Nottingham 1898

This plan of Nottingham is from “The Royal Atlas of England and Wales” produced by J.G. Bartholomew for George Newnes Ltd in 1898. The descriptive text that follows is compiled from the “Gazetteer of the British Isles" published by Bartholomew in 1893. 

Nottingham – parliamentary and municipal borough, market town, county town of Notts, and county in itself. Location: on the N. bank of the Trent, 15 miles E. of Derby and 126 NW. of London by rail. Population, 186,575. 6 Banks, 6 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. Little is known concerning the early history of the town. A stronghold was built by William the Conqueror, during whose reign also the town was fortified. During the Barons’ Wars Nottingham was a centre of turbulence, and was taken several times, being partially destroyed in the reign of Stephen. Edward IV was proclaimed here in 1460. Charles I was besieged in Nottingham in 1642, and in the following year the town surrendered to Colonel Hutchinson, the Parliamentarian commander. Its public buildings do not call for special remark. The castle, founded by William I, was dismantled in the time of the Commonwealth, and after being rebuilt as a dwelling-house was burnt by the Reform rioters in 1830. It is now restored and contains the ‘Midland Counties Art Museum’, the property of the corporation. Lacemaking and the manufacture of cotton hosiery are very important industries, nearly all the supply of British laces being made in the town. Silk, flax and woollen mills are also in operation; the manufacture of weaving and netting machinery is largely carried on; and iron-foundries, breweries and tanneries are successful seats of industry. A picturesque feature of the town is its arboretum, 18 acres in extent.