Drury Hill

[Froggy 3]

It's sad to see what happened to Drury Hill. It was a drab and run down street in the'60's but what character and potential! Much of Nottingham's past was wantonly destroyed in the '60's and replaced by the posy shite of the day. St. Annes had character and look what they did to that! The Almshouses opposite Castle Rock were wonderful little places. A college was built there, I think.

[poohbear 1,360]

That street could have been pedestrianised and the shops filled with 'Oldie Worldy' trades.It could have been a tourist attraction to include the caves underneath.But no....It's right on the edge of the Mall and architects could have made allowances to let it remain.....Criminal.

[Froggy 3]

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.

[Cliff Ton 10,450]

I've seen that picture before and it's a great one - sums the place up really well. What always fascinated me is the upstairs window in the building on the left....there's someone looking out from behind bars!! It wasn't a prison, and I wouldn't think you'd need bars for security up there. Locking up the mad relative in the spare room?

[Froggy 3]

I've seen that picture before and it's a great one - sums the place up really well. What always fascinated me is the upstairs window in the building on the left....there's someone looking out from behind bars!! It wasn't a prison, and I wouldn't think you'd need bars for security up there. Locking up the mad relative in the spare room?

Broad Marsh and Drury Hill were dodgy places before the land behind the camera was cleared. A butcher down there slaughtered pigs in his back yard. Coppers would go down the Hill only in pairs.

I remember only a few shops showing signs of even half life. There was a secondhand book shop, a chromium plate works that stank and Bruce's Pigole.

[rob237 89]

That street could have been pedestrianised and the shops filled with 'Oldie Worldy' trades.It could have been a tourist attraction to include the caves underneath...

Any picture of Drury Hill instantly puts me in mind of The Shambles, in York...many similarities.

Huge year-round tourist potential was lost!

Cheers

Robt P.

[.... 23]

Re Cliff's mention of the barred upstairs window. This made me think of the tales of a house in Cross Street, Arnold that my folks lived in for a period before going back to Scotland, before I was born. The house was reputedly the oldest one in Arnold and was opposite what was known locally as Blackbird Row, I believe. The house had originally been the office premises of a small factory of some kind and one of the windows was still barred due to it having being the payroll office.

Have to agree about the 'Shambles' comments. Wholly evocative of the lovely street in York. What a waste!

[.... 23]

Isn't that cave still a part of the 'City of Caves' visit under Broad Marsh Centre?

[.... 23]

You have to wonder what went on down there in those caves. Anyone know?

Have you seen the official web site of the City of Caves tour, Froggy?

http://www.cityofcaves.com/

Others will know more than me but gambling, beer keeping and air raid shelters were all uses for a starter.

[Froggy 3]

Have you seen the official web site of the City of Caves tour, Froggy?

http://www.cityofcaves.com/

Others will know more than me but gambling, beer keeping and air raid shelters were all uses for a starter.

Thanks Stu. I hope to get back to England next year and will try to find time to see the caves.

[Cliff Ton 10,450]

The Almshouses opposite Castle Rock were wonderful little places. A college was built there, I think.

I'm pleased to say I'm not old enough to remember seeing them, but apparently they looked like this Cottages

From what I've read, they had no running water or electricity, so they would've needed to be almost completely rebuilt to make them civilised.

And the ultimate irony is that the college which occupies the site is likely to get the chop before much longer.

Probably to be replaced by some inner city cottages

[Limey 242]

Is the college being referred to what I knew as Peoples College?

[.... 23]

It is indeed, mate.

[Limey 242]

Gorrit! Is it still Peoples College or has it been sucked into the "Trent University" conglomerate? And, is it under threat?

It's been there as long as I can remember!

[.... 23]

Not sure of it's future (or indeed if it's still open) but I think it was part of the New College organisation which includes Clarendon and a few others. Nothing to do with Trent (NTU), Eric.

[Froggy 3]

Thanks for the link, Cliff Ton. Jessamine Cottages was the name. That must be them in the pic. but my recollection of them in the '50's was that they were overgrown and probably abandoned. Even in those days people were unhappy that they were demolished. Imagine the possible uses fro them nowadays, given the proximity to the Castle.

Too much of Nottingham was lost as aesthetics and history were brushed aside for utility and the hideous architecture of the day.

[Cliff Ton 10,450]

Found this a few days ago. It's in a book of old Nottm photos which I bought in the 1980s (and that book itself now hasn't been available for years)

Sums up the atmosphere of Drury Hill as I remember it

[Beefsteak 305]

That particular picture is in a book called :-

"Nottingham Then " It's a Nottingham Evening Post publication, with the ISBN number of 0 948946 26 1 and it is their archive pictures.

My copy dates from 1988.

Have a good scout around on here for loads more tit bits , use the search box at top right and enter 'Drury Hill'

Hope this helps.

Ian

[EileenH 496]

My mother used to tell me that when her sister got married in the thirties they lived in a house in Narrow Marsh (?) and the back room went into the cliff as a sort of cave. Would that be in this area - and would the cave story be feasible?

Nobody left to ask in person now.

[denshaw 2,871]

That could be quite true Eileen, there's a pub on Cliff Road called the Loggerheads (if it's still open) the back room goes into a cave. This would have been on the site of Narrow Marsh.

[taxi ray 170]

The loggerheads is closed, I read in the NEP that someone is planning to turn it into a restaurant. sorry dont know how to do link.

It seems a strange location for a restaurant, as cliff road is a bit out of the way, and very little passing trade.

[Cliff Ton 10,450]

My mother used to tell me that when her sister got married in the thirties they lived in a house in Narrow Marsh (?) and the back room went into the cliff as a sort of cave. Would that be in this area - and would the cave story be feasible?

Nobody left to ask in person now.

This is probably the kind of thing your mother was referring to. Narrow Marsh when it was being demolished, with an interesting selection of caves for people's back gardens.

If you look at Picture the Past you can do a search for Narrow Marsh and find quite a few more, including photos of the Loggerheads

[mick2me 3,033]

Welcome Matt89

What have you found so far?

Any text or images fed back here will make it available worldwide.

Also it generates more input from readers from around the world filling any gaps

[kayemo 0]

Hi Everyone, I found this site while looking for images of an old pub in Maidstone Kent - haven't found one yet. The publican in 1861 was William STRAY brother of my Great Grandfather who was born in Basford. I enjoyed reading the posts and the photographs particularly as I live in Drury (formerly Drury Village). Our original group of shops is known as Drury Lane, there are newer shops on the other side of the road now. From my house I can see the Drury Hills so you can see why I found this particular forum of interest.

The loss of Drury HIll, Nottinghamshire is a great shame and while we have a much younger history in NZ the same thing happens here. There was a once thriving railway station at Drury, coal was mined (in a relatively small way), there was a brick works and pottery, and more. Drury was also a key military area during the Maori Wars (now referred to as the New Zealand Wars - considered more PC). Another great grandfather was killed in 1866 in another part of the country defending his new home from the 'natives'. He was originally from Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Durham.

There are still one or two great old homesteads and the oldest part of the school was built in 1900 and is still used. The school was founded in 1857 but burned down twice - wooden buildings and fires were a major problem for the early settlers and into the 1900s fortunately our local churches fared much better as did the Drury Hotel, more commonly known as the Jolly Farmer Inn until quite recently when it became an Irish pub - still the Jolly to locals!

I look forward to reading more of the forums on this site.

Kara

Drury, NZ

[mudgie49 401]

I remember my mum taking me to a toy shop on Drury hill,Beecrofts I think,but that must have been 55years ago.