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NOTTINGHAM - ENGLAND
Nottingham is a city located in the East
Midlands of England. Nottingham lies on the River Trent, which flows from
Stoke-on-Trent to the Humber - the only English river to flow North.
Nottingham's boundaries are tightly drawn and exclude the suburbs of
Hucknall, Arnold, Carlton, West Bridgford, Ruddington, Beeston, Long Eaton,
Stapleford, and Ilkeston - some of which are actually in Derbyshire.
The 2001 census recorded a population of 284,300 in Nottingham itself, with
around 750,000 people living in the surrounding conurbation. Nottingham was
the traditional county town of Nottinghamshire but since April 1, 1998 has
been a unitary authority.
Nottingham is famous
for its involvement in lace-making, the supposedly exceptional beauty of its
young women, and its association with the legendary outlaw Robin Hood.
Nottingham is also nationally famous for the high ratio of females to males
- given at various times between 3:1 to 6:1. In 2001, however, the official
ratio was published as 1.015:1.
History
Founded as a Saxon settlement, Nottingham was later captured by the Danes (Vikings)
and in the 9th century became one of the five boroughs (fortified towns) of
Danelaw. From its earliest beginnings, parts of the settlement have included
man-made caves, dug into soft sandstone. During this period, the settlement
went by names including Tigguo Cobauc ("House of Caves") and Snottingaham (from
the Anglo-Saxon Chieftan Snot's people (inga) of the riverside/hillside (a)
village (ham) ). The populace are grateful that the S became lost in the
course of history.
In the 11th century a castle was constructed on a sandstone outcrop by the
River Trent and a town grew around the castle. (see Nottingham Castle) The
cave network, substantially expanded, became home to a large proportion of
the poorer populace – particularly those involved in the tanning industry.
The caves were gradually abandoned in the 18th and 19th centuries, but came
into use again as air raid shelters in World War II. A section of the cave
network under the Broadmarsh shopping centre is now open as a tourist
attraction, and some parts are still used as pub cellars.
A section of the caves under the castle is still in regular use as an indoor
rifle range (Nottingham Rifle Club). Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn, partly
built into the cave system below the castle and a major meeting point for
those going on the Crusades in the Middle Ages (hence its name), lays claim
to being the oldest pub in Britain. However, since two other Nottingham pubs
– Ye Olde Salutation Inn and the Bell Inn – both call themselves the oldest
in Nottingham they must be considered contenders for the title of oldest in
Britain as well. The roots of the multiple claims lies can be traced to
various subtleties of definition in terms such as "public house" and "inn".
It was in the Middle Ages that the legend of Robin Hood first arose. Robin
Hood is said to have lived in Sherwood Forest, to the north of the city, and
the Sheriff of Nottingham to have been his greatest enemy. While the legends
are almost certainly untrue, particularly in their details, they have had a
major impact on Nottingham, with Robin Hood imagery a popular choice for
local businesses and many modern tourist attractions exploiting the legend.
The English Civil War began in Nottingham in 1642, when King Charles I
raised his standard upon Nottingham castle. The original Nottingham castle
was demolished by the victorious Parliamentarians in 1651. The castle
mansion was built on this site, but was gutted in 1831 during riots over the
Reform Bill, the current occupant being a known opponent of extending the
franchise. In 1878 it was reopened as an art museum.
A major industry in the 19th century was lace-making, with Nottingham
becoming famous for its lace. While some lace-making still goes on in the
city, it is no longer of much economic significance. Also in the 19th
century, the Nottingham Park Estate was built, on the castle's former deer
park.
Famous people born in or near Nottingham include William Booth, founder of
the Salvation Army, the author D.H. Lawrence and the fashion designer Paul
Smith. The poet Lord Byron resided, and is buried, at nearby Newstead Abbey.
Industry
Nottingham is the home of the headquarters of Boots the Chemists, founded in
the city by John Boot in 1849 and expanded substantially by his son Jesse.
Other large current employers include the credit reference agency Experian,
the energy company Powergen and the tobacco company John Player. A major
industry until recently was bicycle making, the city being the birthplace of
Raleigh Cycles in 1886. However, the company's factory on Triumph Road,
famous as the location for the filming of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,
was demolished in summer 2003. Other major industries in the city include
engineering, textiles, knitwear and electronics.
The tourism business is strong in Nottingham, particularly because of the
legend of Robin Hood and his association with the sheriff of Nottingham.
They Visit such places as Nottingham castle and the Robin Hood experience on
Parliament road. The tourist's also go shopping in the award wining shopping
centres and visit arguable the oldest pub in Britain, The ye old trip to
Jerusalem. A stop over for pilgrims.
Education
Nottingham houses two universities: the University of Nottingham and
Nottingham Trent University. The University of Nottingham's teaching
hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, is the largest hospital in the UK. Other
notable educational institutions include the further education college New
College Nottingham and Nottingham High School.
The Nottingham school of fashion is a fashion school respected around the
country and has produced the designer Paul Smith.
Culture and Sport
Nottingham has two main theatres – the Nottingham Playhouse and the Theatre
Royal (which also houses the Royal Concert Hall). There are also several art
galleries which often receive national attention – particularly noteworthy
are the castle museum and the Angel Row gallery (attached to the main
library). Both of the city's universities also put on a wide range of plays,
concerts, and other events throughout term time.
The annual Goose Fair is always popular. More generally, the city is
regarded as having a good night-life, with many clubs and bars in the centre
of town that are popular amongst both the local and student communities.
The city is home to two football teams, First Division Nottingham Forest,
who under their most famous manager Brian Clough won the European
Championship twice, and Second Division Notts County. The Trent Bridge
cricket ground, home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, is frequently a
venue for international Test matches.
Also in the city is the UK's National Ice Centre, a large ice skating rink;
the city's links to ice skating can be traced back to arguably its most
famous children of recent times, Olympic ice dancing champions Jayne Torvill
and Christopher Dean. The city also has a rugby club, and a large tennis
centre, where the annual Samsung Open is held in the weeks immediately prior
to Wimbledon.
Nottingham has won the Britain in Bloom competition, in the Large City
category, in 1997, 2001 and 2003. It also won the Entente Florale Gold Award
in 1998.
Transport
Nottingham is close to the M1 motorway and also served by train services to
London, Birmingham, the north and all other parts of the UK. It is a short
distance from Nottingham East Midlands Airport,making the city easily
accessible from all parts of the world. Internally, the city is well-served
by buses and a tram system known as Nottingham Express Transit has recently
been installed, running from Hucknall in the north to the railway station.
Planned future lines will create a substantial tram network across the city
and its suburbs.
Geography
Nottingham is located at 52°58'00" North, 01°10'00" West (52.9667, -1.1667).
North: Hucknall, Mansfield
West: University of Nottingham, Beeston, Stapleford, Ilkeston, Derby
East: Carlton, Grantham
South: West Bridgford
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