A city of Robin Hood legends, a grand hall in a deer park, and a claim to the oldest inn in England. Here is how we would spend a day in Nottingham with your dog.
Nottingham wears its Robin Hood legend lightly and gets on with being a proper, characterful city: caves beneath the streets, a castle on its rock and, best of all for a dog, a great Elizabethan hall standing in a deer park right inside the ring road. Add a string of country parks and nature reserves around the edges and you have a city that gives a dog far more green than you would expect.
A deer park or a nature reserve in the morning, a wander into town, a good lunch and a pint in a legendary old inn is the shape of a Nottingham day. This is how we would spend it, with the real, well-reviewed places we would actually take our own dog.
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Morning: a hall, a deer park and open water
Wollaton Hall is the jewel: a spectacular Elizabethan mansion set in five hundred acres of parkland where wild deer roam and dogs are welcome on leads, with off-lead running in some marked areas. On the other side of town, Attenborough Nature Reserve is a beautiful expanse of lakes and paths along the Trent, with dogs welcome on leads and even in the visitor centre cafe. Both are proper morning-long walks.
For more, Bestwood, Colwick and Highfields all give a dog acres of parkland and, at Colwick, a dedicated dog-walking zone.
The city centre is easy to potter round with a dog, from the market square to the lanes of the creative quarter. The grounds of the restored Nottingham Castle, up on its sandstone rock, welcome dogs in the outdoor areas and cafe terraces, a good spot to take in the view and the Robin Hood statue below.
Nottingham has a genuinely dog-friendly food scene. Fox Cafe is a real favourite with four-legged regulars, Crimson Tree welcomes dogs inside with treats and water, and Yolk is a popular brunch spot that takes them too. For something different, Cafe Sobar is a bright, alcohol-free cafe bar that welcomes dogs.
You have to visit Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, carved into the rock beneath the castle and claiming to be the oldest inn in England, where dogs are welcome downstairs and served their own drinks. The Robin Hood and Little John sells dog beer and Doggy Deli treats, and the Doctor's Orders is a characterful bar that is popular with dogs and keeps treats on hand.
In the heart of the city, Hart's Hotel has garden rooms opening onto a secluded garden and welcomes dogs, and the Lace Market Hotel is fully dog-friendly with bowls provided in the rooms. Both put you within walking distance of the castle, the caves and the old inns.
A deer park with an Elizabethan hall, lakes along the Trent, and a pint in a pub carved into the rock. Nottingham keeps a surprising amount of green for a dog.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Can dogs go to Wollaton Hall and deer park?
Yes, dogs on leads are welcome across the five-hundred-acre Wollaton deer park, with off-lead running in some marked areas. Keep dogs on leads and well back from the wild deer, especially during the autumn rut and spring calving.
What is the best dog walk in Nottingham?
Wollaton deer park is the standout for its space and grandeur, Attenborough Nature Reserve offers beautiful lakeside trails along the Trent with a dog-friendly visitor centre cafe, and Colwick Country Park has a dedicated dog-walking zone.
Which Nottingham pubs take dogs?
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, carved into the rock beneath the castle and claiming to be England's oldest inn, welcomes dogs downstairs with their own drinks, while the Robin Hood and Little John and the Doctor's Orders both keep dog treats on hand.
Where can I stay in Nottingham with a dog?
Hart's Hotel has dog-friendly garden rooms opening onto a secluded garden, and the Lace Market Hotel is fully dog-friendly with bowls in the rooms. Both are an easy walk from the castle and the old inns.
Are dogs allowed at Nottingham Castle?
Dogs on leads are welcome in the outdoor grounds and cafe terraces of the restored Nottingham Castle, a good spot for the view over the city and the Robin Hood statue below, though not inside the museum galleries.
Nottingham through the seasons
Spring
The deer park and nature reserves wake up and the city parks blossom. A Wollaton morning among the deer and a coffee in town is spring in Nottingham at its best. Keep leads on near the deer.
Summer
The city warms up, so walk the parks early, carry water, and make for the shade and lakeside breezes of Attenborough in the heat. The rock-cut Trip to Jerusalem stays cool whatever the weather.
Autumn
The deer park and the Trent-side reserves turn glorious shades of gold and russet, and it is rutting season for the Wollaton deer, so keep well back and dogs close. Crisp park walks and cosy old pubs make a fine day.
Winter
The parks are quiet and the historic pubs are at their cosiest. Wrap up for a brisk deer park or lakeside walk, then thaw out in the caves of the Trip to Jerusalem with a dog at your feet.