The Covered Market in Oxford has received glowing praise from a regional newspaper in Nottingham.

The opinion piece - titled 'Oxford has an amazing indoor market - isn't it time we had one in Nottingham?' - branded The Covered Market as a "busy, thriving market".

Lynette Pinchess, life writer for Nottinghamshire Live, wrote: "It astounded me on a recent visit to Oxford to find a busy, thriving market.

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"With more than 50 shops and cafes, I don't recall seeing an empty unit.

"Each pitch has its own individual style and character, adding to the charm, rather than uniform stands with grey roller shutters."

She described the market, which has just celebrated 250 years, as a "one-stop shop" and said it was like "exploring an Aladdin's Cave", bustling with locals, students and tourists.

The Covered Market (Image: Oxford Mail) Ms Pinchess said the food and drink options were "nothing short of fantastic" and noted that the market is open seven days a week, with some businesses staying open until late on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The writer argued that there is "no reason Nottingham shouldn't have a thriving market like this to draw shoppers into the city centre".

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She said when she returned home she contacted Oxford City Council - which runs the market - to find out more.

"It's not struggling, in fact it's going from strength of strength with its widest ever variety of vendors and the first quarter of 2024 saw over 150,000 more visitors compared to the same period last year," Ms Pinchess wrote. 

"To say I'm insanely jealous is an understatement."