Nottingham Historical & Archaeological Society

BLAKEY BROTHERS OF BRIDLESMITH GATE
Among the many businesses that once traded on Nottingham's historic Bridlesmith Gate, few have left such a fascinating connection to the city's underground heritage as Blakey Brothers.
It begins in the 1880s when Frank Blakey acquired No. 52 Bridlesmith Gate, neighbouring properties, and Clayton's Square to the rear. The premises had previously been occupied by a variety of businesses, but it was Frank's family who would leave a lasting mark on the site.
By 1894, Frank's eldest son had established an engraving business at No. 52. A few years later his brother Edward joined him, and by 1898 the company had become known as Blakey Brothers. The firm specialised in engraving, signwriting, printing and commercial display work, producing signs and printed materials for businesses across Nottingham and beyond.
For many decades Blakey Brothers were a familiar name in the city. A photograph taken in 1944 clearly shows the "Blakey Brothers Signs Shop" trading on Bridlesmith Gate, a reminder of the important role family-run businesses once played in Nottingham's commercial life.
What makes the company particularly interesting to us today is its connection to the caves beneath the shop.
Like many buildings in Nottingham's historic centre, No. 52 stood above a network of sandstone caves. These underground spaces were put to practical use by the business and became part of its day-to-day operations.
When NHAS excavated the caves during redevelopment work in 1975, remarkable evidence of the company's activities came to light. Perhaps the most evocative discovery was the presence of printer's ink staining on one of the cave thralls, a silent reminder of the craftsmen who worked beneath Bridlesmith Gate decades earlier. Alongside the discovery of a discarded printing press, it provides compelling evidence of the important role these ancient caves played in the day-to-day running of the business.
Blakey Brothers remained on Bridlesmith Gate until around 1975, giving the company a presence in the area that spanned almost a century. Few businesses today can claim such a long association with one of Nottingham's most historic streets.

Do you have any memories, photographs, signs or memorabilia connected with Blakey Brothers? We'd love to see them in the comments.
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A 360 view of part of the caves under the Thurland Hall site.

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Broadway, Nottingham – A Street at the Heart of the Lace Market

Few streets capture the character and history of Nottingham's Lace Market quite like Broadway. Although relatively short in length, it occupies a prominent position within one of the most historically significant parts of the city and is surrounded by some of Nottingham's finest Victorian architecture.
The area around Broadway has been occupied for centuries. Situated on Nottingham's sandstone ridge, close to St Mary's Church and the old medieval heart of the town, it formed part of a district that was already well established long before the Lace Market emerged. However, it was during the 19th century that Broadway acquired much of the appearance we recognise today.
As Nottingham became the world centre of the lace industry, the Lace Market developed into a thriving commercial district. Wealth from the lace trade transformed the area, with merchants and manufacturers commissioning impressive warehouses, offices and showrooms. Broadway became lined with elegant buildings designed not only for practical use but also to demonstrate the success and prestige of the businesses that occupied them.
Many of the warehouses along Broadway feature large windows, decorative brickwork and elaborate architectural details. These were not simply factories. They were places where international buyers would visit to view samples and conduct business. The buildings reflected Nottingham's confidence during the height of its industrial prosperity and remain some of the finest examples of Victorian commercial architecture in the city.
One of the street's most recognisable landmarks is the former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, built in 1839. Today it is best known as the home of Broadway Cinema, but its imposing presence serves as a reminder of the growing population and prosperity of the area during the Victorian period. The chapel predates many of the surrounding warehouses and stands as a link between the area's religious, social and industrial history.
The surrounding streets—Stoney Street, High Pavement, St Mary's Gate and the wider Lace Market—contain an extraordinary concentration of historic buildings. Together they form one of the best-preserved Victorian industrial districts in the country, a legacy of Nottingham's importance to the global lace trade. Walking through the area today offers a glimpse into a time when Nottingham's lace industry was known throughout the world and the city stood at the forefront of industrial innovation.
Like many of Nottingham's historic sites, the character and heritage of Broadway and the wider Lace Market could easily have been lost during periods of redevelopment. The preservation of much of the area we see today owes a great deal to the efforts of local campaigners and heritage advocates. Among them were Mitch Stevenson and his daughters, Victoria and Becky, whose determination and commitment helped push for the protection and preservation of this important part of Nottingham's history. Thanks to such efforts, future generations can still experience the remarkable architecture and historic atmosphere that make Broadway and the Lace Market so special today.
Like much of Nottingham, Broadway also sits above a network of sandstone caves and excavations. Although largely hidden from public view, these underground spaces provide evidence of earlier activity beneath the area and add another layer to the street's long history. Over the years, investigations by local historians and archaeologists have helped to reveal some of this forgotten underground landscape, reminding us that the history of Broadway extends not only through its buildings above ground but also beneath the streets themselves.
Today, Broadway remains one of Nottingham's most distinctive streets. While the lace merchants and manufacturers have long since gone, their buildings continue to define the character of the area, standing as a lasting reminder of Nottingham's industrial heritage. Beneath the restored facades and bustling modern businesses lies a story stretching back centuries—a story of commerce, industry, faith, preservation and the continuing efforts to protect Nottingham's unique historic environment.
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Willoughby House and the Hidden World Beneath It

Many people walking along Low Pavement admire the elegant Georgian façade of Willoughby House, but fewer realise that beneath one of Nottingham's finest historic buildings lies a remarkable network of man-made caves.

