Town Ground, City Ground.


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Saw a picture on FB on the Notts Urban History page of the Tram Depot on Bathley Street .

The caption says that previous to the building of the depot it was Forest's home ground up , until 1899 when they moved to the City Ground .

Are there any maps prior to 1900 showing this as a

football ground ?

In the news archives prior to 1899 there are numerous mentions of Forest's games being played at the "Town Ground", Arkwright Street .

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Thanks , though can't see a map but this link from there to the Lenton Times and the grounds used previous to 1890 is very informative .

http://www.lentontimes.co.uk/back_issues/issue_4/issue_4_12.htm

Looking on an early 1900s map I can see the tram depot was between Bathley St and Pyatt St. on the earlier revised 1899 map there is no playing field shown .

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Because the Town Ground only existed for around 10 years, it seems to have missed being on most maps. This is the area before the existing bus / tram depot was built; it's now about where the red cross is.

qBdANKy.jpg

The feature called "Waterworks Drain" is approximately the line of Turney Street today. You can also see the earlier tram stables at the top of the map on Muskham Street.

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Thanks Cliff Ton it's just that none of the news archives say "Town Ground , Bathley St" . Any mention of a road is always Arkwright St , such as these below....one even say "Arkwright Street goal(end)" of the ground .See below some of the article snippets:

ASSOCIATION SENIOR CUP FINAL TIE. Notts. Forest Reserve t. Ruddington.This final tie was played this afternoon on the Town Ground, Arkwright-street, Nottingham. The cold and unpleasant weather earlier in the day militated greatly against the attendance ......

30 March 1891 - Nottingham Evening Post - Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

NOTTINGHAM BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

announced that at the invitation the Forest Football Club a number of the boys from the school attended the match on the Town Ground, Arkwright-street, on Saturday, free of charge, and the invitation had been extended for 20 boys and an attendant every Saturday

21 October 1890 - Nottingham Evening Post - Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

NOTTS. SENIOR CUP.

played this afternoon on the Town Ground, between Wilkinson's (Beeston) and Greenhalgh's (Mansfield). The weather was cold, but fine, and the attendance numbered about 2,000. Winning the toss, elected to defend the Arkwright-street goal, having the advantage

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Not sure of the exact position but I've always understood the ground was actually to the right of the red X, where 'Pumping Station' is on the map. Between what was/is Turney St and Pyatt St, on the side east of Bunbury St.

My dad, always a Reds fan and used to say his dad watched Forest when it was under the houses 'along the street'. We lived on Pyatt St.

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Thanks Taxi that seems to confirm that it was in the tree lined area marked Pumping Station on Cliff Tons map , to the north of the top left corner of the reservoir .

Presume there was an open area that faced Arkwright St .

So does that square up with the tram depot ?

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That's where I thought it was. It wasn't quite on Arkwright St of course, 'Arkwright St end' being used like 'Trent End'.

There wasn't any connection with Muskham St Tram Stables a few streets away, however the two new Tram sheds between Turney and Pyatt Sts were built next to where the west side of the ground would have been.

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Thanks again.

So basically the tram depot wasn't built on the old Forest ground but facing it ! Phew !!

For those on FB

https://m.facebook.com/NottinghamCityTransport/photos/a.145852444645.115223.144269959645/10153763192109646/?type=3&source=48

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