Tag: Architecture

Art Deco, Events, Lawrence G Summers, Watson Fothergill in Nottingham

May & June from Watson Fothergill Walk

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The return of Deco in the Details and another chance to do The Carrington Crawl

Dates coming up in May & June 2025

There is still some availability for Watson Fothergill Walk on 25 May, 10 am. (It starts early so we can enjoy Nottingham while it is slightly quieter than later on in the day – it’s worth getting up for!)

Deco in the Details

I’m trying out an evening version of Deco in the Details parts 1 & 2 – these tours look for traces of Art Deco in Nottingham’s architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.

Deco in the Details Part 1, Wednesday, 28 May, 6 pm. £20 each includes booking fees.

This is a circular walk from Nottingham’s Council House down to the Broadmarsh area and back. You can do these tours in any order – I hope to stage them again later in the year.

Deco in the Details Part 2, Wednesday, 4 June, 6 pm. £20 each includes booking fees.

This second part of the walk starts outside Victoria Centre and finishes at Snienton Market (where there is an opportunity to call at The Bath Inn).

The Bath Inn (AKA The Hanging Gardens of Snienton Market) from the winter Deco in the Details Part 2. Photo: with thanks to Louise Hunter. 

The Carrington Crawl

Lawrence George Summers, Fothergill’s talented chief assistant architect, was recently commemorated with a new grave marker in the Church Cemetery. 

The young LG Summers and the new grave marker, commissioned by Andrew Paris. Church Cemetery Photo: Lucy Brouwer

On the Carrington Crawl, I tell Summers’ story, talk about Fothergill’s family home and search for the houses they designed in Mapperley Park, Sherwood Rise and Carrington.

Carrington Crawl Saturday 7 June, 1 pm. £20 each including booking fees.

This walk starts at the junction of Mansfield Road and Mapperley Road and ends at the Carrington end of Mansfield Road with a chance to explore Clawson Lodge (now the AUGB Ukrainian Cultural Centre) where you can enjoy a hot drink (for a small donation).

Father’s Day tour

And finally, for this newsletter, a Watson Fothergill Walk for Father’s Day.

There will be a Watson Fothergill Walk finishing up at Fothergill’s gastropub where you can enjoy the special Father’s Day menu. Book in early if you’d like a table after the tour. I’ll endeavour to finish on time but book for 12.15 pm to be on the safe side! A pleasant 2-hour stroll will build up your appetite.

Watson Fothergill Walk, Sunday 15 June, 10 am tickets £20 each including booking fees.

Tickets for all these guided walks are available on EVENTBRITE

Events

A new way to keep up while I walk

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Hello! Here’s a message from my new Substack newsletter…

If you’ve not yet been on one of my walks, I’m Lucy, a tour guide and researcher. Here’s an invitation to sign up for my re-booted newsletter on Substack.

I’ve been leading walking tours looking at Nottingham’s historic architecture for about six years now (blimey!), and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response, but trying to find new people to take part in events IRL is increasingly becoming a challenge…

Me and my mate Left Lion, Council House, Nottingham. Sculptor Joseph Else, 1927-9. Photo: Christine Gaukroger

Why Substack? 

Mailing list websites are a chore; Facebook is full of videos of women putting their cardigans on backwards, and the less said about the site formerly known as Twitter, the better. I’m at the point where anything I actually want to see is getting lost in the noise, and you might feel the same way.

Bluesky is (so far) a friendly place, but even though it’s nice to have your favourite authors reply to outpourings of gratitude for their work, it doesn’t seem to be very good for finding people who’d like to (hopefully) pay for my skills and services.

So, I’ve decided it’s time to give Substack a go. A cross between a mailing list and a blog, with the option to add videos and podcasts (and make paid content available when I’m ready), a one-stop-shop for all things walks-related should make it easier for me to send out news or other interesting stuff that would get engulfed on other platforms.

Join a new community

There are over 900 people on my email subscription list, (hello again!) and most have been on at least one of my walking tours (thank you!), but there’s plenty of room for even more to join in – if only they knew I was here… (If you were already signed up then your email address will transfer automatically to the new platform – you are free to unsubscribe at any time.)

So the plan is to post about things that might be of interest if you like architecture, eccentric architects, Nottingham history, and photos of details that often hide plain sight.

There are lots of things that I want to share that might not fit into a regular walking tour but would certainly be enjoyable as an online amble or something you’ll be able to follow at your own pace by opting in to see as much (or as little) as you’d like.

It’s all about looking up…

15 & 17 George Street, Nottingham. Architect Watson Fothergill 1894. Photo: Lamar Francois.

