{"id":1925,"date":"2020-01-18T21:37:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T21:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=1925"},"modified":"2022-09-26T13:59:26","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T12:59:26","slug":"nottingham-the-five-minutes-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/nottingham-the-five-minutes-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Nottingham: The Five Minutes Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nottingham: More Than Just a Sheriff.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true; there is a lot more to Nottingham than a swish accent and an association with Robin Hood. Let\u2019s be clear before we go any further, though, If you are visiting Nottingham the number one pit stop should be Sherwood Forest<\/a>. There really is no excuse not to see it if you are passing through. Its haunting beauty will never leave you and you get to walk in the footsteps of history (well fictitious history anyway). It\u2019s a fair way outside of the city but totally worth it.<\/p>\n

A Bit of Nottingham History<\/h2>\n

So what is it that makes this ancient English city such a star? Here\u2019s the Five Minutes Spare<\/a> spin on the history of Nottingham.<\/p>\n

The Naming of Nottingham<\/h2>\n

Nottingham is rumoured to have been a settled city since before Anglo-Saxons roamed the Earth. There\u2019s a bit of contention over who, what, and how the city name came into play. A Generally accepted version is that a Chief named Snot was the source and that the original name is \u2018Snottingham\u2019. This is the scholarly opinion. However\u2026<\/p>\n

As well-read people here at Five Minutes; we are more familiar with the Viking names for things. Author Bernard Cromwell refers to Nottingham as Snotengaham<\/a> in \u2018official\u2019 usage from back-in-the-day. If there was ever a man who knew what he was talking about re English history \u2013 it was this man. Now that we have got the fandom out of the way, let\u2019s get back to the history\u2026<\/p>\n

Snotengaham<\/h2>\n

Nottingham Castle was built in 1068; that much we do know. A small settlement grew up around it, protected by the fort there. The Norman Conquest saw the fort split into two distinct sectors: the French and the English Boroughs. Both sat at opposite ends of what is now the old Lace Market. The Castle sat on the banks of the River Leen, to the east of Trent Bridge. There is a really good map of Medieval Nottingham here<\/a>, oddly courtesy of a blog about Disney\u2019s Robin Hood.<\/p>\n

An interesting side note regarding the castle<\/a>: it still stands to this day. It is in the process of a (nearly) \u00a330 million refurb. It should be open by the early 2021. It has stood for more than a thousand years. Go see it if you are nearby\u2026 The Castle is old enough to be recorded in the Domesday<\/a> Book, which was a legal survey of all the land ownership in England, around the end of the 11th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

What about before the castle was built? Well, the Danes conquered much of what is now northern England in the 9th<\/sup> century. They built a fort where Nottingham now stands. Before that, it is theorised that there were already people living in the area. This is because of a natural fjord in the River Trent \u2013 the first one for many miles. If the invading Danes came up the river and found a village there it would shortly become theirs.<\/p>\n

The good news is that it was recaptured in 920. Sometime after the castle was built the \u2018S\u2019 was dropped. Nottingham grew a town hall, a courthouse, and a market square.<\/p>\n

The Truth about Robin Hood<\/h2>\n

The Crusades at the end of the twelfth century saw Richard the Lionheart abroad for a good deal of his reign. Supporters of Prince John took over Nottingham Castle. Richard took it back when he returned. In the meantime: Robin of Locksley did exist, did partake in archery tournaments, and did like to hang out in the forest a lot. According to our sources<\/a> he and his men (not his merry men, just his men\u2026 there is no historical testament as to their joyfulness) are first mentioned in documents around 1377. This means the time periods even match up.<\/p>\n

So Robin Hood existed and was very much loved by the poor and needy. He was anti-Prince John and loved archery. The story has been embellished over the generations\u2026 but behind every legend is a grain of truth.<\/p>\n

Fun Nottingham Facts!<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s take a bit of a break from all this history to cover some fun things. Here are some interesting titbits we found out about this lovely city while we were reading:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Bicycle and Nottingham have a long history together\u2026 They were produced here, and several cycle paths run throughout the area.<\/li>\n
  2. Boots the Chemist also began in the streets of Nottingham. Chemistry<\/a> was much more fun back then\u2026<\/li>\n
  3. Nottingham sits on a vast cave system. Much like the catacombs of Paris (but much less sinister), this city is threaded with caves. Its name is (arguably) derived from an ancient word for \u2018caves\u2019\u2026 Scholars think this is a happy coincidence and go with the Snot interpretation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019re pretty sure our followers here at Five Minutes Spare can think of a few more interesting facts about Nottingham. Head on over to the Forum to have your tuppence worth.<\/p>\n

    The Post-Robin-Hood Years<\/h2>\n

    Once this era was done and by, the eleventh century saw the erection of several churches around the growing fort town. A friary was added in the 13th<\/sup> century \u2013 which might explain why Nottingham has had a long history with monks. In that same century, the Jewish population of the city was persecuted by rebels.<\/p>\n

    In the 14th<\/sup> century, a hospital expanded the growing community of (now) mixed Saxons and Normans. In the following century, it was granted the corporate town charter that committed it to the maps and records. The city gradually changed from one of religious revelry to one of textiles. The Industrial Revolution a century or so later saw the introduction of the mills and a tremendous trade in lace. Nottingham Lace was, at one point, known throughout the kingdoms.<\/p>\n

    A Bit of Depression<\/h2>\n

    Argh\u2026 poor Nottingham. After the boom in the Industrious years, it could only fall. The introduction of socialism (see our post on New Lanark) around 1800 saw the residents of Nottingham particularly unhappy. They were not well treated by the Lace industry. They had a riot, burned down the Duke of Newcastle\u2019s residence (their own castle) and got that reformation introduced. Nowadays we joke that if things don\u2019t go our way we will riot. Back in those days, you grabbed a pitchfork and some matches\u2026<\/p>\n

    The textile industry in Britain was just about wiped out by the First, then the Second, World Wars. Munitions became the important production of the moment. The city was repeatedly bombed as the Luftwaffe spotted the lights from the sky. The Nottingham Blitz took place over 8-9th<\/sup> May 1941. It is estimated that 100 bombers hounded the city overnight, leading to massive damage and loss of life.[i]<\/a><\/p>\n

    The BBC<\/a> has this interesting group of photos of Nottingham during WWII. US soldiers were stationed here and its position on the Trent made it strategically important. Afterwards, and before then, the city was expanded to incorporate various communities that might once have been suburbs. Nottingham as we know it today has absorbed the following towns, much like \u2018The Blob\u2019:<\/p>\n