Undeterred by the weather forecast, 22 of us set out recently on a Nottingham City walk. We started from the Forest tram stop and then headed uphill and around Waterloo Promenade, through the Park Estate and to the Castle for our coffee stop. While in the Park Estate, we walked through the impressive tunnel which was carved out of the sandstone by the 4th Duke of Portland, which brought us out on Derby Road.
We didn’t realise at the time, but Nottingham Castle was about to be closed as they had run out of funds, so we narrowly missed a chance to appear on the TV that evening.
After looking at the restoration work on the Nottingham Society of Artists building on Friar Lane, we continued down to the Canal towpath, then past the ruins of the Broad Marsh Centre and into the Lace Market. Our route then continued through Sneinton Market, where the latest rejuvenation of that area appears to be bringing results.
Finally, we headed into Victoria Park, where there is a striking row of Victorian-era houses, painted in pastel colours, which could (nearly) be on the Amalfi coast. We ended the walk in St Mary’s Rest Garden, where there is a memorial to the famous boxer Bendigo.
This was an interesting walk, with a number of features and buildings that many of us were surprised to see for the first time.
Our next walk will be on Monday, 16th January; this will also be a City walk, taking in parts of the Canal and River Trent.