Nottingham

I

Introduction

Nottingham, city, central England. Nottingham is located on the River Trent, in gently rolling countryside to the south-east of the Peak District. Formerly the administrative capital of the county of Nottinghamshire, it is now a unitary authority in its own right (see Nottingham City). On April 1, 1998, the district council that had administered the city, in conjunction with Nottinghamshire County Council, was replaced by Nottingham unitary authority. The new administrative body is responsible for the provision of all local government services, including those previously provided by the county council. Although administered separately, the city of Nottingham remains geographically part of Nottinghamshire. The unitary authority has an area of 75 sq km (29 sq mi). Population 267,000 (2001 estimate).

II

Economy

Nottingham is a transport centre located in a coal-mining region that has declined. For centuries Nottingham has been noted for the production of lace. The principal industries today are textiles, pharmaceuticals, food-manufacturing, cigarette production, bicycle manufacturing, engineering, and telecommunications. The city is served by Nottingham East Midlands Airport (which is in fact in Leicestershire). In 2004 the first section of an urban light rail system, NET (Nottingham Express Transit), was completed. The first phase of the modern tramway network operates on 14 km (9 mi) of track in and around the city.

III

Places of Interest

There are two universities: the University of Nottingham, which was founded in 1881 and granted full university status in 1948, and the Nottingham Trent University, which was granted full university status in 1992, having formerly been a polytechnic. In the city are Nottingham Castle (11th century, rebuilt 1670s), now housing an art gallery and an exhibition of local history, and the Museum of Costume and Textiles. “The Trip to Jerusalem” is reputed to be England's oldest inn, and its foundation is dated at 1189. Nottingham Goose Fair, which is held annually in October, is one of the largest fairs in Europe. Nottingham Playhouse is one of the country's leading provincial theatres. There is also a Roman Catholic cathedral. A Crown Court sits in Nottingham, and the Nottinghamshire Constabulary has its headquarters in the city.

Nottingham has a strong sporting background. The ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are from the city. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club plays at Trent Bridge, which is one of the grounds on which Test match cricket is played. There are two professional football teams: Nottingham Forest, at home at the City Ground, won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980, under the managership of Brian Clough; while Notts County, the world's oldest league club, plays at Meadow Lane. The city also has a racecourse, and the National Water Sports Centre.

The city is associated with the poet Lord Byron, who came to live at Newstead Abbey at the age of ten when he inherited the title; and D. H. Lawrence, the poet and novelist, who was born nearby and attended the old University College. General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, was born here in 1829.

IV

History

The Saxons settled in the area and later, in ad 868, it was occupied by the Danes. It became one of the five towns of the Danelaw, but was recaptured in ad 918. Later the Normans settled here, and built a castle in this strategically important area. It was a favourite royal residence, and it was from here on Standard Hill that Charles I raised his standard at the start of the Civil War. The castle was seized by Parliament and dismantled. Later it was rebuilt only to be destroyed by fire during the Reform Bill Riots in 1831. In 1878 it re-opened as England's first municipal art gallery and museum. Outside the castle is a statue to Robin Hood and bas-reliefs outlining the main events associated with him.

The city has been granted many royal charters, the first in 1155 by Henry II. Nottingham became a county borough under the Local Government Act in 1888 and a city in 1897. The first mayoral charter was granted by Edward I in 1286.

It is a city of contrasts; early dwellers tunnelled into the sandstone rocks, on which present day Nottingham is built, to make cave dwellings and there are some remains. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was famous throughout Europe for its alabaster carvings. Its prosperity grew in hosiery and lacemaking with the introduction of the stocking frame, which was developed by William Lee, a local man, in 1589. Later the town took advantage of the invention of the spinning jenny in 1768. It was in Nottingham that the most violent Luddite riots occurred in 1811-1816, when the starving weavers smashed the machines.