At the foot of Broad-street — north — is Her Majesty's Prison, until recently designated the House of Correction. Its front is castellated in design. The prison covers about ten thousand square yards of land, and was formerly occupied as a hospital, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Adjoining it is the Police Station, which will, with the Fire Brigade Station opposite, be shortly removed to South Sherwood-street.
Visitors should proceed up Heathcote-street the second street to the
right from these two stations, and pass the People's Hall, with
its reading room and small library, and enter Goose-gate. The left leads
through Hockley, on to Sneinton Market-place and Baths, but visitors
are not recommended to visit this locality unless they have ample time
at their command, but are advised to cross Goose-gate, and enter Stoney-street.
They will then find themselves in the midst of the 
Lace
Market, of the importunce of which the large and imposing stone edifice,
on the right, occupied by Messrs. Thomas Adams & Co., Limited, is
no mean illustration. Other warehouses in the same street, and in Broadway,
will testify to the progress which the town is making in wealth and importance.
Reaching the end of the street ST. MARY's (the parish) CHURCH presents
itself the most important, and, at the same time, the most imposing
ecclesiastical edifice in the town. The Church stands on the north side
of the High-pavement, and with its tower forms the most elevated and conspicuous
object from every point of view. It contains several interesting monuments;
a stone recumbent effigy in the south transept; curious carved groups
of ecclesiastics in alabaster, let into the south chancel-wall; a valuable
painting of the "Virgin and Child" by Fra Bartolomeo, the gift of Mr.
Wright, of Upton; and a curiously-inscribed font. In the tower is a melodious
peal of ten bells of great weight. Portions of Norman pillar capitals
were found during the reparation of the present fabric, but the whole
is now of the Perpendicular style. The plan of the church itself is cruciform,
and the bole is of a comparatively late date. On entering the sacred edifice,
spaciousness is the 
first
idea suggested, and with reason, the length being 210 feet, and the width
and height in proportion, nor can the lightness and elegance of its construction,
and the number and size of its windows, with the small amount of masonry
between them, fail to attract observation. The east window was filled
with stained glass, by subscription, as a memorial of the late Prince
Consort, and the large west window has been similarly decorated as a memorial
to the late Mr. Thomas Adams; other windows in the chancel and transept
are also filled with painted glass. The church has, from time to time,
undergone considerable alterations and improvements, the latest being
the erection of a chancel screen and reredos.
If time is pressing, or if the places hereafter mentioned are not interesting to them, visitors should wend their way to the Railway Station by "Hollow Stone"—the hilly road at the chancel end of the church. They will soon find themselves in Plumtre-square, where, on the left-hand side, is Plumtre's Hospital, one of the most ancient of Nottingham charities. The Hospital consists of thirteen dwellings. There are thirty out-pensioners of this charity, which was originally endowed in 1392. The present building occupies the site of an ancient one. Close by is St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, a plain brick and stone building, the altar of which covers a medieval bridge.
Leaving
the church by way of the High-pavement, the County Hall appears
on the left. This stone building was erected its 1773, and has been twice
renovated and enlarged—in 1854 and since—and is used for holding the County
and Town Assizes, quarter Sessions, &c. The prison at the back, on
an almost perpendicular rock, 70 feet high, was closed by a recent Act
of Parliament. On the right is the Judges' Lodgings, recently the
temporary home of H.R.H. the Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne, and
formerly the town residence of an opulent family named Fellows, of whom
it was purchased by the county magistrates in 1832. Near to is a large
and imposing Unitarian Chapel, a large spired stone building (the
memorial stone of which was laid October 15, 1874), erected on the site
of a former chapel. A little further on is an old-fashioned building,
dignified by the name of the Guild, or Town Hall, of which an illustration
is here given. It is used as a Police Court, and for Borough Quarter 'Sessions,
but these Courts will be removed to the new building (see page 38) erected
for the purpose during the present year (1888). There is little doubt
that, ere long, this building will he numbered among the associations
of the past. A woodcut of its predecessor will be found in Nottinghamshire
Memorabilia, further on in this Guide. This is an old part of the
town, and the market was held here for centuries. Opposite the old Guild
Hall is "Weekday Cross," but no cross now remains.
[Visitors, however, who prefer the broader and most direct way to the Station, should proceed down the Low-pavement, previously noticed, to Lister-gate—two turns to the left—follow the tram lines, which, keeping to the left-hand, lead to the Stations. Proceeding down the narrow steep passage called Drury Hill, into Sussex-street, and the Broad and Narrow-marshes, strangers will immediately observe, that Nottingham, like all other large towns, has its upper and lower strata. A few yards further, across Canal-street, through Trent-street, and a foot-bridge leads to Station-street, in which are the Midland and Great Northern Stations. Here the sound of the engine whistle reminds visitors that their day's ramble is ended. We take our leave of them, hoping they have been pleased with what they have seen of Nottingham, and are satisfied with their chaperon.
© A P NICHOLSON | PAGE LAST UPDATED: 27 APRIL 2003