Chasing fairytales in Nottingham

Last updated: 30 July 2023

I, to this day, still can’t tell you with honesty and conviction that Robin Hood was real or merely a tale of folklore.  

Our road trip featured Nottingham not only because it was an ideal ‘break’ after driving out of London, but also because it was the land of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, robbing the rich to give to the poor in Sherwood Forest.

We set off out of London before dawn to head straight for Nottingham.    The land of friars, bows & arrows and also home to England’s oldest pub.

What could be described as “typical”, we drove in Nottingham to find Police everywhere, road closures and streets blocked off with barricades.  Wondering what was going on, we took to Twitter to discover we had arrived just before the Nottingham Armed Forces parade was due to commence.

Nottingham Castle was closed to visitors as it was the marshalling ground for the start of the parade so we wandered around the local area to see what we could find.

First stop: Forbidden Planet. Not for me of course!  14 mins in a comic book store was enough for me, I set off to explore the city of Nottingham.

I found the Robin Hood statue just around the corner from the Nottingham Castle.  I was happy that the Parade was on because it meant that I could really appreciate the detail in the statue and the others surrounding it without being bombarded by others.

I got a few good shots and then just as quick as it started, my tranquility was short lived before a group of school children descended.

With that I made a quick exit to England’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. According to the pub it was founded in 1189 AD. The Trip, as the locals call it, features some very low ceilings that will give anyone taller than 5ft 6 a quick headache, a haunted room, a “museum”  which is nothing more than a couple of swords on the wall and some cobwebs and sloping stairs that might make you feel like you’ve had more than one pint.

In keeping with old traditions, they served beers I’d never heard of, and upon a selection (complete random and based on the picture on the tap), I got one that smelt like dirty feet.

Out of Nottingham and headed North towards the infamous Sherwood Forest.

You’ve got to love England.  They will charge you for everything.  Sherwood Forest is free, however parking on a weekend is not.  £3 later we found ourselves zipping through the poorly designed ‘tourist information’ and strolled through the famous Forest.  It reminded me of my only camping experience. Dull and rustic.

In case you’re wondering, The Major Oak tree is real. Its giant limbs are supported by scaffolding. Hardly worth the trek though. Disappointed by the Forest we set forth to York.

The Essentials

London to Nottingham

• Distance: 130 miles (210km)
• Time: 2.5 hours
• Condition of roads: Good. It’s mostly freeway, however Nottingham into Sherwood Forest is more of a typical country road, although tar all the way.

Recommendation: The people are nice, but I found the whole experience rather mediocre.