dozens of free creative events illuminating the city. The city has also hosted the Nottingham Cave Festival, Nottingham Puppet Festival, The Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity, plus a series of outdoor film and theatre performances at historical locations throughout the summer.
In February 2008, aFerris wheel was put up in the Old Market Square. 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 theLondon Eye.[126]
Meadow Lane (left) and theCity Ground (right) either side of theRiver Trent, the two closest professional football grounds in England
Nottingham is home to two professional football clubs:EFL League Two clubNotts County andPremier League clubNottingham Forest. Their two football grounds, facing each other on opposite sides of the River Trent, are noted for geographically being the closest inEnglish league football. Notts County, formed in 1862, is the oldest professional football club in the world.[127] It was also among theFootball League's founder members in 1888. For most of its history the team have played their home games atMeadow Lane, which currently holds some 20,000 spectators, all seated. They currently play in League Two of the English Football League (most recently played at Level 1 in May 1992).[128]
Nottingham Forest, who currently play in thePremier League, were Division One English League champions in 1978 and won theEuropean Cup twice over the next two seasons under the management ofBrian Clough, who was the club's manager from January 1975 to May 1993, leading them to fourFootball League Cup triumphs in that time. They have played at theCity Ground, on the south bank of theRiver Trent, since 1898. Nottingham Forest joined the Football League in 1892, four years after its inception when it merged with the rivalFootball Alliance, and 100 years later, they were among theFA Premier League's founder members in 1992—though they had not played top division football from May 1999 until their promotion from the Level 2EFL Championship in the2021/2022 season, 23 years later.[129][130] TheCity Ground played host to group stage games in the1996 European Football Championships.[131]
Nottingham won the title of 2015 City of Football after five months of campaigning, which resulted in £1.6m in funding for local football ventures and to encourage more people to play the sport.[132] Nottingham was selected to be a host city for theEngland 2018 FIFA World Cup bid.[133] It was proposed that if the bid were successful, the city would have received a new Nottingham Forest Stadium.[134]
The city was the birthplace and training location forTorvill and Dean, who won gold medals inice dance at the1984 Sarajevo Olympics. TheNational Ice Centre, which first opened in 2000, is the home base of theNottingham Panthers ice hockey team, and hosts an array of winter sporting events including the UKSpeed Skating Championships. The plaza at the front of the ice centre is named "Bolero Square" after Torvill and Dean's gold medal-winning performance.
Nottingham has tworoller derby leagues:Nottingham Roller Derby (formerly Nottingham Roller Girls, formed 2010, and home to the Super Smash Brollers from 2013 to 2020)[136][137] and East Midlands Open Roller Derby (formed 2020, after the Super Smash Brollers team left the Nottingham Roller Derby banner to become a new, standalone league).[138] TheNottingham Hellfire Harlots were aWTFDA-ranked league from 2010 to 2023.[139] They announced their disbanding on 3 August 2023, citing the difficulties with continuing to run a grassroots sports team.[140]
In October 2015, Nottingham was named as the official Home of Sport byVisitEngland,[141][142] for its sporting contributions and in recognition of its development of football, cricket, ice hockey, boxing, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, and water sports.
Nottingham railway station, formerlyNottingham Midland, provides access to rail services for the city; trains are operated byCrossCountry,East Midlands Railway andNorthern. It is the only remaining station in the city centre and is the second-busiest railway station in the Midlands for passenger entries and exits.[145]
Nottingham was an important interchange for many railways and mineral lines which served the city, its suburbs and the collieries around the city. The city once had five other railway stations:
Nottingham Victoria which was the second largest station in the city. Owned jointly by theGreat Central Railway andGreat Northern Railway. It closed in 1967, after declining usage and the station buildings were demolished. The site is now theVictoria Centre shopping centre. The clock tower is still in situ and the cutting is under the shopping centre at the lower level including the old Mansfield Road Railway Tunnel.
Nottingham Arkwright Street was originally the second station in Nottingham, near to Nottingham Midland. It was originally only to be opened temporarily but was kept open until 1963, when it was closed. It reopened briefly in 1967 as the terminus of a skeleton service from Nottingham toLeicester andRugby, only to be closed in 1969. The site is now buried under a road alignment, tram tracks and industrial buildings.
Nottingham London Road Low and High Level was located directly north-east of Nottingham Midland and the low-level platforms were closed to passengers in 1944. The high-level platforms were closed in 1967. Goods services continued to serve the station until 1972 when the rails were removed. The station is still in situ and is now used as a leisure centre.
Nottingham Racecourse was located nearNottingham Racecourse and was a minor station on the line between Nottingham and Grantham. The station closed in 1959 and the line is still in use. Nothing remains of the station.
Nottingham is served by amunicipal bus company,Nottingham City Transport (NCT), which is the biggest transport operator in the city with 330 buses.[19] NCT has won fiveUK Bus Operator of the Year awards, most recently in 2019.[146] The formerBroadmarsh shopping centre and multi-storey car park was demolished in the early 2020s; the car park was rebuilt to includea bus station and library, while the centre was demolished and plans to be landscaped into an urban park.[147]
In April 2012, Nottingham became the first city in the UK to introduce a workplace parking levy.[148] The levy charges businesses £350 on each parking space made available to their employees, provided that the business has more than ten such parking spaces. The council have used the revenue of around £10 million a year to develop the city's tram system.[149] There has been a 9% reduction in traffic and 15% increase in public transport use since the introduction of the levy.[150]
In September 2010, Nottingham was namedEngland's least car-dependent city by theCampaign for Better Transport with London, Brighton and Manchester in second, third and fourth place, respectively.[151][needs update]
Nottingham was one of several trial locations arranged by theDepartment for Transport to facilitate local journeys byelectric scooters. Started in October 2020 together withDerby City Council, in December 2023 the trial was extended until 2026. Riders must be 18 years of age minimum, hold a full provisional driving licence, must ride on roads and bus lanes only, not pedestrian footways, and pay by mobile-phone app.[152]
In late December 2023, the partner-business, US-basedSuperpedestrian, planned to cease trading by 31 December, and the scooters were withdrawn from their city centre locations.[153] Nottingham City Council are to seek a new provider to continue the scheme.
