Hall of Fame (Wollaton Hall (Nottingham))

Name: maddip

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Product:	Wollaton Hall (Nottingham)
Date:	22/05/03 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its a piece of history, Beautiful scenery

Disadvantages: Crowded, Sometimes being refurbished

Most stately homes in England really suck. They are either old and boring, or ludicrously expensive, or covered in graffiti and chewing-gum and litter.

Wollaton Hall is the antidote...just when you are losing faith in hte tourist attractions over here, you should visit this place.
The Hall itself is a large, English Renaissance building; cool, airy and a pleasure to walk around even when it is raining outside. In it, there is a motor museum and the city's only natural history museum. The park around Wollaton is the main attraction, but should you be unlucky enough to chance a wet day, there is plenty to see and do inside, namely to view a spectacular Hall dating back to 1588.

The Natural History museum is an educational yet enjoyable exhibit, to rival that in London. There is a Green trail and a Nature trail (though those are really for the kids), an insect exhibit (i have yet to overcome my phobia so normally pass on that one), some stuffed animals - a gorrila and a giraffe - and is fairly cheap at £1.80 for adults and 80p concession (while a joint ticket for the park and hall is just £2 for adults and £1 concession).

The motor museum, while not my thing, is definately a must for those interested in the rise of industry. I stumbled across this while searching for the toilets, and i have to admit that even my interest was captivated by the exhibition of cars, bikes and the lace industry that has made Nottingham famous.

But, as i said before, the grounds are the real attraction, and definately the reason that most people go. Wollaton Hall is set in an impressive 500 acres of greenery with a beautiful and inspiring deer park. Nowadays you can still see the deer in amongst the trees, but what stands out more are the dozens of picnickers. Families of all ages come to enjoy the sunshine and listen to the sounds of nature. Teenagers playing sport fight for space with the relaxed old people, the young children on the bouncy c
astle shrieking for ice creams and the avid naturalists come to view the deer and extensive bird life.

If mingling with lots of people isn't your thing, there are usually quite secluded spots around the back (500 acres speaks for itself) but if you come on a breezy summer's day, expect to be crowded.

I fell in love with this place at my first picnic, but then i may be biast...i love everything about nottingham. If you are in the area, come see to make your own mind up.

Some useful Hall facts:

Architect: Robert Smythson
Location: Nottinghamshire, England
Date: 1580 to 1588
Building Type: large house
Construction System: bearing masonry
Style: English Renaissance
Parking: Excellent; large carpark

Summary: