Guided tours of Nottingham
During my visit to the newly reopened Nottingham Castle I spotted a few clues that point to the architect who originally transformed the ruined Ducal Palace into the first municipal art gallery outside London. But does anything remain of "The Midland Counties Art Museum at Nottingham"? Nottingham's not really a castle.. it's a Renaissance Ducal… Continue reading Traces of TC Hine at Nottingham Castle
Three Lions may belong on a shirt... but there are four lions at Nottingham Castle that I am particularly interested in... The four stone lion sculptures found in the grounds of Nottingham Castle... Photos: Lucy Brouwer As I mention on the Watson Fothergill Walk, these four stone lion sculptures originally adorned the tower of the… Continue reading Four Lions at Nottingham Castle
Here's another instalment in my occasional series looking at architects who were active in Nottingham at around the same time as Watson Fothergill. Albert Nelson Bromley (1850-1934) is probably best known for his long involvement with Boots The Chemist, but he was responsible for many buildings in Nottingham ranging from schools to shops, warehouses to… Continue reading Nottingham Architects: Albert Nelson Bromley
Having studied the building from the outside, the chance to have a look around inside the Offices of Watson Fothergill on George Street, Nottingham was too good to resist. Many thanks to Sarah Julian of BBC Radio Nottingham for giving me the opportunity and to the Bragas for letting me take a few quick photos… Continue reading Inside Watson Fothergill’s Office part two
I'm running another chance to join me for The Hine Hike: The buildings of Thomas Chambers Hine on Wednesday 5th June 2019, starting at 6pm. Tickets here. The Hine Hike 5 June 2019 Thomas Chambers Hine, 1813-1899, was possbly Nottingham's most prolific architect of the Victorian Age. His work across the 19th Century ranges from… Continue reading The Hine Hike: Evening Walk
In my last few blogs I've been looking at the life and work of Lawrence George Summers who was Watson Fothergill's assistant and an architect in his own right, albeit a somewhat less flamboyant one. The last installment left off in New Basford, from where I walked back to Sherwood Rise. I passed Fothergill's Norris… Continue reading Lawrence George Summers in Sherwood Rise & Mapperley Park
In the last blog I found out some more about LG Summers' family background. This time I'm going to take a look at some of his buildings. Starting from Sherwood, I went for a wander to find some of the buildings designed by Lawrence George Summers which are still standing in Nottingham. Around the corner… Continue reading Lawrence George Summers’s Buildings in Sherwood, Carrington & New Basford.
Some detective work looking for the rather elusive "architect's assistant". I’ve been using some online archives to see if there is anything else out there about Lawrence G. Summers and after some digging I think I’ve come up with a few clues. Starting with Ancestry.com (which is available to use for free in Nottinghamshire Libraries… Continue reading More about Lawrence George Summers.
Research can be a tricky business. The internet offers the researcher plenty of opportunities to find pictures, archived material and other useful records... but it can also throw up its own new set of new mysteries. For instance, the top returned result in a Google search for L.G. Summers, Watson Fothergill's assistant and the man… Continue reading On the trail of Lawrence George Summers…
After a good look around in Sherwood, I went for a further wander and caught a bus to Carlton to see if I could find the Brewery at Mar Hill (A71). Away from the bus route, deep into Carlton, I found the building. It was originally built for Mr Vickers, in 1899. It was convereted… Continue reading Light Industrial Buildings by Watson Fothergill.