City’s ‘lost’ street could have become a tourist attraction
DRURY HILL WAS TORN DOWN IN 1971 TO MAKE WAY FOR BROADMARSH CENTRE
ONCE one of the city’s oldest thoroughfares, the narrow Drury Hill was condemned and demolished to create the entrance to the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre.
This winding hill, originally known as Vault Lane and later Parkyn Lane, was the main artery from London Road.
In the 1600s it was later named after Alderman Drury, described as “something of a figure in Nottingham in the days of King Charles I”.
Hilary Silvester, executive chair of the Nottingham Civic Society, said: “It was on the main London Road route which was the old route anyway from across the Trent.
“Of course, the Trent was regarded by the Romans as the dividing line between the south of England and the north of the country.
“Nottingham is a very important strategic position. Particularly because the north side of the Trent has got the heights of the Lace Market escarpment and also the Castle Rock.
“The crossing at the Trent was made where Trent Bridge is now and it came up what is now London Road which was very straight.
“In the middle-ages they built the causeway to hold it up – the road’s still built on it and the road is still the same route and it came straight up and then met at the bottom of what was Drury Hill and so it went up there, up the hill.
“It was such a very narrow street and then the road went on from there along what is Bridlesmith Gate and then sort of across what is now Parliament Street but on and on and on, up Milton Street as it is and then on up Mansfield Road and straight on to the north to Mansfield. Drury Hill was part of that approach into the city so it was, of course, very important.”
At one point, the legendary poet D.H. Lawrence is said to have worked in a corset-making factory on Drury Hill. Ms Silvester added: “A typical medieval thoroughfare would have workshops and alehouses and things like a butcher’s and so on. As well as houses. People obviously would be living above their workshop as well.” Drury Hill was just wide enough to take a carriage. But by the late 1960s, the ancient thoroughfare had been condemned. The buildings on the steeply curving hill were torn down in 1971, lying beneath the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre. Although the route from Middle Pavement to the Broadmarsh remained open.
Many old caves, uncovered during the demolition process, became part of the City of Caves tourist attraction. But Ms Silvester said Drury Hill could have “become a very picturesque tourist attraction” in its own right, “what a shame it was knocked down,” she said. “It would have been similar to Steep Hill in Lincoln from the cathedral – which again is built upon a height. “I’ve always said Drury Hill could have been developed like Steep Hill which has restaurants and [independent]shops. But in their wisdom they decided they wanted a shopping centre which was the in-thing to do.”
I’ve always said Drury Hill could have been developed like Steep Hill in Lincoln.
Hilary Silvester, Nottingham Civic Society