Nottingham Road is very "oldy-worldy" and full of traditional old family farms. Known colloquially as ‘Notties’, this hamlet started life as a tented camp set up by the Sherwood Foresters in 1856 to protect local farmers from the San hunter/gatherers. It morphed into Nottingham Road when the Durban-Johannesburg railway line began in 1880.
The landscape here is truly the green rolling hills of KZN, dotted with fly-fishing dams and an ordered beauty that has earned Nottingham Road its place in the heart of the Midlands Meander – an eclectic mix of arts and crafts, restaurants, and a wide range of sporting, environmental and historical pursuits that was originally created to attract visitors off the beaten track.
A very popular stop-over is the Nottingham Road Brewing Company, a rustic craft brewery that produces beers with original names like ‘Whistling Weasel Pale Ale’, ‘Pie-Eyed Possum Pilsner’, ‘Pickled Pig Porter’ and ‘Tiddly Toad Lager’. It is housed in the grounds of Rawdon's Hotel, a famous landmark in KZN, and produces naturally brewed ales and lagers made from spring water drawn from a well on the grounds.
The Midlands Meander is central to the economy of Notties. Artists, potters and weavers got together way back in 1985 to create an arts and crafts route in the area and, before long, the first six studios formed the early Meander. There are now more than 160 places to eat, drink, sleep and shop for truly unique mix of arts, crafts and indulgence. [Tel: +27 33 330 8195 for more information.]
