Nottingham to Bradford by car: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Nottingham to Bradford drive are the Magna Science Adventure Centre, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Leeds. By car, the distance from Nottingham to Bradford is 81 miles, with a driving time of around 1h45m.
Planning a Nottingham to Bradford road trip
A Nottingham to Bradford road trip takes you from Robin Hood’s supposed haunt in the East Midlands to an underrated city in West Yorkshire.
Nottingham unashamedly plays on its Robin Hood heritage, but it does have a couple of good attractions. The City of Caves heads into a network of man-made caves that have been used as leather tanneries, pubs and air raid shelters.
The National Justice Museum is inside an old courthouse and prison complex, and explores the world of crime and punishment. The section on convict transportation to Australia is a fascinating.
Other top Nottingham experiences include a guided Victorian architecture walk and a Robin Hood-themed treasure hunt
The best things to do in Bradford include the Bradford Industrial Museum, which has a particularly heavy focus on the textile industry and steam power. Also worth visiting is the World Heritage-listed Saltaire, a planned town based around the vast Salt’s Mill. The mill itself is now an art, shopping and dining complex with a large collection of works by David Hockney.
Nottingham to Bradford distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Nottingham to Bradford is 81 miles. Traffic plays a big factor in the driving time, but the journey from Nottingham to Bradford usually takes around an hour and 45 minutes.
Almost all of the Nottingham to Bradford drive is along the M1 then M62.
The best stops to add to a Nottingham to Bradford road trip itinerary are the Magna Science Adventure Centre, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Leeds.
Attractions between Nottingham and Bradford: Magna Science Adventure Centre
The Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham is one of those fun, button-pushing science museums, where kids can learn about physics while playing with water and diggers.
However, it is much more than that. Magna is inside one of the biggest steelworks ever built. The hulking behemoth of a building is an attraction in itself, and much of the old industrial equipment is left in place. This is brought to life during a spectacular sound and light show.
Other highlights of Magna are the massive playground and water splash park outside. Branch off the M1 at Junction 34.
Nottingham to Bradford road trip stops: Yorkshire Sculpture Park
A short distance from Junction 38 of the M1, between Barnsley and Wakefield, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a large open space with woodland, walking trails, cutesy bridges and plenty of sheep.
Interspersed amongst this are more than 100 sculptures and art installations, including many by internationally-revered artists such as Antony Gormley, Jaume Plensa and Henry Moore.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park manages to marry the peaceful and the playful.
Nottingham to Bradford drive: Leeds
Going into Leeds requires a slight detour, but the city has several attractions worth investigating. The Royal Armouries is the big hitter, with several floors of armour, weapons and warcraft. The Leeds City Museum is a thoughtfully presented all-rounder, and the expansive Roundhay Park offers a series of gorgeous gardens.
The best Leeds activities include food tours that visit top local restaurants and Emmerdale filming locations bus tours.
More Nottingham road trips
Nottingham to Birmingham | Coventry to Nottingham | Doncaster to Nottingham | Nottingham to Leeds | Leicester to Nottingham | Nottingham to Newcastle | Nottingham to York.
More Bradford road trips
Bradford to Hull | Bradford to Sheffield | Bradford to York.