Down the Marches - talk by Chis Weir

About

Tuesday 15th April 2025 I 7pm
Venue: Arnold Methodist Church
Tickets: £1.00 for members and £3.00 for non-members

The Broad Marsh Centre was inaugurated in 1975 by the Duke of Gloucester. The centre housed several large department stores including the flagship Coop department store and Newton & Granger.  There was also a Wimpy’s, along with the fondly remembered wooden caterpillars. This large new shopping centre marked an exciting period for Nottingham; however, it came at a cost. The construction of the new centre required the demolition of the beloved Dury Hill, a quaint street that wound its way down into the Marshes. Notably, the old Severn’s timber-framed building, dating back to the fifteenth century, was preserved and relocated to Castle Road.

Broad Marsh and Narrow Marsh encompassed a significant area of Nottingham that was heavily overcrowded, with reports suggesting as many as 300 people per acre residing there. Severe overcrowding plagued the lodging houses in this region, which was a central hub of Nottingham's industrial activity. The area was home to foundry workers, coal workers, charwomen employed in the large houses of The Park, and women working in Nottingham’s lace and hosiery industry. It played a vital role in Nottingham’s industrial history.

Join us to hear Chris Weir, former Head Archivist at the Nottingham Archives, present an intriguing account of the history of this once-thriving segment of Nottingham's heritage.