London: Road Trip to Nottingham

Road trip! The whole gang (well, almost) decided to travel with Jake to his house in Nottingham where he was dropping off his car in return for another day of good ole’ memory making.

The whole trip went smoothly, besides at the beginning when Jake realized his tire was completely flat. Before arriving at his home, we made a few stops.

The first stop was Wollaton Hall and Deer Park. Wollaton Hall is a late Elizabethan mansion perched on a hill that overlooks 500 acres of wetland, grass and woodland. Olivia could not stop talking about the deer park, which first of all, I did not even know was an actual thing. Were there actually loads of deer just waiting to be spotted by humans? Or was there a large population in the area and people often got a glimpse? Well, let the pictures do the talking.

I was amazed. These deer were huge. There were big deer, little deer, brown deer and light gray and brown deer with spots. They were everywhere and it was fantastic.

After the shock of the deer calmed down, we strolled around the large pond in the park grounds. The low fog made the woods that surrounded the pond feel like an enchanted forest.

We also visited Wollaton Hall, which was unfortunately closed. So, we only got to see it from the outside. Fun fact: Wollaton Hall was Wayne Manor in The Dark Knight Rises.

We said farewell to the adorable deer and then headed into Central Nottingham. I have to say, the city reminded me a bit of Philly or Boston with its clean streets and young vibe. We desperately needed to refuel, so we went to The Roebuck Inn, which is a Victorian pub. It is actually a part of the Wetherspoon chain of restaurants and hotels. The eatery really impressed me with its extremely affordable prices, great-tasting food and energetic vibe.

After we re-energized, we walked by the Nottingham Castle, a Robinhood statue and what claimed to be the oldest pub in the world, which, according to the Internet, has resident ghosts.

We finally got around to dropping off Jake’s car and then headed back into the city for an hour to await our train. We relaxed in a pub on the Nottingham Canal, which is quite a charming area.

About three hours and a very lively train ride later, we were all back in our charming purple home. I am glad I got to explore a new part of England today, even if most of the day was spent traveling. I made memories and enjoyed myself, and that’s what matters to me.