Nottingham – introduction to the city

Nottingham is a large English city in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of the UK, well known internationally for its links with the Robin Hood legends.

South Parade and Poultry

Nottingham is the seventh largest urban area in the UK, which ranks it in size between the cities of Liverpool and Sheffield.

Due to the tightly drawn city boundary Nottingham has a relatively small population of 292,400 (2008 estimate from Office for National Statistics), but the city forms part of the Nottingham urban area, which has a population of around 667,100 (2009 estimate), although Eurostat’s Larger Urban Zone lists the population of the area at 825,600 (2004 estimate) and the ‘Journey to Work Area’ has a catchment of about 1.1 million people.

General settlement of what is now the centre of the city probably began around 600 AD, with Nottingham rising in prominence through the Middle Ages and the pre-industrial era, following the construction of Nottingham Castle from around 1067.

Albert Street

The city grew rapidly in size and prosperity during the Industrial Revolution, largely due to the textile industry, and obtained worldwide recognition for lace making and for household names such as Raleigh bicycles, Players cigarettes and Boots the Chemist.

Today Nottingham is one of six designated Science Cities, home to more than 15,000 businesses with a wide range of science and technology sectors, including biomedical sciences, ICT, environmental technologies and advanced engineering, along with significant employment in creative industries and more than 50 regional and national headquarters.

Nottingham is an energetic, cosmopolitan city of first-class shopping, cafes, bars and restaurants, thriving universities and businesses, with a pioneering art and culture scene of live music, theatre, art galleries and museums.

For other information about Nottingham click here

If you want to know more about Nottingham’s past there is further information in ‘Events and dates in Nottingham’s history’ and through these websites:

The Nottinghamshire Heritage Gateway

The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire

Nottingham Local Studies Library

The Nottingham Contemporary

The Old Market Square