Here’s Watson Fothergill’s office on George Street in Nottingham, one of the highlights of my Watson Fothergill Walk. I love how this building tells a story, of architecture, of Nottingham and of the man who is still a huge part of both. Want to know more? Just follow me…


Stay in the loop for tour dates and tickets

I’m not just here to flog tickets, but I certainly wouldn’t want you to miss out on my 100% 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor tour! There are still spaces available for walks in April & May and you can book them on Yuup using this direct link or on Eventbrite. 

Latest review from TripAdvisor – Thanks Steevi_W!

My other tours, The Hine Hike, The Carrington Crawl and Deco in the Details Parts 1 & 2 will be back over the summer. Sign up to be first with the new dates. 



Thanks Louise for photo - Lucy Brouwer Nottingham tour guide
Events

Spring tours of Nottingham’s architecture

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Thanks to everyone who has joined me for a walk so far this year. Please keep spreading the word about these events to your friends. 

Thanks to Louise for the photo from Deco in the Details pt. 1.

Here’s your update on forthcoming dates from Watson Fothergill Walk. If you’d like to explore Nottingham’s historic architecture with tour guide Lucy Brouwer here are the dates, click the links for tickets and all details:

There are still limited tickets available for tours in March 2025:

The Carrington Crawl, Saturday 8 March, 1 pm

Watson Fothergill Walk, Sunday 16 March, 10 am

The Hine Hike, Sunday 23 March, 2 pm

April dates now added:

Watson Fothergill Walk, Sunday 13 April, 10 am

Watson Fothergill Walk, Sunday 27 April, 2 pm

All tickets are £20 each including all booking fees. 

Watson Fothergill Walk tickets also available on Yuup

Deco in the Details 1 & 2 will be back later in the year – you can also book a walk for your group on a date of your choice. Minimum charge £100 (up to 4 people), T&Cs apply. Contact Lucy by email.

Events, Research

Let’s see Nottingham differently!

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As promised, more walks are coming up. There are still tickets available for both parts of Deco in the Details in February. March sees the return of the Carrington Crawl, plus more chances to join me for the Watson Fothergill Walk and Hine Hike in Nottingham city centre. I can also take private bookings for groups of 5 or more on weekdays and I can present illustrated talks to groups, so please drop me a line if you’d like to organise an event. Terms and conditions apply.

Click on the links below for info and tickets: 

Nottingham: Deco in the Details Part One – Weds, 12 February, 2 pm

Nottingham: Deco in the Details Part Two – Weds, 19 February, 2 pm

Watson Fothergill Walk: City Centre – Sun, 23 February, 10 am SOLD OUT more walks soon or book a private tour

Watson Fothergill Walk: The Carrington Crawl – Sat, 8 March, 1 pm

Watson Fothergill Walk: City Centre – Sun, 16 March, 10 am

Hine Hike: The Buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine – Sun, 23 March, 2 pm

Tickets are £20 each* 

Valid gift vouchers purchased before the end of 2024 will be honoured – please send an email if you have any difficulty redeeming vouchers. 

*This now includes ALL FEES and is the same price across all platforms (Eventbrite, Yuup and TripAdvisor) whose fees vary. This helps my small business to reach a larger audience. 

Thanks to Jane for the photo!

Hire a House Historian

Lucy Brouwer (seen here with her mate the Left Lion) is a tour guide, art historian and researcher who likes to look at things differently. If you’d like to hire a researcher to look into the history of your house, business premises or other pre-1940 building then send an email via this form. Rates start at £57 for a preliminary investigation into each property. More details here.

Events

Architecture Walking Tours Are Back!

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Back again for 2025!

Have you been putting it off? Did you miss out on tickets last year? Now is your chance to join me to discover Nottingham’s unique architecture – Watson Fothergill Walk and Deco in the Details are back. 

Forthcoming dates (with more to come throughout the year)

Deco in the Details Part 1 – Wednesday 12 February, 2 pm Tickets £20 each including booking fees*

Deco in the Details Part 2 – Wednesday 19 February, 2 pm Tickets £20 each including booking fees*

Watson Fothergill Walk – original city centre tour –  Sunday 23 February, 10 am. Tickets £20 each including booking fees*

*Tickets are now the same price on all platforms with fees included across the board. Previously purchased gift vouchers will be honoured until their expiry date – please contact me directly if you have any difficulties redeeming vouchers. Tickets are also available on new events platform Yuup:

Deco in the Details Part 1

Deco in the Details Part 2

Watson Fothergill Walk

Make sure you’re on the mailing list for a reminder when more tickets are released.

Here’s my short video on YouTube with a lesser known view of several Fothergill buildings.

Events

Winter… already?!

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It’s been a great year for Watson Fothergill Walk!  Thank you to all the people who have joined tours of Nottingham’s great architecture, loads of you have returned for my new Art Deco tours and I’ve received some lovely 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor. Thank you everyone!

Thanks Christine G for the photo of me and my mate Agamemnon a.k.a. Left Lion.

