The Chinese bell tower
An 1862 war memorial in Chinese style that once held a bell looted from Canton, guarded by Crimean War cannon.
In the middle of Nottingham's oldest public park stands a Chinese-style bell tower, put up in 1862 as a memorial to the men of the local 59th Regiment and once topped by a bell that British troops had carried off from a temple in Canton during the Second Opium War. The bell itself was moved to the regimental museum in 1956, but the tower remains, flanked by two cannon captured at Sebastopol and two replicas. It is the one thing you will remember from a place that was only ever meant to be a collection of trees. The park opened in May 1852 before a crowd said to number thirty thousand, laid out by the botanist Samuel Curtis as a living tree collection that today holds more than 800 trees of around 65 species, some of them original plantings. That pedigree earns it a Grade II* place on the national register of historic parks, a rank few municipal parks reach. Scattered around it are the aviaries, the oldest a circular one from 1889, a bandstand of 1907, a small lake, formal flower beds and a statue of the Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor. Be clear about what it is: an hour's stroll, not a destination. The park is compact, its surfaced paths suit pushchairs and slow walkers, but there are currently no toilets and the café is seasonal and may well be shut when you arrive. On-street parking nearby is scarce, so take the tram to 'The Arboretum' stop on Waverley Street, 150 metres from the gate, or walk about twelve minutes uphill from Old Market Square. Spring to early autumn is the time to come, when the trees are in full leaf and local festivals fill the lawns. The gates open around 08:00 on weekdays (09:00 at weekends) and close about 21:15 from May to August, but in winter they shut between roughly 16:30 and 17:00 as the light goes. On a short Nottingham visit the Castle and the city's caves deserve your time first; on a longer stay this is a pleasant free afternoon hour with children.
An 1862 war memorial in Chinese style that once held a bell looted from Canton, guarded by Crimean War cannon.
More than 800 trees of some 65 species, some surviving from the original 19th-century planting, in a park listed Grade II*.
An 1889 circular aviary and a 1907 bandstand give the park its Victorian flavour and are what stop children in their tracks.
Waverley Street, Nottingham NG7 4HF
No; with a single day go to Nottingham Castle, the City of Caves and Old Market Square. The Arboretum is a pleasant free stroll for those staying several days or passing it on the way north of the centre.
Yes, the paths are surfaced and mostly level and the aviaries and lake keep little ones amused, but note there are currently no toilets in the park and the café is seasonal, so bring water and snacks from town.