city centre « Views of Nottingham

Severn’s (Nottingham Lace Centre), Castle Road

September 19, 2008 at 12:21 pm | In Buildings | Leave a Comment
Tags: castle road, city centre, medieval

Severn’s (Lace Centre), Castle Road, Nottingham

This Medieval merchant’s oak framed house originally stood on Middle Pavement. In 1969, when the area was cleared to build the Broadmarsh shopping centre, it was dismantled and rebuilt on Castle Road near Nottingham Castle. Unfortunately many other fine buildings in the area were lost.

In 1735 John and James Severn used the building to start a wine importing business. Over the years the building was altered and extended, but only the medieval part was saved.

In 1929 J. Holland Walker said in ‘An itinerary of Nottingham‘:

perhaps the quaintest object in it [Middle Pavement] is the curious little yard which leads off the western side to the rear of Messrs. Severn’s wine and spirit stores, for by some curious freak of chance this has remained almost unaltered for centuries and still presents an ancient inn yard such as must have existed in plenty throughout the town when Nottingham was little more than a country market town.

It is now the Nottingham Lace Centre, showing the history of and selling Nottingham lace

Picture the past has a photograph of Severn’s in its original location.

Nottingham Express Offices

September 6, 2008 at 9:39 pm | In Buildings | Leave a Comment
Tags: city centre, parliament street, victorian, watson fothergill

Nottingham Express Offices,

The Nottingham Express offices on Parliament Street built by Nottingham architect Watson Fothergill – the man behind many of Nottingham’s distinctive Victorian buildings.

The original building was completed in 1876 and had three floors. The building was extended in 1899 towards King Street and a fourth floor added.

On the left is the Coach and Horses Public House and to the right is the magnificent Elite Building

The Nottingham Express was a Liberal newspaper and the three heads above the ornate doorway are Liberal statesmen Richard Cobden, William Gladstone and John Bright

Inside the entrance are two rows of tiles that were originally on the Parliament Street frontage. The first row depicts Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, while the second row shows Lords Palmerston and John Russell

This fantastic building is a perfect example of the preservation of Nottingham’s heritage. For many years it was neglected and it could so easily have been bulldozed and lost forever, as with many of Nottingham’s other important buildings. Instead it was rebuilt behind the original cleaned and restored facade thus saving it for future generations to enjoy.

The Boots Building

August 29, 2008 at 8:30 pm | In Buildings | 2 Comments
Tags: A N Bromley, boots, café, city centre, edwardian, jesse boot

The Boots Building High Street/Pelham Street, Nottingham

This beautiful Edwardian building was designed by architect A N Bromley in 1904. It stands on the corner of High Street and Pelham Street, and was Jesse Boot’s flagship department store in Nottingham and the forerunner of all Boots larger stores. It included a café and even a library along with the usual toiletry, chemist and gift departments.

The Boots shop closed in 1972 and has since been used by a succession of other shops. I particularly remember a kitchen gadget shop with lots of wonderful gizmos and doodads spread over three floors plus, I believe, a café. I can’t for life of me remember what it was called though.