Law enforcement is carried out byNottinghamshire Police, whose headquarters are at Sherwood Lodge inArnold. The city has aCrown Court and aMagistrates' Court. Laurie Macdonald ofInside One magazine observes that Nottingham's former high crime rate earned it the nickname "Shottingham", but that by 2013 this image was outdated. The article was written in response to auSwitch survey that had found south Nottinghamshire to be the fourth-best place to live in the UK in terms of living standards. Crime in the city of Nottingham had also fallen by three-quarters since 2007.[154]
Severn Trent Water is the company responsible for supplying fresh water to households and businesses in Nottingham, as well as the treatment of sewage. Severn Trent took over these services from theCity of Nottingham Water Department in 1974.
The city has one of the largestdistrict heating schemes in the UK, operated by EnviroEnergy Limited, which is wholly owned by Nottingham City Council. The plant in the city centre supplies heat to 4,600 homes and a wide variety of business premises, including the Concert Hall, the Nottingham Arena, the Victoria Baths, the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre, the Victoria Centre, and others.[158]
Historically, the requirement for city status was the presence of an Anglican (Church of England) cathedral; however, Nottingham does not have one of these, having only been designated a city in 1897 in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. From around AD 1100, Nottingham was part of theDiocese of Lichfield, controlled as anarchdeaconry fromLichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire. In 1837, Nottingham's archdeaconry was placed under the control of theDiocese of Lincoln and, in 1884, it was incorporated into the newly createdDiocese of Southwell which it is still part of today. The bishop is based atSouthwell Minster, 14 miles (23 km) northeast of the city.
Although lacking an Anglican cathedral, Nottingham has three notable historicAnglican parish churches, all of which date back to theMiddle Ages. The oldest and largest of these isSt. Mary the Virgin, situated in the Lace Market. The church dates from the eighth or ninth centuries, but the present structure is at least the third building on the site, dating primarily from 1377 to 1485. A member of theMajor Churches Network, St. Mary's is considered themother church of the city and is used for holding civic services, including the annual welcome to the new Lord Mayor. In the heart of the city isSt. Peter's, the oldest building in continuous use in Nottingham, with traces of building dating back to 1180. The third notable Anglican parish church isSt. Nicholas', known locally as "St. Nic's", situated on the edge of the city centre in the direction of the castle.
The population of Nottingham is 331,077 (2024).[6] The population ofGreater Nottingham is 729,977 (2011) and the Metro population is 1,543,000 (2011). The city of Nottingham has a density of 4,338/km2 (11,240/sq mi). At the 2021 census, 65.9% were White, 14.9% Asian, 10.0% Black, 5.9% mixed or multiple ethnic groups and other groups were 3.3%.[9]
From 1983 to 2005Central Television (theITV region for the east Midlands) had a studio complex on Lenton Lane, producing programmes for various networks and broadcasting regional news. The studios are now a satellite campus of the University of Nottingham, since 2005.
The city was granted permission by Ofcom to establish its own local television station. After a tender process, Confetti College was awarded the licence. The station was declared open byPrince Harry in April 2013 andNotts TV began broadcasting in spring 2014.[165]
In addition to the national commercial and BBC radio stations, the Nottingham area is served by licensed commercial radio stations (though all broadcast to a wider area than the city).
The city's two universities both broadcast their own student radio station.Fly FM is based at Nottingham Trent University's city campus and is broadcast online. The station originated in 1996 with its original name of Kick FM.[166]University Radio Nottingham (URN) is broadcast around Nottingham University's main and Sutton Bonington campuses on medium wave (AM), as well as over the internet. URN was founded in 1979 after starting out with a slot on BBC Radio Nottingham in the late 1970s.[167]
Nottingham's main local newspaper, theNottingham Post, is owned byLocal World and is published daily from Monday to Saturday each week.
LeftLion magazine (established 2003) is distributed free of charge across the city, covering Nottingham culture including music, art, theatre, comedy, food and drink.[citation needed]
Student tabloidThe Tab also publishes online content and has teams at both universities.[168][169]
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:[170]
^"Festivals".New Art Exchange. 2014. Archived fromthe original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved11 January 2015....the Nottingham Mela, an annual South Asian festival that was first held 25 years ago.
^Edgley, David (18 October 2011)."Nottingham's Pride festivals".Our Nottinghamshire.Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved6 February 2019.
^Macdonald, Laurie (27 November 2013)."Shottingham? I think Notts".Inside One magazine. Milford Scott. Archived fromthe original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved4 November 2014.Nottingham seems to have been given a bad reputation by the rest of the country, with nickname 'Shottingham' being the favourite
^"Städtepartnerschaften" [Town twinning] (in German). Stadt Karlsruhe. 16 December 2010. Archived fromthe original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved5 January 2011.
^"Ghent Zustersteden" [Ghent Sister cities].Stad Gent (in Dutch). City of Ghent.Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved20 July 2013.
^"Ноттингем" [Nottingham].Krd.ru (in Russian). Archived fromthe original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved9 November 2017.
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