subject: The East Midlands [print this page] The East Midlands The East Midlands
Nottingham is located in the East Midlands and was granted city charter as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1897. The city is home to the Robin Hood legend and is the location of Richard the Lionheart's siege of the 11th century Nottingham Castle upon his return from the third crusade.
Nottingham thrived during the industrial revolution, and was at the forefront of lace manufacturing. Nottingham's old market square is the largest in the UK, whilst housing some of the most striking Victorian buildings designed by Alfred Waterhouse and Watson Fothergill and a 21 seater cinema, whilst 'Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem', 'The Bell Inn' and 'Ye Olde Salutation Inn' could possibly be some of the oldest pubs in England. Use car rental in Nottingham to visit attractions such as Besthorpe Nature Reserve, the 280 acre racecourse of Colwick Park or the National Ice Centre in the city centre.
Lincoln is thought to have been settled around a deep pool from as early as the 1st century BC. During the Viking period, Lincoln was a trading centre minting its own coins. William I ordered Lincoln Castle to be built in 1068, whose Bishop of 1215 was one of the witnesses to the Magna Carta and as a result one of four surviving originals of the document is preserved in the Castle. A number of famous Bishops have resided at Lincoln Cathedral including Thomas Wolsey and Robert Bloet.
Lincoln fortunes declined and was further exacerbated by the dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII. Lincoln experienced an upturn in fortunes during the Georgian period, the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution and hosted the first ever building of tanks by William Foster & Co during the First World War. Use car rental in Lincoln to visit the fascinating areas such as, Usher Gallery in the magnificent grounds of Temple Gardens, a successful entrepreneur who was born in 1845, he donated a collection of fine and decorative art to Lincoln which went on display in 1927, other visitor attractions include the wonderful 18th century working Ellis Windmill.
Newark on Trent may have been established as a Roman town because of its location on the Fosse Way and was a centre for the wool and cloth trade during Henry II reign. Newark Town Hall was built in 1776 and is a Grade 1 listed building and because of its history of pine furniture making, Newark hosts some of the largest antiques fairs in the country. Use car rental in Newark to visit the Air museum which hosts 69 aircraft and cockpit sections or Newark's Georgian Town Hall.
