The Lace Market in the 16th, 17th & 18th centuries

The Lace Market in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. . , When Leland, the King's Antiquary, visited Nottingham in the 1530's its population was estimated at 3,000. He found the town well built, with houses of timber and plaster on the hill rising from the Leen to St. Mary's and the Castle partly in ruins. By the early 16th century timber and plaster began to be replaced by brick made from the clay of Mapperley Plains., Much of the land on the east side of the city which had been derelict since the 14th century was acquired by wealthy families in the 17th century and throughout the 18th century. These families built town mansions and surrounded them with large formal gardens, turning Nottingham into a "Garden Town"., The chronicler Celia Fiennes described Nottingham in 1697 as "the neatest town I have seen, built of stone and delicate large and long streets much like London and the houses lofty and well built..." Nottingham was at this time a handsome provincial capital where many of the local nobility had houses, notably the Duke of Newcastle's baroque Nottingham Castle, built 1674-79. The grandest houses in the present day Lace Market were Thurland Hall (now Thurland Street) and Pierrepoint House, east of Stoney Street. Plumptre House (now Broadway), built in 1730, was the finest., One of the mansions close to the new housing site was Sherwin House, built in 1657 on the north side of Pilcher Gate, with gardens south of Pilcher Gate stretching as far south as Broadway. What is now the County Records Office (County House), on High Pavement, was another of these mansions, rebuilt between 1729 and 1732. Its gardens stretched as far north as the present Lace Market Theatre., South of the present electricity sub-station, on St. Mary's Gate, was Nottingham's first theatre. Already in use by the 1740's, it was known as the 'Theatre Royal'. It became the Royal Alhambra Music Hall in 1865. South of the theatre were smaller buildings which were used only as dwelling houses until the late 18th century, when some also began to be used for industrial purposes, particularly hosiery., The illustration by Sandby shows an East Prospect of Nottingham as seen from Sneinton Hill in 1750. The grand houses of the Lace Market can be seen to the north of St. Mary's. By the time of Sandby's sketch the change from a "Garden Town" to an industrial town had already begun. The population was by now 11,000. The chief industry was framework knitting using the stocking frame designed by William am Lee of Calverton in 1589. There were many other industries including brown earthenware, which was made at Beck Street. Pottery was also made, and glass at Glasshouse Street-the kilns can be seen on Sandby's drawing. A foundry can also be seen. The stage was set for the tremendous development of Nottingham in the 19th century.