Nottingham - Worth the Trip?

[Mr. White]

This post is hobby related as travel is a hobby, but specifically this pertains to wargaming.

We’re planning a vacation to Europe next summer. About two weeks spread between England, Belgium, and France. I’ve always wanted to go to the UK, but it always seemed like some far away thing, now that it’s actually happening…I’m having trouble pinning down where to go exactly. Obviously, as a lifelong minis gamer (46 years old, been doing this since about Nottingham comes to mind for Games Workshop and Wargames Foundry. Outside of BB, I don’t really game GW anymore, but so many decades in those worlds still makes the HQ a desirable destination.

However…is a trip to Nottingham worth it or, with about 5 days allotted for England, should we check out some other destinations? Would the rest of the family find Nottingham enjoyable?

Cheers!

[Sir_Theo]

I suppose 5 days isn't a massive amount of time so it depends on what else is on your list! you might also struggle to get to Foundry as its not in the city itself. That said, I'm not really into GW games anymore but I love Warhammer World, I try and meet friends there about once a year, the museum/hall of miniatures is well worth a visit for someone with a history with their models and games. If its unlikely you'll be back to the UK then you may well owe it to yourself to visit! Nottingham is a nice small city with plenty of stuff to see for your family. The Castle is pretty interesting, and in the vicinity you've also got some other attractions such as the National Justice museum and the city of caves which are all in the old town near the castle. There is also the Trip to Jerusalem, which is a medieval pub- its a little touristy but its a bona fide British pub and probably unlike anything you'd have at home!

[Cubs]

I wouldn't bother with England at all, Wales is far superior! But if your heart's set, you could do a couple of days in London for all that jazz and then a couple of days around Nottingham and the East Midlands. The original Boston is fairly nearby, as are all the north Norfolk beaches, but it's not a massive tourist hotspot in that part of the country.

[Vis Bellica]

I like Nottingham as a place to go, but I wouldn't take my family there on holiday if I only had a limited time in the UK.

With only 5 days, I would stick to the traditional tourist destinations of London and Edinburgh.

[Harry Faversham]

If you've only got five days, pull rank and be selfish...
Bovington Tank Museum (tell the kids they're going to a zoo to see the big cats!), then up a bit to Duxford IWM near Cambridge. If you get lucky at Duxford you might even get a Squadron of Spitfires thundering directly over yer melon!

[dberna67]

If you need I open this thred a couple of years ago:

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=112184.msg1403231#msg1403231

[boneio]

I live in Nottingham! Which gives me an odd perspective as obviously I don't visit my own city as a tourist. 

There is a lot to do but as a family destination it's not really as good as more traditional tourist destinations. The UK isn't huge, perhaps spend 1 day in Nottingham going to Warhammer World and a couple of local attractions, then move on to somewhere bigger? Couple of hours Nottingham -> London by train.

Foundry is off out in the countryside, a bit of a trek, I'm not sure it's of interest to anyone but really committed wargamers.

Warhammer World is excellent if you are into Warhammer but a couple of hours tops really.

The castle was upgraded recently and I really enjoyed it. It's a bit expensive IMO. You have to pay for the digital experience and caves separately... without doing at least one of those two I wouldn't consider it worth the price of entry but with, it's a nice half-day.

Maybe have a look here: https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/east-midlands/nottinghamshire/ (depending on age of family)

[Belligerentparrot]

I'd second what others have said. You probably owe it to your childhood self to go to Warhammer World, and I was pleasantly surprised at how all-ages it is. (What I mean is, for a while there GW pretended its own past didn't exist - by contrast, WW acknowledges GW's history, so there is cool stuff for the older, nostalgia-minded folk).

Your family might not love being dragged to Nottingham when time is so short.

If I were you, I'd leave them to their own devices for a day in London, and catch an early train up to Nottingham, do WW, then train back down the same day.

[Citizen Sade]

Nottingham’s only a couple of hours by train from York too. That’s one of my favourite English city break destinations with plenty to see and do.

[Mr. White]

Thanks, all.

