these are small extracts from much larger articles and books,
Nevile Truman and J R J Kerruish, NOTTINGHAM AND ITS CHURCHES 1449-1949 (1949)
THE history of Nottingham is the history of its two hills and the basin of land lying between them. Five centuries ago the little River Leen wound round the foot of the hills, and beyond it, looking southward, stretched the marshes and the broad River Trent. On one hill stood a great castle ; on the other a great church. From the unknown date in the time of the Anglo-Saxon township when a church was first built on this rock, St. Mary's stood at the very centre of Nottingham's life. The business life of the town and borough throbbed round it. The shopkeepers and artificers in their trades made and sold their wares in the low houses of the narrow streets clustered under the shadow of the great church. And not only was St. Mary's in the centre of Nottingham's life and trade: round it rolled the nation's thoroughfare from south to north.
J. Holland Walker, Transactions of the Thoroton Society, 30 (1926)
An itinerary of Nottingham
Narrow Marsh
ONE hardly recognises Narrow Marsh under its modern name of Red Lion Street which was bestowed upon it in an access of zeal in 1905. I think the authorities must have come to the conclusion that the cup of wickedness of Narrow Marsh was full, and that the very name had something unholy about it and so they thought that by changing the name they could change the character of the inhabitants. Well, their intentions no doubt are very praiseworthy, but in attempting to get rid of the name of Narrow Marsh they have attempted to destroy an extremely interesting relic of the past, and in spite of the official and very prominent notice board displaying the brand new name of Red Lion Street, the name of Narrow Marsh holds its own pretty firmly to-day, and this is not to be wondered at.
A Brief History of Narrow Marsh
by Nottingham hidden history team
by Joe Earp
Narrow Marsh area became notorious in the early 20th century as a very rough area. The area was notorious for its crime, poverty and slums, It was reported that policemen when patrolling Narrow Marsh would only venture in pairs.
James Granger, The Old Streets of Nottingham No. III, Transactions of the Thoroton Society, XII (1908)
I am sorry to say that on October 28th, 1904, name-boards were affixed at the ends of Narrow Marsh entitling it "Red Lion Street." This is a common title for public houses, and an attempt was made to impose it 0n the road about 1821, but to their credit the people of that period appear to have rejected it, and I shall not blame them if they again refuse that unseemly designation, for we ought not to sever one of the chief links with the past. If there must be a change, why not call it "Tanners' Gate," which would keep in memory its old associations ?
Nottinghamshire web site
Narrow Marsh
This Ordnance Survey map of 1884 shows the maze of streets and courtyards that had developed in Broad and Narrow Marsh. Many of the houses were built 'back to back' around a central courtyard.
Entrance to the court was often along a narrow tunnel.
An important feature of the Marshes were the many lodging houses. Red Lion Street, Narrow Marsh The concentration of lodging houses in the area reflects the migrant nature of the working population, and their need to move from job to job. To earn a living, people moved between occupations, and trade to trade. The women worked as lace hands, machinists, cotton winders and charwomen. Many of the men were labourers, hawkers (street sellers), miners and lace workers.
By the early 1900s it became urgent for the Nottingham corporation to tackle housing and health in the Marshes.
The Loggerheads Public House remains standing after most of the area was finally demolished. Red Lion Street Area, 1923
this next bit is by me,
then they built new houses but now they say these are going to be pulled down to,
the new broad marsh centre may be expanded 2016 ,
Narrow Marsh , 1315 ,
Red Lion Street 1904,1905,
Cliff Road 1920s, 30s
when I was young my Mother would take me around this area knocking , that meens trying to sell things door to door, it is called cliff road now, that old pub that was left from the 20s demolition we would go in, and have a bite to eat, its shut down now, lots of old relations would have drank in there, now isent that a strange thing,
the Meadows, Sneinton, St Anns, are areas surrounding the Old Marshes,
Middle Marsh,
Little Marsh,
Broad Marsh,
Narrow Marsh these are the names I have heard ,the Gipsys lived here also long long ago,
if you write Narrow Marsh into your serch engine many photos will come up,
Gipsys would bring their wagons into the town, then when the notion took them,
of they would go, then back again ,
one day the young ones never came back, the Old ones died of, that's about the truth of it.
