New lease of life for city landmarks
GURJEET NANRAH looks at the historic Nottinghambuildings that have been converted into accommodation for some of the city’s 60,000 students
NOT all of Nottingham’s private student accommodation blocks are smartly clad new-builds in the city centre.
In fact, a number of properties housing hundreds of students are historic buildings with origins in Nottingham’s bygone industries. Here are some of them:
Ben Bowers restaurant, Derby Road
THE building probably best known for being the former Ben Bowers restaurant was also once a branch of Boots.
It stands at the apex of Derby Road and Wollaton Street, in Canning Circus, and opened as Ben Bowers in 1973.
The restaurant closed and was subsequently named 1877, after the year the Victorian building was constructed. After a stint as a bar, the handsome bowfronted property fell into decline.
Now, plans have been tabled to make alterations to the building.
The conversion of the upper floors is expected to create apartments and houses in multiple occupation (HMO) for students – while the ground-floor level retail use is expected to be retained.
The plans were submitted to the city council on behalf of the Student Bid Co.
Stanley House, Talbot Street
After plans were submitted in 2018, Stanley House on Talbot Street was converted into student accommodation.
Built more than 150 years ago as a textile factory, the building is now a block for 99 students over several floors.
The historic building had been vacant for several years and was most recently used as offices.
It was built in 1863 as a textile factory for lace dressers John and William Lambert.
The site features a grand clock tower and separate “viewing tower” overlooking the city.
Lambert House, Talbot Street
Formerly the home of Experian, this landmark Nottingham building is now where 300 student flats are based following a £30m investment in 2019.
Study Inn Group – which operates the block – converted the former office space into 64 flats with four or more bedrooms, and four studio apartments.
The block also has some communal facilities and its original landscaped central courtyard.
Radford Mill, Ilkeston Road
A mill has existed on this site for the best part of 150 years. It was bought by William Hollins in 1890, who occupied the buildings and set up a spinning mill. It is well-known as Viyella Works – named after a blend of wool and cotton first woven in 1893 that was produced at the factory.
The mill has three parts, dating back to before the 1860s, the 1890s and the “newest” front part built in the 1900s.
In the early 1900s, the mill was significantly expanded with the addition of the “front building” built in red terracotta tiles, with bands of yellow and carved stone embellishments.
The spinning works finished in 1959, and the site was destined to be sold off for housing but it largely remained empty from the 1960s onwards.
Since 2019, the building has been student accommodation for at least 400 students.
Cotton Mills, Radford
Cotton Mills is a historic Grade Ii-listed building which was built in 1883.
Also serving Nottingham’s textile industry, the building maintains many of its original features and now is a student dormitory for those studying at both Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.
The building has been substantially modernised in recent years to include features such as a gym and common rooms with games to ensure it appeals to students.
The Elite Building
A project has also been in the works for nearly two years to create student flats on the upper floors of an iconic building in the city.
The Grade Ii-listed Elite Building, in Upper Parliament Street, was built nearly a century ago and first opened as a 1,600-seater cinema.
During the building’s history, the cinema was converted into a bingo hall which lasted until the early 1990s.
Developers want to convert the upper floors of the building from vacant office space into student accommodation.
They have submitted an application to the council to create a number of studio flats and HMOS to provide 18 bedrooms across the first, second and third floors.
The application – for which a decision has still not been made – would not affect parts of the building occupied by INK nightclub, as well as other businesses.