I'm generally not the type to buy souveniers or kitchy things, and don't play too many GW games now as i mentioned, so to be honest not sure I'd even buy anything. It would be more to check out all the citadel on display that I've seen in magazines in decades past. Maybe just hang in the ambiance.

I'm also reading a lot about people suggesting Edinburgh. We hadn't really considered Edinburgh, but should we? Maybe we fly in there, train down to London (with a brief stop in Nottingham), then off to the other countries?

[Hobgoblin]

I'm also reading a lot about people suggesting Edinburgh. We hadn't really considered Edinburgh, but should we?

Yes, definitely! It's a fantastic city to visit, and you'll probably have a much more relaxed time than in London. You can walk everywhere in the city centre (including up some great hills), and there's lots to do and see. Unless you're there at Festival times, it's much less crowded than London, and if you are there in August, it's amazing.

Nottingham isn't on the Edinburgh-London line, so you'd probably have to change at York (itself well worth seeing) or some such place. So it might well take you longer to get to Nottingham from Edinburgh (or vice versa) than from Edinburgh to London (five hours rather than four and a half). But it only takes an hour and a half from London.

[Harry Faversham]

Edinburgh is one of the UK's most handsome cities. The Castle on the hill has two magnificent military museums, one of which displays the French Eagle taken at Waterloo by Sergeant Ewart of the Scots Greys. Ewart's grave is nearby?

 

[AKULA]

For 5 days in the UK, personally I’d skip Nottingham.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Nottingham, having lived/worked in & around it for 5 years, but there is less for your family to do, while you drool over the figures at WW.

As others have suggested, London - York - Edinburgh could work.

York just under 2 hrs from London via train...2000 years of history, Jorvik Viking Centre, Medieval city walls, York Army Museum River boats and fantastic choice of places to eat/drink. You’ve got RAF Elvington (museum) a short cab journey from the centre, plus bags for your family to do. Leeds Royal Armoury is 40 mins away from York, so if you don’t make it to the Tower of London, you can get your fill of history there instead.

IF you really wanted to go to WW in Nottingham, you could train it from York to Nottingham, and leave the family in York guilt free, plus it’s then on the train route if you want to spend a day in Edinburgh (and then maybe hop on a flight back down to London for your connection).

Edinburgh again has plenty to offer, both the history buff, and the Wargames widow (& kids).

[Mr. White]

Honestly, I've always wanted to see the Scottish Highlands. I do feel it would be more `spiritually` rewarding time for me than in a fancy game shop. I'm getting sold on the Edinburgh to York to London. Hadrian's Wall would be cool to see too.

Maybe for Warhammer World...I start the wheels in motion of a 50th birthday there with some old friends. Bring our BB teams, play a small League for a weekend at WW. That might be more fitting.

so for Edinburgh/York/London...military museums will be _low_ on the list for the wife and kids. Scenic towns and natural beauty are a lot higher. Any suggestions on best places to take in the UK from those three locations?

[Sir_Theo]

Thanks, all.

I'm generally not the type to buy souveniers or kitchy things, and don't play too many GW games now as i mentioned, so to be honest not sure I'd even buy anything. It would be more to check out all the citadel on display that I've seen in magazines in decades past. Maybe just hang in the ambiance.

I'm also reading a lot about people suggesting Edinburgh. We hadn't really considered Edinburgh, but should we? Maybe we fly in there, train down to London (with a brief stop in Nottingham), then off to the other countries?

Edinburgh should definitely be on the itinerary. You could also take in York on the way to Edinburgh if you break up the journey. Another city well worth visiting, loads to see as well.


The suggestion of taking a day trip to Notts from London is probably the best one, WHW and all the places in the Lenton business centre.

Hadrians wall is well worth seeing  but best done by taking a few days to walk some, if not all, of it. The museum at Vindolanda is brilliant. The Highlands are incredible, as is the Lake District in England. I live near Chester which is a fantastic city to visit if you are interested in Roman and Medieval.history, and we also have all the Edwardian castles in North Wales (Caernarvon, Harlech, Beaumaris  Coney etc) that are also well worth visiting.   You are going to have to come back for a second  longer visit!

  Edit: Oh Bath too