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NOTTINGHAM PAST & PRESENT: STREETS AND YARDS
BREW-HOUSE YARD, 1872
Brewhouse Yard was known in mediaeval times as the 'Rock Yard', and in it was situated the brew house of the old castle. Its name dates back to about 1610, and according to Dr. Thoroton it was a constabulary free from the restrictions imposed upon the rest of the town, and possessed attributes akin to the notorious sanctuaries of London and elsewhere. Although less than two acres in extent it had five public, houses within its borders and its reputation was extremely evil. In addition to brewing, dyeing and tanning were carried out in this neighbourhood, so that all things considered, it must have been a very unsavoury district. The row of red brick houses on the right of the drawing, in spite of drastic reparations and modernization, are still very charming. They are of Stuart construction and were probably built when the first Duke of Newcastle erected the present Castle about the year 1679 and were used to accommodate some of the retainers of the ducal palace. Behind them is a series of caves—now used as cellarage—which were the hospital of mediaeval Nottingham; people suffering from the plague and other diseases were taken there but received scant attention from the ill-paid town official whose duty is was to look after them. At the end of Brewhouse Yard, and almost in the middle of the drawing, is a gabled house part of the way up the Castle rock, called 'Gibraltar'; this house was built about 1587 by John Collin whose grandfather, Lawrence Collin, was the famous gunner of Nottingham Castle during the Parliamentary Wars. On the conclusion of hostilities Lawrence Collin settled in Nottingham and laid the foundation of the family fortune; his name is well-known to us to-day in connection with the Collins Hospital which still so ably carries on its charitable work, both in Park Street and Carrington Street.
After John Collin's death, 'Gibraltar' became a licensed house and was well-known for recruiting. It is now cut off from Brewhouse Yard and its entrance is from Castle Boulevard.