Nottingham Stag Do

A Nottingham stag do comes with its own outlaw. This is Robin Hood country, so the stag can spend the weekend robbing the rich (that’s you, holding the kitty) and giving to the bar staff. It’s a big student city with two universities, so there are plenty of places to drink and they’re well used to a crowd. It also sits in the middle of the country, which helps when half the group lives in Newcastle and the other half in Southampton.

I like it because it does a bit of everything. Old pubs, late bars, proper outdoor stuff on the doorstep, and a centre you can walk round without a map. It suits a mixed group well, from the lads who want to be out until the small hours to the ones who’d rather find a decent ale and a seat.

Hockley and the Lace Market sit side by side on the east side of the centre. Hockley is the place for backstreet cocktail bars and independent pubs, while the Lace Market’s old warehouses now house bars and late venues. Old Market Square, known locally as Slab Square, is the obvious meeting point, with plenty of bars around it for the first round.

Make sure you get a pint at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, tucked under the castle rock with rooms cut into the sandstone. It claims to be the oldest inn in England. A couple of other pubs dispute that, which gives the lads something to argue about over the second pint. Rock City is the long-running gig and club venue if the group wants a proper late one. Plan it as a pub crawl from the Trip into Hockley and the evening sorts itself out.

The standout here is water. The National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, just outside the city on the River Trent, has a man-made white water course, so white water rafting is on the menu without a trip to Wales. Put the stag at the front of the raft. It’s tradition, and it’s funnier.

On dry land, paintball and It’s a Knockout both suit a big group. A Knockout gives you inflatables, silly costumes and a team leaderboard, which is about the right level of competition for lads who peaked in Year 9. Football fans can check fixtures at the City Ground, and cricket fans at Trent Bridge.

Nottingham station has direct trains from London St Pancras and good links across the Midlands and the North. East Midlands Airport is the closest for anyone flying in. The centre is compact, and the trams and buses cover the rest, though most of your weekend will be on foot.

• Check the river. The white water course depends on river levels, so have a backup activity ready in case it’s off.
• Bring ID. Plenty of bars check, and a student city means doormen are used to asking.
• Dress the stag. Robin Hood is right there. Our stag do costumes have the tights covered.
• Keep the drinking indoors. Police in UK city centres can usually stop you drinking in the street.
• Shopping around? Compare a stag party in Nottingham with Birmingham before you lock in a date.

I’d base the group on the east side of the centre, near Hockley and the Lace Market. The two sit side by side, so you’ve got backstreet cocktail bars and independent pubs in one and old warehouses full of bars and late venues in the other, all within a short walk of your beds. That’s the whole night sorted without anyone touching a taxi app.

If the lads would rather be somewhere easier to find, look near Old Market Square, the one locals call Slab Square. It’s the obvious meeting point, with plenty of bars around it, and it’s a sensible regrouping spot for the one who always wanders off.

My practical tip: the centre is compact and most of the weekend will be on foot, so don’t pay extra for anywhere out of town. The trams and buses cover the bits you can’t walk, but a central base means you rarely need them.

Friday Get the direct train from London St Pancras or fly into East Midlands Airport. I’d meet at Slab Square, then head for a pint at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which claims to be England’s oldest inn, and let the lads argue about whether it really is. From there, a bar crawl into Hockley keeps night one simple, with backstreet cocktail bars and independent pubs to choose from and no need for a plan beyond the next round.

Saturday Water first. Book white water rafting at the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont and stick the stag at the front of the raft. The course depends on river levels, so have a backup ready. Paintballing or go karting both do the job if the river isn’t playing ball. In the evening, start with dinner and drinks in the Lace Market, then finish with a proper late one at Rock City, the long-running gig and club venue. Bring ID, because plenty of bars check, and keep the drinking off the street.

Sunday If there’s a game on, football fans can check the fixtures at the City Ground, and the cricket lot can see what’s happening at Trent Bridge. Everyone else can find a quiet seat in one of Hockley’s independent pubs, nurse a slow pint and let the stag explain himself.