A medieval adventure at Nottingham Castle

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Although I lived in Nottingham for 3 years while I was at university I didn’t really do any of the touristy things… which I really regret now. Right at the top of my places to visit with Erin was Nottingham Castle!

Where is the castle?

Nottingham has a fantastic, eco-friendly public transport system and there are plenty of options to choose from. The tram stop in Old Market Square is only a 5 minute walk away and there are plenty of busses that stop a short walk away from the castle.

If you are arriving by car then there are plenty of places to park in the city center. There are 3 designated Blue Badge parking spaces on Castle Road directly outside the Castle (NG1 6AA), as well as 12 regular spaces, plus on-street parking. These spaces are all free for Blue Badge holders.

Nottingham Castle’s address is:

Nottingham Castle
Lenton Road
Nottingham
NG1 6EL

Opening times

6 June – 4 September 2022	10am – 6pm
5 September – 30 October 2022	10am – 5pm
31 October 2022 – 26 March 2023	10am – 4pm

Ticket prices

Prices are correct as of August 2022. At this time, the entrance fee also includes an annual pass to the castle. If you book tickets online the annual pass will be issued when you arrive.

Adult	£13.00
Child (5-17)	£9.50
Senior / Concession	£12.00
Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children)	£35.50
Family (1 Adult and up to 3 children)	£22.50
Under 5	FREE
Essential Companions	FREE

The Art Gallery

We started our exploration of the castle on the top floor which is the art gallery. I think this is a good place to start as you can then work your way down to the bottom in a nice order. There was a real mix of art in this section, from paintings to clothes made from lace (a must to learn about in Nottingham).

I wasn’t sure how much Erin would like this area but we always try to pick out our favourite thing for something fun to do. There were also loads for children to do in the art gallery which was a lovely surprise. Colouring sheets had been laid out as well as a rainbow craft and sheets for Castle Bingo to take around with you.

I was really impressed that children had been so thought of in this area of the castle as it’s probably not the most fun for them. This meant that while Erin was colouring for a bit I could look around and still keep an eye on her at the same time.

Robin Hood Adventures

On the lowest level of the castle you’ll find Robin Hood Adventures and I’m quite glad we left this area until last. Here, you can learn how to fight with a quarterstaff and practice your archery skills with a bow and arrow! The digital games were so much fun and Erin absolutely loved them. There was a bit of a wait during our visit but each game is only a few minutes long so people aren’t on there for too long before needing to swap.

Hood’s Hideout

I think the highlight of Erin’s visit to the castle was the medieval-themed play area outside. You can see a glimpse of the play area as you walk up to the castle so Erin got excited the minute she saw it.

Erin found that there was a lot for her to do in the play area. There are slides, climbing equipment, tunnels and bridges to play on and there’s a really good mix of covered areas and open areas. This meant that when Erin made a friend they could play hide and seek together with lots of safe places to hide.

We spent quite a bit of time in the play area after lunch and had we not had other plans, I think Erin would have happily stayed there all day. If you’re local or are staying in Nottingham for a few days then the annual pass means you can go back just for the play area if you like and that makes the entrance fee such good value for money.

Food and drink

There are two options for eating at the castle if you want to purchase food while you’re there. Inside the Visitor Center there is a coffee shop as well as the Terrace Cafe in the Ducal Palace. Both serve a range of hot and cold food as well as drinks with quite a lot of space to sit.

We chose to take a picnic lunch with us and enjoyed sitting in the castle grounds to eat. Up near the top of the castle there is a huge green area where lawn games such as croquet were laid out, and there were plenty of benches and deck chairs dotted around. This is where we chose to have our picnic and it was a lovely spot to sit and have lunch. The one thing I would say is that there could be more bins around as it wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped to find one for our rubbish.

Would we go back?

Absolutely! I wish we’d had a bit more free time during our stay in Nottingham so we could have visited the castle again. For the entrance price, even without the annual pass, I think it was such good value for money and you can have a full day out there if you want to.

Thinking about visiting Nottingham? Check out this 3 day itinerary for families.

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