COUNTY CHASING VOTES FOR UK’S FAVOURITE PLACE
In this love letter to Nottinghamshire GURJEET NANRAH explains why you should vote for the county in a nationwide poll to find the UK’S favourite place
A RICH sporting heritage, city architecture to rival just about anywhere and an endless list of great places to grab a pint... These are just a few reasons why we think Nottinghamshire is a great place to live.
Nottinghamshire is perhaps overlooked by other places in the Midlands and those further north.
But the county is able to hold its own when it comes to what makes it such a great place to visit and live in.
The city contains arguably the best nightlife in the region, with people from Derby and Lincoln frequently coming into the city for a night out and the more rural areas of Notts is where fantastic country parks and cycling routes are found.
Here is my list of five reasons to sum up what makes the county so brilliant.
Rich sporting heritage
■ On the edge of the city, three historical sporting institutions are based.
Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and Nottingham Forest’s City Ground – the sites of many historic moments in sport – lie a stone’s throw away from one another in West Bridgford.
Recently, Trent Bridge served as one of the Cricket World Cup 2019 venues and the City Ground saw football miracles take place under the management of the beloved
Brian Clough.
Further into the city is Meadow Lane – home of the oldest football club in the world, Notts County.
All three stadiums combine to make up a concentrated area of sporting passion unlike anywhere else. All three also have played a huge role in making areas around the city what they are today.
Stunning city architecture
■ It’s often said that if you ever found yourself walking through Nottingham, make sure you look up. That couldn’t be more true.
The city is absolutely full of historic buildings dating back to different periods of British history and architectural styles.
King Street and Carrington Street are two areas in the city where eyecatching buildings can be found but they are also dotted around other parts of Nottingham.
The Prudential Assurance Building on King Street and the Council House in Old Market Square are two of the more well-known buildings that leave visitors stunned.
Great nightlife and places to drink
■ Nottingham is known across the East Midlands for its attractive nightlife and fantastic bars.
Just about any city street you find yourself on has somewhere worth stopping by for a drink. It’s one of the reasons pub crawls are so popular in the city, but perhaps less so since the pandemic.
The Pitcher and Piano, the Magic Garden and the Embankment pub are some of the drinking establishments you’ll be keen to return to.
With such a large number of students in the city during termtime, Nottingham is also a great place to go out clubbing – whatever your taste.
If you’re into cheesy pop, Popworld is the place for you to be, for a little bit of everything, Rock City is a great port of call, and if you’re an allnight raver, Stealth is the place for you.
Fantastic restaurants
■ Nottingham also has a reputation for its fantastic places to eat – some of which are Michelin-starred restaurants.
The first that spring to mind are Alchemilla on Derby Road – run by renowned chef Alex Bond – and Restaurant Sat Bains on Lenton Lane, named after and run by another extremely well-regarded chef, Sat Bains.
Other establishments – like Kushiya in the city centre and Bar Iberico in the heart of Hockley – are places where you’ll find it hard to be disappointed by your meal.
Both are surrounded by great bars that are also well worth a visit afterwards.
Green country parks and places to cycle
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■ Further out of the city, Nottinghamshire is full of green spaces and parks that are fantastic for a family day out, dog-walking, or to go cycling. Rushcliffe Country Park, Bestwood Country Park, and Holme Pierrepont are where some of the best places to cycle can be found. The Embankment along the River Trent also offers a great spot to go walking along the water or to sit down for a picnic. Further out in the county, Newstead and Annesley Country Park and Clumber Park, deep in the heart of Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest, are two of the best places to go walking within a historical setting.