Sunday, December 20, 2009

Exploring The Many Sections Of Nottingham

By Frederick Hoymer

Nottingham is well known for its link with the legend of Robin Hood has the sheriff of Nottingham is the villain in this story. It is also very famous for its bicycling industry and lace making industry. Originally Nottingham was part of the Mercia Kingdom during Anglo-Saxon times. Eventually the Vikings conquered this village and created fortified towns.

The castle was constructed of sandstone as this was in abundance in this area. Eventually the settlement grew around the castle until it was large enough for a market square. This market square played an important role to the town for many centuries in the future. A large part of Nottingham's industry focused on exporting religious sculptures made of plaster.

During the industrial revolution the textile industry became very important and Nottingham became famous around the world for its lace making. At one point in time it held three or more markets per week, the most in Europe. After the end of the World Wars the textile industries slowly faded away as they did throughout the country. Nottingham was also known for having some of the worst slums, only second to India.

You can find a range of buildings in Nottingham that are from different architectural periods. Some of the earliest designs are from 110. Some of the famous architects that designed buildings in Nottingham include Alfred Waterhouse, Thomas chambers Hine and Watson Fothergill. The Theatre Royal is a great example of Victorian style and the Albert Hall was built in during the Gothic revival.

Nottingham's market square is still one of the largest found in the United Kingdom. An important part of the market square is the council house which has some beautiful baroque columns as well as statues in the forms of lions that guard the market square. The ground floor of the main market building contains very high end boutiques and there is additional shopping along the side streets that lead away from the market square.

May visitors enjoy exploring the area known as Hockley Village. This area is a more modern part of town that is considered the SoHo of the city. There are many galleries, art houses, art house cinemas, restaurants and fun independent stores in Hockley.

Wollaton hall is a beautiful Tudor mansion in the western part of the city. This mansion houses the Natural History museum and contains a 500 acre deer park. There are many different sections to explore and you will frequently find yourself surprised at the beautiful old buildings that you come across.

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