How to Visit Sneinton Market, Nottingham: A Complete Guide (2026)

Last Updated on 6th January 2026 by Charlotte Nadeau

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Sneinton Market, Nottingham, is an exciting hub of activity where art, creativity, and sustainable practice thrive. Over the last decade, Sneinton’s heritage buildings have been brought back to life, creating a place that honours the past while embracing the present. In this guide, you can learn about the best places to visit in Sneinton Market, as well as hidden gems in the surrounding area. Here’s how to visit Sneinton Market in Nottingham!

History of Sneinton Market

Sneinton was originally a village in its own right before being absorbed into the fabric of Nottingham. In the 19th century, Sneinton marketplace thrived as a bustling fruit and vegetable market, with one of its stalls said to be the first to sell bananas in the city.

Sneinton is pronounced “SNEN-ton” 

However, the market fell into a state of disrepair by the 1970s, largely due to modernisation and the supermarket boom that began a little earlier. Afterwards, the area remained neglected and desolate, a far cry from what it once was during the market’s heyday.

It wasn’t until 2010/11 that the area received investment from the European Regional Development Fund, which helped with Nottingham city council’s plans to regenerate the eastern side of the city. Sneinton Market underwent a £6.8m transformation, restoring the old wholesale buildings and even planting apple trees along the outside of the marketplace to celebrate its history.

A time capsule containing photographs and memories of the former market has been buried and placed beneath the site to commemorate its history.

Today, people go out of their way to visit Sneinton Market. This revitalised area is filled with cafés, bars, shops, and plenty of independent artisans selling their works and wares. Creativity and independent makers are at the core of the market, making it a very special and exciting place to visit in Nottingham.

Vendors to check out

Luisa’s Vegan Chocolate

The shop found in Sneinton Market is actually Luisa’s second chocolate home, just around the corner from the original shop, which first opened in 2018. After tasting single-origin chocolate for the first time and learning about the local farmers and communities behind chocolate making, a passion sparked an interest that would then flourish into a business and small community of its own, Luisa’s Vegan Chocolate.

This is one of the very few bean-to-bar chocolate shops in the UK. At Luisa’s chocolate shop, you can learn all about the different notes, the history of the cocoa bean, and the fascinating chocolate-making process. Check out the official website (or purchase some treats for yourself!) here.

The Watered Garden

The Watered Garden isn’t a shop, but rather a little slice of the jungle, hidden away inside Sneinton Market. This plant haven has an approach to make houseplants and indoor gardening feel accessible to all, and not intimidating… we’ve all had that one plant we can’t quite revive, right?

In The Watered Garden, you can find tropical and humidity-loving plants, a gorgeous selection of ferns, terrarium plants, and plants more suited to desert conditions. The shop itself offers plant care advice, regular workshops, as well as non-plant-related activities such as ceramic workshops and drawing classes, too. You can see more about this on their official website here.

Emmy Lupin Studio

Emmy is a self-taught illustrator who focuses on work looking through a female lens. Her work is bold, bright, colourful, and empowering. The shop in Sneinton Market is both her real-life studio and a place where you can purchase beautiful prints, cards, and wall decor, as well as meet the artist in person! Check out Emmy’s official website here.

Neon Raptor Brewing Company

The Rap Tap is both a brewery and a taproom, where you can drink in the place where the beer is brewed. Neon Raptor is an independent brewery in Nottingham that sells delicious beers of all kinds and flavours, as well as lots of alcohol-free or low alcohol options too. You can find out more about the beers on tap on their official website here.

When to visit

To experience Sneinton Market at its liveliest, visit on the weekends, Friday to Sunday, when most of the independent shops, cafes, studios, and regular events like food markets are open.

On weekdays, you can explore Sneinton Market’s artist studios, galleries, and independent shops at a quieter pace. But be sure to check opening times in advance, as some vendors close earlier in the week.

Nearby Attractions

Green’s Windmill and Science Centre

Once upon a time, all of the countryside surrounding Nottingham would have been dotted with windmills. Today, just the one survives, Green’s Windmill. George Green (1793-1841), a son of a baker, was a self-taught scientist, physicist, and mathematics prodigy (he was famous for Green’s functions math theory).

Green grew up working on the flour mill; this very windmill was, in fact, built by Green’s father in 1807. Today, it remains one of the few working windmills in the UK. It is currently being renovated, but once the work is finished, the mill will produce flour again.

Next to Nottingham’s historic landmark, Green’s Windmill, there’s a small science centre that details the history and importance of windmills,  demonstrating principles of electricity, magnetism, and light. 

Sneinton Dragon

The best indication that you’ve reached Sneinton is when you stumble across the Sneinton Dragon, which marks the boundary. This metal sculpture was actually chosen by public vote – the people of Sneinton were asked what artwork they wanted, and their reply was a dragon.

“I saw a dragon gate by Gaudí, in Barcelona, and I thought, ‘“‘I’ll have a go at making a dragon in my spare time.”

And so, artist Robert Studley set to work at the back of an allotment and transformed scrap metal into a beautiful 7 feet tall with a 15-foot-wingspan stainless steel dragon. The sculpture was unveiled to the public in 2006, and in 2025 the local festival was even themed around the dragon, crowning in “king” of the festival!

The artwork stands close to the junction of Manvers Street and Sneinton Hermitage, where it still looks out over passers-by today.

Visiting Nottingham soon?

Nottingham is a city famed for its rich history, abundance of independent businesses, and associations with the legendary Robin Hood. Making it the truly perfect weekend getaway! Read our guide on how to spend two perfect days in Nottingham.

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