Nottingham Miscellany - 2022
A collection of local junk visited during 2022, none of it worth its own thread but may be of interest to other local folk. Think there's enough stuff for a Derby thread too at some point.
Walter Danks & Co
Constructed around 1885 on London Road for Walter Danks who were ironmongers, builders merchants and plumbers.
The upper floors were originally used by a small parish church called St Margaret’s Mission until 1891 when Walter Danks’ expanding business meant the church moved elsewhere. During more recent years, this building was used for building contracting and recliner chair sales.
More recently Indigo Planning has gained planning permission on behalf of Cassidy Group for construction of 150 apartments including the retention of the Danks building for residential conversion.
In the past, this section of London Road was more akin to marshland with two sizeable bodies of water called ‘Chainey Flash’ and ‘Chainey Pool’ - the word ‘chainey’ being a term for wooden bridges stopped up by a large chain fastened across them allowing access beyond. In the mid 1700s the wooden bridges were rebuilt in stone and around 1790 a new 10-arch stone bridge was constructed.
Part of the 1700s bridge still visable in the basement
George Spencer’s ‘Vedonis’ Hosiery Offices
Vedonis… An amalgamation of the words ‘Venus’ and ‘Adonis’.
Having grown up in Basford, George Spencer had 2 knitwear sites in Nottingham and a further works in Lutterworth. The Basford site's offices date from 1925 with the brand name Vedonis in mosaic tiles on both sides of the building. Any further history is a bit sketchy, but at some point the neighbouring works were taken over by Davenports and apparently shut in 1994. The factory itself has been repurposed as a gym and other such businesses, whereas the offices have sat vacant. A fire damaged a section of the building this summer.
The offices can be seen in the middle of this picture, a short distance from the hoisery
A collection of local junk visited during 2022, none of it worth its own thread but may be of interest to other local folk. Think there's enough stuff for a Derby thread too at some point.
Walter Danks & Co
Constructed around 1885 on London Road for Walter Danks who were ironmongers, builders merchants and plumbers.
The upper floors were originally used by a small parish church called St Margaret’s Mission until 1891 when Walter Danks’ expanding business meant the church moved elsewhere. During more recent years, this building was used for building contracting and recliner chair sales.
More recently Indigo Planning has gained planning permission on behalf of Cassidy Group for construction of 150 apartments including the retention of the Danks building for residential conversion.
In the past, this section of London Road was more akin to marshland with two sizeable bodies of water called ‘Chainey Flash’ and ‘Chainey Pool’ - the word ‘chainey’ being a term for wooden bridges stopped up by a large chain fastened across them allowing access beyond. In the mid 1700s the wooden bridges were rebuilt in stone and around 1790 a new 10-arch stone bridge was constructed.
Part of the 1700s bridge still visable in the basement
George Spencer’s ‘Vedonis’ Hosiery Offices
Vedonis… An amalgamation of the words ‘Venus’ and ‘Adonis’.
Having grown up in Basford, George Spencer had 2 knitwear sites in Nottingham and a further works in Lutterworth. The Basford site's offices date from 1925 with the brand name Vedonis in mosaic tiles on both sides of the building. Any further history is a bit sketchy, but at some point the neighbouring works were taken over by Davenports and apparently shut in 1994. The factory itself has been repurposed as a gym and other such businesses, whereas the offices have sat vacant. A fire damaged a section of the building this summer.
The offices can be seen in the middle of this picture, a short distance from the hoisery
Midland Electric Bioscope / Queens Cinema
A small cinema which opened in 1909 as the Midland Electric Bioscope and became the Midland Electric Theatre by 1911. It operated under this name until 1936 when it was called Queen’s Cinema until its closure in 1955. The auditorium has since been used as a showroom but has itself been closed a number of years and currently awaits redevelopment.
A very derelict auditorium is all that remains!
Guy Birkin Lace Mills
A pair of lace mills known as ‘White House’ and ‘Maville House’ formerly occupied by local lace manufacturer Guy Birkin until 2003. Parts of the site were subsequently used as offices until as recently as 2012, when the last tenants moved out. Has had many planning applications for residential conversion over the years since but nothing to indicate any of these will be implemented any time soon really.
Holly Farm, Bassingfield
A late 1700s farmhouse plus a range of mid-Victorian outbuildings in the small hamlet of Bassingfield a couple of miles outside of Nottingham. Developers originally wanted to flatten the site but have apparently now u-turned and plan to renovate it.
To be continued!
