Nottingham Local History

History of Goose Fair

Goose Fair started in the 13th Century

The fair probably takes it's name from the geese sold in Nottingham

Goose Fair started as a trade event, known for its high quality cheeses

It moved to the Forest Recreation Ground in the 1920s.

Most historians agree the fair probably started just after 1284 when the Charter of King Edward I referred to city fairs in Nottingham.

The name probably came from the hundreds of geese which were driven from Lincolnshire to be sold in Nottingham. A fat roast goose was a traditional Michaelmas treat.

The fair was originally held in September on St Matthew’s Day, but moved to early October in 1752.

Goose Fair has not run continuously, as it was cancelled because of the plague in 1646 and again during the two World Wars in the last century.

Although it is know for its rides and games now, Goose Fair started as a trade event and enjoyed a reputation for its high-quality cheese.

In the 19th century, the fair was shortened from eight days to three days, but after the turn of the century it was increased again to four days.

It was moved from its site at the centre of the town in Market Square to its current location at Forest Recreation Ground in the 1920s.

Short history of Nottinghamshire

By Nigel Bell.

Origins

There is evidence of human settlement in Nottinghamshire dating back thousands of years.

Excavations at Creswell Crags, a group of limestone caves near Worksop, have revealed continuous human occupation from 40,000 - 28,000 BC.

People of snot

Later the Romans built the Fosse Way, linking Leicester and Lincoln.

When the Anglo Saxons colonised Nottinghamshire they established the fortified borough of Snotengaham on a steep sandstone outcrop.

The name meant the "ham" of the people of Snot. Luckily for the locals the Normans later dropped the unattractive "S".

War and peace

However, their arrival also coincided with a period of conflict.

Castle Sky Tall by Kevin Lake from Standard Hill

Nottingham Castle

Major castles and defensive walls were built at Nottingham and Newark while a series of "mottes" (castle on earth mounds) were constructed in the countryside at villages like Laxton and Cuckney.

Domesday

The Domesday Book (1086) records invaluable information on these early settlements.

Around this time Sherwood Forest was preserved to provide hunting for the Norman Kings and has since become world famous for its association with Robin Hood, his Merry Men and the Major Oak.

Nottingham caves

In medieval times Nottingham Castle became an important stronghold, defending a major route to the north of England.

Under the Castle and other parts of the town there is an extensive network of tunnels and caves in the sandstone, some of which can still be visited today.

Abbeys and churches

The Normans also had a passion for building churches. At Southwell Minster, begun around 1108, the imposing nave is a fine example of Norman architecture.

Abbeys and priories were established in places like Worksop, Newstead, Welbeck and Rufford.

Religion was at the heart of life in medieval times, so much so that many churches were enlarged or rebuilt to hold larger congregations; one of the great town churches being St. Mary's in Nottingham.

Pilgrim Fathers

In the late 1500's a religious movement began in North Nottinghamshire that was to shake the world.

In the villages of Babworth and Scrooby a group of religious thinkers began to formulate new religious (nonconformist) ideas.

They became known as the Pilgrim Fathers and eventually sailed to New England in 1620 on the Mayflower.

Salvation Army

Many religions are now represented in Nottinghamshire. Nottingham itself was the birthplace of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army.

He was born in Notintone Place, Sneinton, a suburb of the city. The Salvation Army now works throughout the world.

Farming landscape

The rolling countryside of Nottinghamshire has been farmed for thousands of years.

Aerial photographs show evidence of field patterns dating back to pre-Roman times in north Nottinghamshire.

Open fields

In the medieval period most villagers farmed their land on an open-field system. Each farmer worked scattered "strips" of land among several large, unhedged fields. At Laxton the fields are still farmed this way.

All change

Elsewhere the end of the open system came in the 18th century when fields were "enclosed" by acts of Parliament.

Individual plots were distributed between farmers. Hedges and farmhouses began to dominate the countryside.

In modern times industrial farming has resulted in the loss of many hedgerows and woodland although conservation bodies are campaigning to preserve important areas of natural and historic landscape.

Country houses

Although many country houses have vanished from history there are some which survive to this day.

Sir Francis Willoughby used income from land and coal deposits to build Wollaton Hall , just outside Nottingham, in the 1580s.

Several houses were built following the dissolution (closure) of religious houses, including Welbeck Abbey, Rufford Abbey and Newstead Abbey, which became home to the Byron family.

 

In Victorian times the eccentric 5th Duke of Portland lived at Welbeck. He built a network of subterranean rooms, including a chapel and ballroom.

Clumber Park

Built in the 1770s, Clumber was the "seat" of the powerful Dukes of Newcastle.

Although demolished in 1938, the National Trust now has its regional office in the outbuildings.

A number of other Victorian houses have also survived, including Kelham Hall, which is now the offices of Newark and Sherwood District Council, and Bestwood Lodge, now used as a hotel.

