In June, I visited Lichfield and called in at the Cathedral - the relevance to this project being that such a visit was a massive inspiration to Fothergill Watson when he was a trainee architect. Lichfield Cathedral front. Photo: Lucy Brouwer Whilst working in Frederick Jackson’s office in Nottingham, Fothergill visited many buildings of architectural… Continue reading Lichfield Cathedral
Last week I braved the cold to go to Retford where there are a couple of very different examples of Fothergill's architectural work. Retford, in North Nottinghamshire, is not somewhere I've had a chance to explore before. I did a little research on its history in preparation for my visit. Retford is made up of… Continue reading Fothergill in Retford
I was up in Mapperley giving my talk on Watson Fothergill and his architecture to a large gathering of U3A members, on the way back into town I took the opportunity to go inside a Fothergill building I have been meaning to visit for ages... Woodborough Road Baptist Church. View from Woodborough Road. Photo: Lucy… Continue reading Inside Woodborough Road Baptist Church
Prompted by a question about this building on the Nottingham Hidden History Facebook page... This building on the corner of Bridlesmith Gate and Victoria Street was a bit of a mystery... Photo: Lucy Brouwer Ever since I noticed the details in the frieze above the first floor on this building I'd been wondering what the… Continue reading NC Club: a mystery in the details
Here's another architect who was active around the same time as Watson Fothergill in Nottingham. Gilbert Smith Doughty (1861-1909) came to my attention when I noticed that Fothergill was not the only architect to have his name carved on his buildings. Opposite Fothergill's Nottingham and Notts Bank on Thurland Street you will find The Thurland… Continue reading Nottingham Architects: Gilbert Smith Doughty
A look at one of the few buildings that Fothergill worked on outside Nottinghamshire. I was in the neighbourhood recently, so took the opportunity to have a closer look at an intriguing building. Dunedin, now called Burnage Court, on Lawrie Park Avenue in Syndenham, South London. It's something of a mystery how Fothergill Watson came… Continue reading Fothergill Outside Notts: Dunedin, Sydenham
Sometimes I'm lucky enough to be invited to explore Fothergill buildings. The latest of these was The Red House, on Cator Lane, Chilwell. From the road, The Red House has a distinctive chimney that stands out from the surrounding buildings... Photo: Lucy Brouwer The Red House is listed in the Fothergill Catalogue as a "Minor… Continue reading The Red House, Cator Lane
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
