As part of an ongoing series this post covers some of the more striking architecture of Nottingham city centre which wasn’t designed by Watson Forthergill (for some of those buildings, see here.)
The above is the Victoria Centre Clock Tower, the only part of Nottingham Victoria Railway Station still standing. The railway station opened in 1900 and was demolished in 1967.
This is the Peacock Pub. According to legend D.H. Lawrence was a regular here, as was John Harvey, author of the Charlie Resnick novels which are set in Nottingham.
Below is St Columba’s Church, which was built in 1898. (I had to look him up, but apparently St Columba was an Irish abbot and missionary, credited with spreading Christianity in Scotland). It began life as a Presbyterian Church but is now run by the Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Trust, as a Sikh place of worship.
St Andrew’s Church is Church of England and was built between 1869 and 1871. It was probably built on or rather near the site of the city gallows – apparently the last man to be executed there was a William Wells, a highway robber killed in 1827. It’s spire and location means that it can be seen from miles away.
The YMCA building here dates from 1937 and was designed by the same architect who designed the Council House – though I don’t think they really compare in terms of beauty.
Currently a bar, this building used to be a bank, dating from the 1860s or so, you can tell by the balcony that part of the original is no more.
This building is of interest because it marks the place where J. M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame worked for a time on the Nottingham Journal. Supposedly he took inspiration for Peter Pan from his time in Nottingham. I’ve passed this site countless times but never looked up – another reminder to pay attention to the architecture around you.
More photos of Nottingham can be found here.
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