Nottingham Lace Market Tour

Nottingham, the ‘Queen of the Midlands’, one of the first industrial towns in England. A textile manufacturing town, the finest machine made lace in the world came from its Lace Market.

This tour looks the history of Nottingham’s textile industry and the town around it that is a reflection of this story. From the grinding poverty of the framework knitters to the glory days of the Victorian Lace empire, discover how Nottingham was transformed from a picturesque garden town into one of the biggest slums in the country.

In the post war period, that which was once an industrial powerhouse was derelict and all but forgotten, but some of the finest Victorian industrial architecture in the country remained…

Now, in the C21st, the Lace Market and surrounding areas are going through a remarkable renaissance as it becomes a leading light of enterprise and regeneration in England.

The sole survivor of this thousand year old story, take in the beauty of the ancient St Mary’s Church and learn about its hidden treasures from its friendly volunteers. Why not take in an evening of classical music between the columns in the ancient nave, later?

Fancy a pot of tea and a scone? Pop into Debbie Bryan Studio. See original Victorian and Edwardian Lace designs and samples, and modern crafts, amidst atmospheric surroundings that conjure up turn of the century lace working.

The bohemian ‘village’ of Hockley, voted one of the best independent High Streets in the country, is great for boutiques and quirky shops. Revel in the DIY culture of its music and film scene as you drink in its great bars and clubs. Tired of generic high street restaurants? This is the place for diverse eateries with their own character and flavour.

The regeneration of the historic streets sees the influx of modern creative and digital industries. Goose Gate is home to the National Video Game Arcade, perfect for bringing gaming out of the bedroom and into the real world. Not your game? Why not saunter down to Sneinton Market as it is revived as a hotbed of cultural  diversity with amazing world foods and colourful global local events.

Join Nottingham raconteur Ezekial Bone on the streets of the Creative Quarter* as history unfolds and as this remarkable area evolves into the future. Hear the human stories that have been woven by time into the very fabric of the area that have made it, and are making it, what it is today. Buy into the story of human resilience as creative intelligence breathes life into the old and turns it into a colourful, vibrant place for the twenty-first century.

Follow the threads of the human story woven into the fabric of the Lace Market…