Nottingham, Lands End

Welcome to Nottingham.

Part of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, the area was under the rule of an Anglo-Saxon chieftain, the unfortunately named Snot. He did, however, give his name to not just the town but the county.

Nottingham is rightly famous for its beautiful lace but is even more well-known as the home of Robin Hood and also the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Part legend and partly based in truth, the first mention of him is in the late 14th-century poem Piers Plowman by William Langland. Hailed as one of the greatest works of mediaeval literature - alongside the almost contemporary Canterbury Tales - the largely allegorical poem deals with human nature in a surprisingly modern way. With minor uprisings common amongst the nobility in the early mediaeval period, it's probably safe to suggest that Robin Hood might well have been a composite of many nobles in hiding, with or without a band of followers!

With two universities, modern-day Nottingham is a thriving student town. Perhaps fittingly, the town also claims to have England's oldest pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which is close to Nottingham Castle. It claims to have been established since 1189, but none of the current buildings is older than the mid-17th century, and neither is there any paperwork to prove the claim. However, it is attached to several caves within Castle Rock, which was originally used as the castle brewhouse and date from its construction in 1068 - this would indicate a hostelry of some kind on the site soon after this date.