Canals and railways

Canals provided vital links in the county's transport system.

Entrance to Victorian railway tunnel

Entrance to Victorian railway tunnel

The Chesterfield Canal (opened 1777) cut across north Nottinghamshire, linking Derbyshire with the inland port of West Stockwith.

The Nottingham Canal (opened 1796) connected the River Trent, at Trent Bridge, with Langley Mill, near Eastwood.

Time marches on

The earliest railway in Nottingham is thought to have been a wooden line from the Willoughby coal pits at Wollaton to Nottingham that existed in the 1600's.

In 1819 a railway, at first using horses to pull the wagons, was opened between Pinxton Wharf and Mansfield.

In May 1839 a steam railway line connecting Nottingham to Derby was opened by the Midland Counties Railway.

Victoria Clock

In the 1890's a railway was cut right through Nottingham, which required navvies to dig a series of tunnels right under the city.

The Victoria station was opened on 24th May 1900. It was demolished in 1967 and today only the clock tower remains.

Industrial heritage

Even in medieval times industry was important in Nottinghamshire.

Coal was dug in outcrops near the Derbyshire border; cloth manufacture and dyeing were vital to trade and Nottingham was famed throughout Europe for its alabaster monuments (examples of which are still on display at Nottingham Castle).

Lace

The invention of the stocking frame in 1589, reputedly by the Rev. William Lee of Calverton, lay at the heart of industrialisation.

By the late 1700's hose production employed thousands of framework knitters in and around Nottingham.

Poor conditions in 1811 led to Luddite riots in the city, with many knitting frames being smashed.

Yet Victorian times saw a dramatic expansion of the lace industry and around St. Mary's Church in Nottingham the streets were lined by towering lace warehouses which exported the material all over the world.

Wheels, pills and pits

Nottingham also became the centre for several major companies including the Raleigh Cycle Company and Players cigarettes.

The Boots Company was founded by Jesse Boot who was a great benefactor to the city. He donated land for the new University at Highfields, opened in 1928.

The 19th and 20th centuries saw the rapid growth of coal mining in the county.

It transformed whole landscapes and communities but in recent years it has declined dramatically creating major problems for the survival of former mining areas.

Literary heritage

Writers and Nottinghamshire seem to go hand in hand.

Lord Byron inherited Newstead Abbey in 1798 and his early writing was published in Newark. His works include "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" and "Don Juan".

After his death abroad, while campaigning for Greek independence, his body was returned for burial at Hucknall Church.

 

Equally controversial was the novelist D H Lawrence.

D H Lawrence

D H Lawrence

He was born in Eastwood in 1885 and, although he spent many years abroad, based many of his novels on the local area.

"Sons and Lovers" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover" are just two such locally based books.

Other writers to find inspiration from their own surroundings include Alan Sillitoe, who based "Saturday Night And Sunday Morning" around life in 20th century industrial Nottingham.

Lucy Hutchinson's "Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson", provides a vivid account of Nottingham during the Civil War.

A question of sport

Nottinghamshire has always been a sporting county. Cricket can be traced back to the 1700s with matches being played on the Forest.

In 1838 a new ground was established at Trent Bridge. A host of memorable matches have been played there in the years since.

 

Nottingham can boast the oldest football league club in existence. Notts County was formed in 1862.

However, it is their near neighbours Nottingham Forest who have won the FA Cup, against Luton in 1959, and, under the management of Brian Clough, the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.

Boxing clever

In the 1800s Nottingham produced one of England's greatest boxers.

William Thompson was better known as Bendigo, because of his bobbing and weaving fighting technique.

He was born in 1811, the last of 21 children. He started boxing at the age of 16 and soon became a bare-knuckle champion.

In later years he became a missionary preacher. Such was his fame that the town of Bendigo, in Australia, is named after him.

Skateaway success

In more recent times Nottingham has gained an international reputation for ice skating, following the success of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

The pair used to train at the city's old ice stadium. From those humble beginnings they went on to win an ice dance gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Crime and punishment

Many tourists visit Nottinghamshire due to the legend of Robin Hood - the man who, we're told, robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.

However, in recent times it's been the fear of crime that has led to people being weary of visiting the city.

Danielle Beccan

Danielle Beccan

During the 'noughties' Nottingham has been trying to shake the image of being the 'gun capital' of England.

High profile cases like the murders of John and Joan Stirland, Marian Bates and teenager Danielle Beccan, shocked the country and fuelled a relentless tabloid attack on Nottingham.

In 2007, Nottingham's so-called 'godfather of crime', Colin Gunn, was jailed for the murders of John and Joan Stirland.

Gunn was also the head of a drugs network that was out of control.

There's plenty of optimism in the fight against gun crime but there is still work to be done to polish Nottingham's reputation.