Drury Hill

[Raybo 28]

Regarding caves, they went under the two Regency town houses around the corner to the left at the top in Low Pavement. Under one house was a circular cave with a carved central pillar and carved seating around the wall. I recall either second a door or gate opposite the entrance door. We were told that it was a wine cellar. Perhaps, but it could have used used for much more fun than that.

I worked on Stoney Street in the Lace Market as a young lad and I found a big old key in a drawer down in the cellars, me and a friend were convinced it was the key to a big steel door down there but when we tried it there was no movement so we sneaked into the sewing machine mechanics workshop and borrowed his oil can to squirt in the lock. For days we tried oiling the lock until one day with the help of a hammer and a six inch nail used as a lever it gave way then it was back to the workshop to return the now empty oil can and borrow two large screwdrivers to prise the door open. The door led to some steps that took us down into a tunnel and it seemed we were now under the road in Stoney Street but as we were both caught coming out of the cellar and taken for a good telling off by the boss we never got the chance to explore the cave again.

We were also taken to apologise to the mechanic for the empty oil can and bent screwdrivers.

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

Accidentally came across this diagram of caves under and around Drury Hill.

http://cms.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/007caveplanc.pdf

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Question when the Great Central Railway was built were any of the caves lost?

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

A lot of booze from the Cross Keys cellar was lost.

[Waterwayboy 1]

I recall about 1962 the landlord of the Loggerheads was Jackie Riley and I went to St Patrick's school with his son Johnny

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

Drury Hill is just off to the left of this photo, behind the black blob. The person standing on the corner has their back to Drury Hill.

The photographer was standing about here :-

[The Pianoman 1,532]

So the street sign at top left of the pic. is Broad Marsh?

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

That's correct Pianoman.

The nearer of the two bridges is Narrow Marsh(Red Lion Street)

The second bridge would lead to Garners Hill

The road as far as the second bridge is Middle Marsh becoming Middle Hill

Drury Hill is off to the left out of the picture.

The street from Broad Marsh going the other way was Sussex Street going on to Canal Street/Leanside.

[FLY2 10,108]

It's probably been said before, but that whole little area could have been turned into a historic area like the Shambles in York.

What a criminal waste of our heritage.

Nottingham City Council and sensible thinking are never together.

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

So the street sign at top left of the pic. is Broad Marsh?

It can be confusing if people don't realise that Broad Marsh was the name of a specific street as well as the whole area.

[TBI 2,351]

Used to get my old Triumph Vitesse welded in them arches.

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

You'll be missing an important ingredient of the place if your model doesn't include the smell - which everyone remembers.

[.... 23]

You'll be missing an important ingredient of the place if your model doesn't include the smell - which everyone remembers.

What were the aromas of Drury Hill, CT?

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

It's been mentioned somewhere on here (I can't find it) but there was one very strong aroma which you couldn't miss in the top half of the hill up to the Middle Pavement junction.

It seems it was most likely from a Tannery which was somewhere in the area, but in the days when it existed I wasn't old enough to recognise such a smell.

[Commo 1,292]

Damp brick and stonework, fusty books and the all pervading aroma of the old leather tanneries and cobblers workshops. I can smell it now!

[.... 23]

Thanks, I wondered if it was a tannery smell. Tanneries are depicted in the immediate area in the City of Caves?.

It's a well-worn cry of Nottingham folk, the loss of this little road - along with the likes of the Black Boy and Victoria Station etc but what a terrible crying shame it was demolished. If only there have been just a little foresight at the time. What could have been.

[TBI 2,351]

Apparently there was a rather smelly zinc plating business on Drury Hill and it's mentioned in a previous thread here... #214-5

http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2890&page=11

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

I finally found where I read about the smell of leather, and it was in a Douglas Whitworth book where he attributes it to a leather goods shop.

[Cliff Ton 10,459]

On the Facebook - Nottingham page, a contributor named Ed Dexter has added this. Beecroft's toy shop, and Bux.

[The Pianoman 1,532]

Funny how I remember Beecrofts but I don't really remember Drury Hill. I must have been down Drury Hill to have been in Beecrofts. Guess at the age I was then I would have been more interested in what I came out of Beecrofts with rather than where the shop was!

[Chulla 4,946]

The most amazing fact about Drury Hill, in my opinion, was that it was never a one-way street. With the blind bend in its middle I always wondered how many cars met each other half way up/down, and who gave way. (probably somewhere to reverse into).

[FLY2 10,108]

I think reversing a horse and cart or a pony and trap would have been fun to watch.

[carni 10,094]

#193, I think most of us used these roads and alleyways with out even thinking about it at the time. All of the places that are no longer with us were just part of going to town (City) Town, being the word we used?

The history and importance probably not even appreciated by many of us at that time. Once again the saying "You don't appreciate it until it's gone!"

[Bing 78]

I used to live at Clifton and my first job was at Walker, Walton and Hanson estate agents on Byard Lane. So my bus from home would come into Broad Marsh (the old, open Broad Marsh bus station) and I'd trudge up Drury Hill to work every morning and back down at night. Yes, 50 years on the smell I can remember. The leather shop on the left going down the hill, near the little turning space mentioned above was some of it, the old book shop as well.

Nottingham missed an opportunity to rival The Shambles in York. Bloody vandals.

[FLY2 10,108]

Kev, you can do the buildings and the backdrop for my model railway if you like..... Whenever I make a start ! LOL

St Albans Rd, can you manage that?