Goose Fair Site

Nottingham has had an annual fair since 1294. It was granted the right to hold a fair by King Edward I. The original fair was for the sale of livestock (particularly Geese) during the first week of October.

This would enable the folk of outlying villages to buy meat for the winter and have a goose fattening up in time for the Christmas Feast.

The original site of the fair was the market square, this being the original meeting place outside of the castle walls where the Norman and Saxon citizens would trade with each other. During the early part of this century the fair was moved to a site North of the City approximately 1 mile from the Market Square.

• The Goose Fair

Market Square

Nottingham’s Market Square is the biggest in Britain at 5.5 acres. The market square is the original divide between the Norman's and the Saxons. In later years it became the site of Nottingham's famous Goose Fair whose origins can be traced back to around 1284.

Lace Market

Lace brought Nottingham fame and fortune. You will find the magnificent Victorian offices and factories built by the lace barons here. Lace is still made in Nottingham but often by computerised production methods. Many lace items can be purchased at the Lace Hall and the Lace Centre. Tourists can also now follow a published Lace Market trail around the area’s elegant and historic streets, where many new businesses now thrive.

• The Lace Market Museum
• The Lace Market Theatre

City Centre Travel

Nottingham City Transport, with other bus companies provides a comprehensive and regular service throughout the urban area.

Local train services link the Trent Valley villages to Nottingham for commuters and links are also good to Lincoln, Derby, Grantham, Newark, Leicester and Loughborough.

Nottingham also has a growing network of cycle routes, currently extending to 37 miles.

See also:

• Theatres
• Museums
• Travel
• Leisure and Tourism