Notts County FC

The world's oldest professional football club still plays here, and that fact alone makes Meadow Lane worth a pilgrimage if you care about sport history. Notts County FC was founded in 1862 - a decade before the Football League even existed - and their ground has been their home since 1910. Walking up to the stadium, you're stepping into something genuinely rare: continuity in an industry built on constant upheaval.

Unless there's a match on, access is limited, but on matchdays the atmosphere around Meadow Lane is proper old school. The ground itself isn't flashy - it's been modernised piecemeal over the years, which gives it that real, lived-in character you don't find in shiny new builds. For football obsessives and anyone interested in how the professional game actually started, it's worth the trip from central Nottingham. Kids will either love it or find it dull depending on their football appetite.

If you're based at one of the campsites nearby - Holme Pierrepont is barely two miles away - combining a visit here with Nottingham's other attractions makes sense. You could do the City Ground (Nottingham Forest, their local rivals) on another day and have yourself a proper football tour of the East Midlands. Check the fixture list before you go; a matchday visit beats a quiet stadium tour every time. Best to contact the club directly about tours and opening times outside of games.