Earlier this year, the former Lord Mayor of Nottingham Wendy Smith accompanied me on the Watson Fothergill Walk… this week she invited me to take a tour of the interior of the Council House with her. As a former mayor, she knows more than most about this historic building. Completed in 1929, it was designed… Continue reading A tour of the Council House with the former Lord Mayor
Over on Instagram you might have seen an account called Inside Elm Bank, here the new owners of a Victorian villa in Mapperley Park are documenting their efforts to restore it to something of its original character. The house has some distinctive features that might be familiar to Fothergill-spotters. However, in this case, the alterations to… Continue reading Inside Elm Bank… a house through time
It has taken a lot of research but I've put together an illustrated talk on Fothergill's Buildings in The Park Estate... and some of the people who lived in them. I will be premiering this lecture for The Park Residents Association on Wednesday 4 October (7 pm for 7.30 pm) at The Park Tennis Club,… Continue reading Fothergill’s Buildings in The Park Estate
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
