Nottinghamshire

The area around Gotham in Nottinghamshire was once the centre of a busy gypsum mining industry with a series of tramways and railways leading from the mines to roadside depots or down to wharves on the River Trent or sidings on the main line railways. Today the local mines have all closed, but the plaster works at East Leake continues to work with gypsum supplied from the desulphurisation process at Ratcliffe power station. The large gypsum boulders seen here in front of the power station have been unearthed during the widening of the A453(T) road nearby. The fact that they have been gathered together suggests that they may be due for processing into the plaster industry.

I spotted this whilst driving past and returned for a closer look. It appears to be a fuel pipeline pumping station dating back to WW2. The surviving building is very similar to that at Poynton (see below) although in this case the rainheads are rather fancy.

This impressive building was originally built c 1891 / 92 for brewers William Henry Hutchinson & Son and in 1916 became part of Home Brewery. In 1921 it was sold to Murphy & Son who are still in business there to this day manufacturing and supplying aids to the brewing industry. The building was designed by architect William Bradford of Carlton Chambers, Regent Street, London and built by Dennett & Ingle of Nottingham.

The exterior of this Art Deco pub at Radford, Nottingham hasn't been too messed up and the Crown over the entrance is excellent. Original windows too. It proved very difficult to photograph due to the clutter in front and also the busy/lethal road outside. The perspective correction on this two shot stitch is not as good as I would have liked, but I ran out of skill. :-( Anyway, a nice pub exterior and it looked as if some of the original interior has survived too.

Pipework and reeds at the rear of the Boots manufacturing plant at Beeston, Nottingham. Viewed across the Beeston and Nottingham Canal.

Having left security officer one to call the police it wasn't long before I became aware of a security emblazoned 4wd vehicle tracking me from inside the perimeter of the Boots factory at Beeston, Nottingham. Very soon it stopped and I was faced with this guy who said he was the head of security. He informed me that photographing the site was illegal and demanded to know why I was doing so. He did not wish to know that photography from a public place was perfectly lawful. When I took this shot he was extremely unhappy and said that it was illegal because he had not given permission for his photo to be taken. He said he would call the police. I never saw any police but he did keep me under surveillance even when I was walking away on the far side of the Beeston Canal. I am sure that the many CCTV cameras around the Boots site recorded images of my good self, but funnily enough I don't remember Boots UK Limited asking my permission either. ;-)

With the announcement of the Viyella company going into administration I thought I would post this reminder of its origins. William Hollins & Co. Ltd., was the originator of Viyella fabrics and built mills at Radford in Nottingham during the nineteenth century. Part of the Norton Street Mills was erected in the early twentieth century and includes some nice terracotta details including this company logo on the keystone over a doorway.

Detail of the William Hollins & Co. Ltd mill at Radford, Nottingham. As far as I can remember this section of the mills was built in 1913.

Former warehousing built by the Trent Navigation Company on the Nottingham Canal in the centre of the city. The wording 'British Waterways' on the side facing the canal replaced 'Trent Navigation' and traces of the former lettering can still be discerned. Of course today this is all apartments.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar on a sunny day. It is actually quite difficult to find an angle where you can see all eight cooling towers.

This building caught my eye whilst I was wandering around the centre of Nottingham. Clearly designed to fit a difficult shaped site, the result is a most unusual frontage of curves and angles with terracotta frontage and copings. I think I like the resulting effect.

Bestwood Colliery was closed in 1971 and today the headstocks and sheaves survive with the winding engines and house in the midst of a country park. In the adjacent village the Bestwood Hotel has also succumbed and now stand empty and disused.

Terracotta dragons are very scarce but today I found two on a building in Heathcoat St, Nottingham. Quite different from this one , the Nottingham dragon cheekily curls his tail through one of the holes in the vertical section of the tile and also requires a prop for his neck! A lovely piece as is the one on an adjacent gable.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station against a typical summer 2008 sky.

Even on a wet day the Elite Cinema building in Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham looks impressive. It was designed by the London architects Adamson & Kinns and opened in 1921. Closed as a cinema in 1977 it operated until 1990 as a bingo hall it is now a night club with office and retail uses. The building is listed Grade II*.

The terracotta frontage of the Boden and Co lace warehouse on Weekday Cross/Fletcher Gate in Nottingham is certainly designed to impress the customer. There is some fine detail work in the design.

Detail from above the doorway of the Boden and Co lace warehouse on Weekday Cross/Fletcher Gate in Nottingham. Top quality terracotta to impress your customers.

Awaiting demolition are the remains of the Gerard's Soap Works in Nottingham. Whilst operated by Cussons this factory produced Imperial Leather soap but production was transferred to other sites and countries (including Thailand) in 2005.