Sherwood: a brief history

Originally, the Sherwood area of Nottingham was at the southern tip of the ancient Sherwood Forest. It was open common land used by the people of Nottingham to graze animals.

Following the 1792 Enclosure Act, the area was gradually settled and inhabited on a permanent basis. At the same time, allotment gardens were developed where food was grown to feed Nottingham's increasing urban population.
Sherwood expanded from just a few dwellings in 1814 into a sizeable hamlet by 1841. At that time, the principal occupations of the inhabitants were: lacemakers, framework knitters, servants and agricultural labourers.

During the late 1800s most of the land had been sold off for building development and many of the allotments were lost, though some, like Bagthorpe Gardens, remain today. The development included factories and other industrial buildings as well as housing for the professional and better-off working people who were moving out of the overcrowded city.

Significant places and buildings in Sherwood

Carrington
The area known as Carrington was bought for development in the early 1800s by Mr Ichabod Wright.  he called it Carrington after his friend Lord Carrington of Carrington, near Ashby Folville in Leicestershire.
The village was established in 1825. The area was soon transformed by the lace industry: in 1832 there were 34 bobbin net makers, and just four years later the number had risen to 143.
In 1835, the New Inn was opened on New Street, by Thomas Beasley, a farmer. This became the Carrington Brewery which in turn became Shipstone & Co. in 1898.
The Gladstone Hotel, Loscoe Street, Carrington was built in 1882, one landlord was George Fryer, an English amateur heavyweight boxing champion, who had been billed as 'The Nottingham Slasher' when fighting in the USA.
Carrington Lido
The outdoor Lido off Mansfield Road (Next to St John's Church) was opened on 29^th July 1937 at a cost of £20,000. It closed in 1988. The site is now a children's recreation ground.

Cullen's Almshouses
Miss Cullen's Almshouses on Bingham Road, Carrington were designed by the Nottingham architect William Fothergill in 1882. They were paid for by the Misses Elizabeth Marianne Cullen, in memory of their brother James Cullen, who died in 1878.

The Great Central Railway
From1895 the Great Central Railway crossed through the area, most of it via an underground tunnel on its way to and from Victoria Station, Nottingham. Carrington Station opened in 1899 and closed in 1929.

HM Prison Nottingham
Originally called the Bagthorpe Prison which opened in 1891, Nottingham Prison was designed to accommodate 200 male prisoners. In 1894 a new block opened to accommodate 40 female prisoners. The first execution was carried out there in 1897.
In 1930 the prison was closed and reopened as a Borstal Institution in 1932.
In 1950 it reverted back to being a prison, but this time as a maximum security prison. New blocks opened in 1996 to accommodate 100 more inmates. There was further rebuilding and refurbishment during 2009-10.

Nottingham City Hospital
What is now Nottingham City Hospital campus was originally the site of the Bagthorpe Isolation Hospital which opened in 1892, and the Bagthorpe Workhouse and Infirmary which opened in 1903. The Workhouse closed in 1909.
During World War 1, the Infirmary became the Bagthorpe Military Hospital.
In 1935, the City Infirmary became a municipal general hospital and was renamed the Nottingham City Hospital. During the Second World War the hospital treated military wounded and prisoners of war. It was awarded teaching hospital status in 1970.

The Nottingham Electric Tram shed
This opened in 1901 on Mansfield Road. In later years it was used as a bus garage.

Woodthorpe Grange
Woodthorpe Grange was originally built in 1874 by Mr Henry Ashwell. In 1921 it was purchased by Nottingham City Council (with the help of a large donation from Sir Jesse Boot) from a Mr Charles Hill.
The grounds were converted into Woodthorpe Park and opened to the public in 1922. The tropical house first opened to the public on Sunday 21^st May 1995 and was designed by Stuart Kitchen. The Memorial Gardens opened in July 2003. 

Woodthorpe House (Now Sherwood Community Centre)
Woodthorpe House is the oldest building in the area. A map of 1774 shows a dwelling on the same site. Over the years the house had connections with many prominent Nottingham people including Sir William Hugh Tomasson (1858-1922), at one time Nottinghamshire's Chief Constable. The  Tomasson family lived there until the 1930s. During the Second World War the house was requisitioned by the War Office.
After the War, the Sherwood Community Association gained use of the house and eventually it became the Sherwood Community Centre.

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 Historical photographs

The Picture the Past website gives access to the photographic heritage of the North East Midlands, enabling you to search for photos of the Sherwood area and see what has changed and what is still recognisable.
You may even be able to add to the information on the website by identifying some of the images that have not been recognised.

Bagthorpe Infirmary (now City Hospital site) Nottingham c.1910	Carrington Lido Sherwood Nottingham 1980
Cullen's Almshouses Sherwood Nottingham 1959	Haydn Road Infants School Sherwood Nottingham 1980
Horse tram Mansfield Road Nottingham c.1900	Market Place Carrington Nottingham 1959

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To find out more about the history of Sherwood:

• Visit Sherwood Library which has information relating to the history of the area, including books which may be borrowed.
• Contact the Nottingham Central Library - Floor 1 - Local Studies Library at Nottingham Central Library which has a large collection of material relating to the whole of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire , including books, maps, newspapers and historical directories. Most of these are for use in the library only. The Local Studies Library has specialist staff on site who are happy to help you make the best use of the resources available.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire history societies

Societies with a broader remit on City and County history include:

• Nottingham Civic Society
  http://www.nottinghamcivicsociety.org.uk/
  fights for conservation and good planning in Nottingham, safeguards listed buildings from demolition or neglect and celebrates well-designed new buildings and renovations.
• Nottinghamshire Local History Association
  www.nlha.org.uk
  Founded in 1953 this Association brings together people and organisations interested in all aspects of local history in the county. It publishes a journal The Nottinghamshire Historian and holds regular events and courses.
• The Thoroton Society
  http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk
  promotes knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the history, archaeology and antiquities of Nottinghamshire, and supports local research and conservation

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