All the tours will be back for more dates in 2025. Meanwhile, maybe you’d like to recommend the tours to a friend, buy a gift voucher for a future tour or leave me a review. Any of these help me to keep doing the tours and work on new routes around Nottingham.I do not have vouchers for the Deco in the Details tours, if you’d like to make a gift of tickets for these, please contact me.

I do not have vouchers for the Deco in the Details tours, if you’d like to make a gift of tickets for these, please contact me.

Events

Watson Fothergill Walk- Back in 2025

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Left Lion is paying attention! Photo: Christine Gaukroger

The “Winter Wonderland” in the centre of Nottingham means that I can’t do justice to the Watson Fothergill Walk route until 2025. Meanwhile there is one more (sold out) Deco in the Details walk to go or you can book a Hine Hike, Lace Market Heritage Tour or an Illustrated Talk for your group.

Drop me a line to organise your event.

Meanwhile, make sure you’re on the mailing list for updates and news of new walks coming up next year and follow WatsonFothergillWalk on Instagram for photos.

Research

Hire a House Historian

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I am now available to carry out research on the history of houses and the people who lived in them, in Nottingham and the surrounding area. I’m particularly interested in Victorian properties but will branch out where appropriate resources are available. 


If you’d like to see who lived in your house* through time or maybe you want to discover if a renowned architect was involved in designing your property, then please contact me to arrange a research package. 

For more details see the Hire a House Historian page here.

*or shop!

Have a look at some research I did last year on a house in Elm Bank, Mapperley Park… Inside Elm Bank

And here’s another house, this time in Chilwell, with Watson Fothergill connections that I looked into in 2021.

I’m not only interested in Fothergill houses… Nottingham has a lot of Victorian architecture and I’m always interested to find out more.

Art Deco, Events, New Tour

Nottingham: Deco in the Details Part 2 Work-in-Progress

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Thanks to everyone for the positive response to my Art Deco Architecture tour…I’ve discovered that Nottingham has enough buildings from the 1920s and 1930s to make two new walks (or a tour in two parts) – so I need to road-test the second part. There are a VERY LIMITED number of discounted tickets for a work-in-progress version of Deco in the Details Part 2 for Wednesday 11 September at 2 pm.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nottingham-deco-in-the-details-part-2-work-in-progress-tickets-999238588517?aff=WFWebsite

The new Deco in the Details walks will be run in full in October on Sunday 6 October (Part One) and Sunday 27 October (Part Two) both with 10 am starts.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nottingham-deco-in-the-details-part-1-tickets-995294601947?aff=WFWebsite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nottingham-deco-in-the-details-part-2-tickets-995331612647?aff=WFWebsite

I hope to continue to run these in the future – so send me a message if you have a group that would be interested in a private booking.

Art Deco, Events, New Tour

Autumn walks…including new Art Deco tours

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Summer: Blink and you’ve missed it! Thanks to everyone who has joined me for a walk and hello to new visitors. I’ve got one more scheduled Watson Fothergill Walk to come in October and my new Deco in the Details walks are also coming up…read on!

August & September’s Watson Fothergill Walks are almost full – but there are still a few tickets available for 

The Carrington Crawl – Saturday 21 September, 1 pm. 

Explore some of the houses Fothergill built in Nottingham and discover his family life in the home he built for himself on Mapperley Road. 

What’s next for Watson Fothergill Walk?

There will be a city centre Watson Fothergill Walk on Sunday 20 October, 10 am

Explore the Nottingham buildings of Victorian Architect Watson Fothergill… also known as Fothergill Watson.

Thanks to the positive response to my Art Deco Architecture tour… there will be two new walks (or a tour in two parts) looking at Nottingham’s buildings of the 1920s and 1930s – 

Deco in the Details Parts 1 & 2.

These walks can be done in any order – you can choose to do either or both. 

The first will be a repeat of the tour commissioned by the Art Deco Society UK

Nottingham: Deco in the Details Part 1, Sunday, 6 October, 10 am

This walk explores Nottingham’s architecture from the 1920s and 1930s, starting and ending with T. Cecil Howitt’s Council House sculptures.

We’ll look at the rise of chain stores like Montague Burton, F.W. Woolworth, and Marks & Spencer, as well as the use of concrete in industrial buildings and the influence of car ownership on the city’s architecture in the 1930s.

The second is

Nottingham: Deco in the Details Part 2: Sunday 27, October, 10 am

This walk will cover the north side of Nottingham City Centre and finish at Sneinton Market. You’ll see the work of local architects, uncover how the Palais de Danse added a touch of glamour to Nottingham and seek out remnants of the Art Deco era, including hints of streamline moderne and even some Egyptian hanging gardens. Starts Outside Victoria Centre and finishes at The Bath Inn. 

All tickets are £15 plus Eventbrite booking fee.