Built around 1738 for Rothwell Willoughby of the famous Willoughby family of Wollaton Hall, the house was designed to be a symbol of wealth, influence and status. Its grand entrance, impressive stonework and commanding position on Low Pavement reflected the importance of its owner and helped establish the street as one of Nottingham's most prestigious addresses.

Over the centuries the building has served a variety of purposes, passing through the hands of prominent Nottingham families, becoming an academy during the nineteenth century, and later housing professional offices. Today it remains one of the city's best-preserved Georgian townhouses.

Yet the story of Willoughby House does not end at ground level.

Beneath the property is an extensive complex of caves and rock-cut cellars excavated into Nottingham's sandstone bedrock. In the eighteenth century, local historian Charles Deering described these cellars as among the finest in Nottingham – high praise in a city renowned for its underground heritage.

Unlike many of Nottingham's caves, which were excavated for industry, storage or housing, the caves beneath Willoughby House appear to have been created with a degree of sophistication that reflected the grandeur of the house above. Large chambers, carefully carved from the sandstone, provided ideal conditions for storing wine and provisions, while their impressive design suggests they may also have been intended to impress visitors.

The caves are a reminder that Nottingham's wealthy residents made full use of the sandstone beneath their homes. While the elegant rooms above ground displayed status and refinement, the underground spaces quietly supported daily life and provided valuable storage. Together they form a fascinating example of how Nottingham's unique geology became an integral part of the city's architectural history.

Today, Willoughby House stands as a remarkable link to Georgian Nottingham, while the caves beneath it remain a hidden testament to the craftsmanship and ingenuity of those who shaped both the city above and the city below.

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NHAS – 58 Years of Exploring, Excavating and Preserving Nottingham's Heritage

Founded in 1968, the Nottingham Historical & Archaeological Society (NHAS) has spent the last 58 years researching, recording, excavating and protecting Nottingham's rich historical and archaeological heritage.
Over the decades, society members have played an important role in exploring Nottingham's famous sandstone cave network. From surveying and documenting caves to carrying out excavations and recording archaeological discoveries, NHAS has helped uncover and preserve countless pieces of the city's hidden history.
Many caves that are known and recorded today have benefited from the work of dedicated volunteers who have spent thousands of hours investigating underground spaces, clearing debris, recording features and researching the stories behind them. Alongside cave work, the society has also studied historic buildings, old maps, archives and archaeological sites across Nottingham.
Today, NHAS continues to investigate Nottingham's underground world and built heritage, helping to ensure that important archaeological and historical information is not lost to future generations.

We would love to reach more people who share an interest in local history, archaeology and Nottingham's unique cave systems.

Please help support NHAS by:
Following our page
Liking and sharing our posts
Inviting friends who enjoy local history and archaeology
Sharing your own photographs, memories and discoveries

Every follow, like and share helps us raise awareness of Nottingham's incredible heritage and supports the work of the society.

Thank you to all our members, past and present, whose dedication over the last 58 years has helped uncover and preserve so much of Nottingham's history.

NHAS – Exploring, Excavating and Preserving Nottingham's Heritage Since 1968.

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About 6 days ago we posted about cave F5 at the Farmers site asking if you could see anymore graffiti in the photo other than the word 'Peel'.

There was another word. Above and to the left was the only surviving bit of medieval graffiti. The name Trowell. A priest Richard de Trowwell of st Peters church lived nearby on St Peters Gate. Could he have written it? A plaster cast was made of it before it was lost forever and was once displayed at the castle, but now seems to be buried again!
Photo 1 is of cave F5 showing the graffiti, photo 2 a closeup of the word and photo 3 of the graffiti after being removed from the wall.

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We just made 5000 followers!
Thank you from all here at Nottingham Historical and Archaeological Society.

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For those of you interested in Thurland Hall here is a paragraph from History of Nottingham by John Blackner 1815.

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A 360 photo of........
Can you guess where?

When the Society first entered this cave the top section of the fill contained artefacts dating from around 1850 to the present day. Evidence of a quarry tiled floor was found set across the cave to create a false floor. Below this the fill contained bottle necks and clay pipe stems dating from 1700-1725. The last 3 ft (1m) of fill contained a 2ft (60cm) tall grain storage jar inscribed GC as well as fragments of midland purple and medieval green glaze pottery sherds.

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