When in Nottingham, Visit Batman's House

When we were in Nottingham for the Robin Hood Marathon we had one day that was completely free.  We wandered into their tourist board the day that we arrived to grab some pamphlets and ended up talking with one of the employees about some of the options.  We then had the following conversation.

Him: Are you guys fans of the Batman movies?

Us: Yes.

Him: Have you seen The Dark Knight Rises?

Us: Of course.

Him: Did you know that the place where they filmed the scenes of Wayne Manor is in Nottingham?

Us: Can you please tell us exactly how to get there?

**This post is pic heavy, but in the best sort of way.  Since you've been warned I won't feel guilty for laying them all on you.**

Batman's House is just what the kids called it, but the adults called it Wayne Manor, and it could also accurately be called Wollaton Hall, because that's the real name of the place.  It makes quite a statement, sitting so grandly at the top of a hill with trees lining the road that leads you right up to it.

In fact, as soon as the house came into view, Chelsea and I stopped and started taking pictures.  Chris and the kids went on.

The inside was beautiful.  Perfect for ballroom dancing.

They also had a few things out to nod to the fact that a major motion picture had been filmed there.

Jayce wasn't interested, but Hannah was game, and of course she was ready to get into character.

There was a little museum inside with animals and insects and various things on display, which we wandered through briefly and then headed back outside…

and took pictures like you do when you're somewhere cool.

Then we went to the cafe and had coffee and dessert, because that is what you do in England, and we have fully embraced it.

There was a small hill and that the kids were running through, and Chris did that very "dad" thing of picking them up and throwing them higher in the air than mom approved of.

 Because, really, look at her legs in this picture.  It looks like she was falling from the sky and her caught her, which kind of is what was happening.

Then it was back through the back garden with a few photos along the way.  Jayce took the pictures below (aside from the one that he is in) and he was really proud of himself.  And rightly so.

(He told me to give him thumbs up too.  The little photog.)

Wollaton Hall was just standing there like, "Look at me.  I'm incredible. Take gratuitous pictures of my exterior."  So I did.  And I don't regret it a bit.

I spy my boy, standing in a drained fountain.

It was really something. 

Then we went down into the…lower garden I guess?  Which was full of beautiful trees including this one with a huge tangle of limbs that we had to go check out.

Then we left because half of our party was running 26.2 miles the next day, and the other half of our party had to entertain kids in a new city for 3 hours without backup.

But it was a perfect outing.  If you don't do anything else in Nottingham, do this.