Nottingham

The name Nottingham comes from the Old English Snotingaham, meaning "homestead of the Snotingas" (that is, "the family or followers of a man called Snot"). The loss of the initial S is due to Norman influence. In his Life of King Alfred, the Welsh cleric Asser refers to Nottingham as Tigguocobauc (modern Welsh Tŷ Gogofawg), meaning "cave house". It is unclear, however, whether this is a genuine Welsh name for Nottingham or an invention of Asser's.

The written history of Nottingham dates back to 919 AD, when Edward the Elder captured the settlement, subsequently building a fortress on the south bank of the Trent. Following the Norman Conquest William the Conqueror built a castle in Nottingham, which he entrusted to William Peverel. 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 Domesday Book (1086). Following the Norman Conquest,the Saxon settlement developed into the "English Borough" 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 the Old Market Square became the focus of Nottingham. …

Nottingham is situated on an area of low hills along the lower valley of the River Trent, and is surrounded by the Sherwood Forest in the north, the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield in the west, and the Trent and Belvoir Vales in the east and south. Within the city native wildlife includes red fox, peregrine falcon and common kingfisher. Notable nature reserves around the city include Attenborough Nature Reserve SSSI, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, Holme Pit SSSI, Fairham Brook Local Wildlife Site and Wollaton Park. Owing to its position as a central city with strong transport links, Nottingham has become home to invasive animal and plant species including rose-ringed parakeet, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam. …

Nottingham Central Library opened in November 2023 at a cost of more than £10 million and provides books, computer access and other public services. Galleries include Nottingham Contemporary art centre in the Lace Market, opened in 2009, and New 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 as Robin Hood by James Woodford, and Lee Johnson's statue of Brian Clough. Contemporary artwork includes Anish Kapoor's Sky Mirror at Nottingham Playhouse, and Aspire by Ken Shuttleworth at the University of Nottingham. In 2018, Nottingham City Council commissioned three new artworks on the site of Lenton Priory. …

Nottingham is the East Midlands' largest economy. Although not within the Nottingham city boundary, areas around the city are affluent and commuter belt for the city. Rushcliffe in 2025 out of 543 parliamentary constituencies came out at 538, making the area one of the most affluent constituencies in England. The headquarters of several large companies are based in the city: these include Alliance Boots (formerly Boots the Chemists); Chinook Sciences; GM (cricket bats); Pedigree Petfoods; VF Corporation (American clothing); Changan Automobile (Chinese-made automobiles); the credit reference agency Experian; energy company E. …

Nottingham is served by East Midlands Airport near Castle Donington in north-west Leicestershire, just less than 15 miles (24 km) south-west of the city centre. The reintroduction of trams in 2004 made Nottingham one of only nine English cities to have a light rail system. As of May 2025, trams ran either from the city centre to Hucknall in the north to Toton Lane in the south, or between Phoenix Park park and ride and Clifton. Nottingham railway station, formerly Nottingham Midland, provides access to rail services for the city; trains are operated by CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Northern. 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. …