From Castle to Pub, from Pub to Jail and then (of course) back to the pub again

Onward to another Day: Tuesday 5/17: and away we go again in Nottingham.

Nottingham began in the 6th Century as a small Saxon settlement called Snotta Inga ham. the Saxon word ham meant village, Inga meant Belonging to and Snotta meant A man. So it was the village owned by Snotta. Gradually the name changed to Snottingham and then just Nottingham.

First stop was the Catholic Church across the street. Where we wandered about observing and photographing.

The Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas was opened in 1844. Prior to that, the Church of St. John the Evangelist, on George Street, had been the home to Nottingham’s band of Catholics.

A Beautiful church which our hotel manager highly recommended we visit. We met a beautiful Irish Lady cleaning about the church (sorry no picture)

Nottingham, the first point where the Trent can be forded inevitably grew into a town.

More pictures of the lovely church:

then walking to our first destination

In the late 9th centuries the Vikings conquered the part of north east England and turned the city into a fortified settlement (burgh) complete with ditch around it and an earth rampart with a wooden palisade on top.

Two great officers we met along the way, who welcomed us to the city and helped us find our way—which if you know us is easier said than done.

Finally recaptured by the English and with a new bridge across the Trent in 920 AD, Nottingham was a busy little town of several hundred persons which even had its own mint.

Next stop Nottingham Castle

We climbed up the hill and the rock to visit the museum which includes an art gallery, history of Nottingham and much more

The building really a 17th c. mansion on the site of the original castle set in impressive grounds.

Where we met Friar Tuck guarding the entry.

The original castle was destroyed in 1651 by Parliamentary forces and latter replaced in 1831 by an Italian style palace which belonged to the Duke of Newcastle which was burned down by unhappily citizens in 1831–and the current building was eventually built.

Oh yeah and this guy.

on 10/10/1831 rioters attached and burned down Nottingham Castle.

That concludes the Museum grounds and great view….Part II will have inside the museum as well as an ancient (think Crusaders to the Holy Land use to stop there) pub as well as a Jail with lots of Nottingham Crime and punishment and we’ll end at another ancient pub and introduce you to some new friends as well as a new blog I want you to check out.