It’s not very often we get heatwaves here in Nottinghamshire, so it’s fair to say that we need to make the most of them when they arrive.
If the forecasters are to be believed, this week will see the county experience its third heatwave of the summer, with highs of 31C predicted.
There are plenty of places to enjoy a sunny day in and around Nottinghamshire, from nature reserves to open-air swimming pools.
But let’s be honest, many of these well-known attractions become packed during times of nice weather, which inevitably impacts your experience.
For this reason it’s important to think outside the box and explore other places that not many other people know about.
Here are 17 quirky, cool and unusual places in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands that you should consider visiting on a sunny day:
1. Museum of Curiosities - 75-77 Derby Rd, Nottingham NG1 5BA
Home to thousands of haunted items from across the world, the Museum of Curiosities isn't for the faint-hearted. From human skulls to taxidermy, there is plenty to look at. | NW Photo: NW
2. Hemlock Stone
Standing at 28-feet-high, the Hemlock Stone cuts a dominant figure beside the busy A6002 near Stapleford and has been confusing motorists for decades. How the huge sandstone pillar came to be has caused huge debate over the centuries. In the Middle Ages it was claimed that the Devil threw the stone there from Castleton, Derbyshire, because the church bells annoyed him. | Alan Murray Rust / Geograph - A6002 near Stapleford Photo: Alan Murray Rust / Geograph
3. Abandoned Colwick Road - next to Daleside Road, Colwick
The now-abandoned Colwick Road used to run from the village of Colwick into Nottingham city centre. Colwick Road was closed in the 1980s and replaced by the busy Daleside Road, but the remains of the former route can still be seen. The original Colwick Road was built on the closed and abandoned Great Northern Railway trackbed that once ran into Nottingham. | Ant Daykin Photo: Ant Daykin
4. Newark Air Museum - Drove Ln, Winthorpe, Coddington, Newark NG24 2NY
Located at the former RAF Winthorpe airfield, just outside Newark, the museum is just under an hour’s drive from Nottingham. Since opening in 1973 the museum has accumulated more than 90 aircraft, including iconic former RAF jets such as the Avro Vulcan Bomber, Hawker Hunter, and de Havilland Tiger Moth. Around 50 aircraft are housed in two hangars, while others, including the famous Vulcan, are kept outside. | Roland Turner Photo: Roland Turner