Nottingham is proud to have four sites in a new Lonely Planet guide listing the top 500 experiences in the UK.
Lonely Planet – the world’s number one travel guidebook brand – has created the ultimate United Kingdom travel list. The Lonely Planet list of top 500 UK experiences has included four Nottingham attractions (Pictured below) – Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem at 107 (Top left), Newstead Abbey at 186 (Top right), Wollaton Hall and Deer Park (Bottom left) at 426 and the National Justice Museum at 438 (Bottom right).
The list was created from every sight, attraction and experience that had caught their writers’ attention over the years. Votes were then cast by Lonely Planet’s UK online community. Each member was asked to vote for their top 20 experiences. With hundreds of votes cast, Lonely Planet ended up with a score for each of the 500 experiences which have now formed a new guide book. 20 leading figures from the country’s travel sector, were also asked to contribute with their favourite spots and experiences before the voting began.
The events and attractions are based around experiences and themes around the sites so are even more varied with a great deal of competition around the UK.
107: Make the pilgrimage for a pint at Ye Olde Trip Jerusalem – the iconic pub partly carved into the sandstone rock beneath Nottingham Castle described as the oldest inn in England, dating to 1189, which hosts fascinating cellar tours and is the starting point for city ghost walks
186: Indulge your inner romantic at Newstead Abbey – the beautiful ancestral home of the poet Lord Byron set in 300 acres of gardens and parkland with paths that meander past lakes, ponds and waterfalls. Events staged at Newstead this summer include art exhibitions and open air theatre.
426: Discover museums and magnificence at Wollaton Hall – one of the country’s finest Grade 1 listed Elizabethan mansions, containing a Natural History Museum housing wildlife exhibits and collections of rare and unique curiosity, and set within 500 acres of rolling parkland which is home to a herd of deer. It hosts a varied programme of events over the summer, including outdoor cinema, ghost walks and underground tours.
438: Find a life of crime at the National Justice Museum, Nottingham, based in Nottingham’s historic Shire Hall and County Gaol, where the history of law and order is brought to life with interactive exhibits and historical characters. A variety of events take place including special tours, children’s events and special offers to access the City of Caves attraction
More information on the guide and the top ten listings can be found at: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2019/08/13/lonely-planet-uk-best-experiences/
Nigel Hawkins, Head of Culture and Libraries for Nottingham City Council said: “We really welcome these four city attractions being part of the top 500 experiences in the UK. Together, they tell the stories of many dramatic periods of the city’s history and it is wonderful that guides like Lonely Planet are recognising the overall feeling and storytelling nature of a site as a way to experience a place – something we have worked very hard on in Nottingham.
“We look forward to seeing many more visitors that will come to try these attractions and fully expect Nottingham Castle to be added to the list come 2021 where visitors will be able to explore the many and varied stories the site has to tell.”