Nottingham Castle fills its galleries with showmen, photography and mid-century art

Perched on Castle Rock above the city, Nottingham Castle has watched over Nottingham since William the Conqueror ordered a wooden castle to be built there from 1068. Today the site is home to Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery, and its autumn programme shows just how much there is to discover.

The museum itself has a proud history. After the ducal mansion built from the 1670s was burned by rioters in 1831, the building was restored and opened in 1878 as a museum, becoming the first municipal art gallery outside London. A £30 million restoration began in 2018, and after a difficult period the site reopened to visitors in June 2023.

This season brings two new temporary exhibitions running from 26 September 2026 to 10 January 2027. A Fair Story offers a contemporary exploration of travelling showmen, while New Era looks at collecting art photography since the 1980s. Mid-Century Moderns is on display until August 2027.

The summer brought one of the year's most moving shows. Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: Artists, Lovers, Outsiders, curated by writer Damian Barr, told the story of two Scottish painters through more than one hundred works. "They were so famous and briefly so rich," Barr told LeftLion, explaining his wish to restore the pair to their rightful place in art history.

Beyond the galleries, visitors can join tours into the caves beneath Castle Rock to see Mortimer's Hole or King David's Dungeon, and on the last Sunday of every month the Nottinghamshire Bobbin Lace Society demonstrates its craft in Brewhouse Yard, a fitting nod to the city's lace heritage.

Admission is designed to encourage return visits. An adult ticket allows unlimited visits for 12 months, children aged 15 and under go free with a paying adult, and a Rover ticket covers Wollaton Hall, Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey.

With Halloween trails, Christmas events and relaxed mornings every Sunday and Monday, there is always a reason to climb the hill again.

Exhibition details, tickets and cave tour bookings are on the Nottingham Castle website.