Weekday Cross, Nottingham, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Weekday Cross is a small historic market site in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, marked today by a modern cross monument. For centuries it was a place of trade and public announcements, and it is tied into the Robin Hood stories of the city. It is a quick stop, but a good one for understanding how medieval Nottingham worked.

The story behind it

Before Old Market Square became the city's main gathering place, this area was a centre of Nottingham's market life. Cross monuments have stood on this spot for centuries, and the steps of the cross were a natural place to read out public announcements and proclamations. The monument you see now is a modern one, put up in the 1990s, so it is the place rather than the stonework that carries the history.

Folklore adds a livelier layer. One popular tale says Robin Hood slipped into town here disguised as a chicken seller, using the bustle of the market to pass unnoticed and pick up news of what the authorities were planning. It is a legend rather than a documented event, but it fits the spot well: a busy crossing where a stranger with a basket would have drawn no attention.

What to look for

• The cross monument itself, and the steps around it, where you can picture proclamations being read to a crowd.
• The way the streets meet at this junction, which shows why traders and travellers once gathered here.
• The older brick buildings of the nearby Lace Market, which give the area its distinctive character.
• The contrast between this quiet corner and the busy shopping streets a few minutes' walk away.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about ten minutes for the cross itself. It is an outdoor street location, free to see and open at any time.
• Visit in the morning or early evening when the streets are calmer and it is easier to take photos.
• Combine it with a walk through the Lace Market, and with the nearby National Justice Museum and St Mary's Church. Check current opening hours if you want to go inside either.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as the surrounding streets are cobbled in places and the area slopes.

See it on a quest

Maid Marian's Nottingham: Finding Robin Hood is a natural fit for this stop, given the Robin Hood legend attached to it. Maid Marian's Nottingham: Finding Robin Hood is a self-guided walk played on your phone. You reach Weekday Cross on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

If you prefer a mystery, Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Nottingham takes you through the city's streets in the same way, from place to place with the app as your guide and a puzzle to solve at each stop. One ticket covers the whole group.

For something more playful, Lucky Treasure Hunt: The Golden Shamrock in Nottingham is a treasure hunt on foot, with no guide and no group to join. You start whenever you like, and one ticket covers the whole group.