Nottingham

Sister cities

• Ningbo
• Harare
• Minsk
• Ghent
• Karlsruhe
• Ljubljana
• Timișoara

History

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. It is believed that during the Black Death of 1349 approximately 60% of Nottingham's population died but that migration from other parts of England helped begin the process of population recovery. By the 15th century Nottingham had established itself as the centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture made from Nottingham alabaster. During the late medieval period Nottingham alabasters were exported as far afield as Iceland and may be one reason why a small number of Icelandic immigrants lived in Nottingham during the 15th century. The town became a county corporate in 1449, giving it effective self-government, in the words of the charter, "for eternity". The Castle and Shire Hall were expressly excluded and remained as detached parishes of Nottinghamshire. One of those highly impressed by Nottingham in the late 18th century was the German traveller C. P. Moritz, who wrote in 1782, "Of all the towns I have seen outside London, Nottingham…

Geography

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. In 2017, it was reported that Nottingham was one of a number of UK cities that broke WHO air pollution guidelines for the maximum concentration of small particulate matter, the pollution in part being caused by wood-burning stoves. Nottingham is bounded by a green belt, provisionally drawn up from the 1950s. Completely encircling the city, it extends for several miles into the surrounding districts as well as towards Derby. * Alexandra Park * The Arboretum * Aspley * Bakersfield * Basford * Beechdale * Bestwood * Bestwood Park * Bilborough * Broxtowe * Bulwell town * Bulwell Hall * Carrington * Cinderhill * Clifton * Dunkirk * Forest Fields * Highbury Vale * Hockley * Hyson Green * Lace Market * Lenton * Lenton Abbey * Mapperley * Mapperley Park * The Meadows * New Basford * Nottingham city centre * Old Basford * The Park * Radford * Rise Park * Sherwood * Sherwood Rise * Silverdale * Snape Wood * Sneinton * St Anns * Strelley * Thorneywood * Top Valley * Whitemoor * Wilford * Wollaton * Arnold * Attenborough * Beeston *…

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11,698
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,237
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,718
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,638
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,174
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,966
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,239
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,670

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2023-06-28
  2 km SE of Cheadle, United Kingdom
• M 3.6 — 2022-05-30
  2 km ESE of Prees, United Kingdom
• M 3.2 — 2022-02-21
  5 km N of Hockley, United Kingdom
• M 2.8 — 2015-09-22
  2 km W of Cottesmore, United Kingdom
• M 3.8 — 2015-01-28
  2 km WSW of Market Overton, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2014-10-28
  2 km NNE of Hucknall, United Kingdom