The Arboretum, Nottingham

{{Short description|Public park in Nottingham, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}

{{Infobox park

| name = Arboretum

| photo = Nottingham Arboretum 1.jpg

| photo_width =

| photo_caption = Lake at the Arboretum

| type = Public park

| location = Nottingham, England

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| created = 1852

| operator = Nottingham City Council

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| status = Open year round

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The Arboretum is a city park in Nottingham, England.

{{Infobox UK legislation

| short_title = St. Mary's Nottingham Inclosure Act 1845

| type = Act

| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom

| long_title = An Act for inclosing Lands in the Parish of Saint Mary in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham .

| year = 1845

| citation = 8 & 9 Vict. c. 7 {{small|Pr.}}

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| royal_assent = 30 June 1845

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| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukppa/Vict/8-9/7/pdfs/ukppa_18450007_en.pdf

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It was the first designated public park in Nottingham, selected under the authority of section 53 of the St. Mary's Nottingham Inclosure Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. 7 {{small|Pr.}}). The botanist and horticultural publisher, Samuel Curtis, oversaw the design of the park which officially opened on 11 May 1852.{{cite news |author= |date=15 May 1852 |title=Opening of the Nottingham Arboretum |newspaper=Illustrated London News |location=England |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001578/18520515/012/0006 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite web |title=Nottingham Arboretum |url=https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/things-to-do/nottingham-arboretum-p641471 |accessdate=19 March 2020 |publisher=Visit Nottingham}} In 1986 it was Grade II* listed with Historic England.{{NHLE|num=1001083 |desc=Nottingham Arboretum |accessdate=2 August 2020}}

The Arboretum is a Green Flag Award-winning park that contains more than 800 trees belonging to 65 species.

History

Nottingham mayor and lace manufacturer, Mr W Felkin, and Sheriff of the Borough of Nottingham, Mr. Ball, opened the park to of a crowd of 30,000 people.{{cite web | url = https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/arboretum | title = Nottingham Arboretum | accessdate = 19 March 2020 | publisher = Nottingham City Council}}

It was designed as a botanical collection, a tranquil place to relax, and a major attraction in the heart of Victorian Nottingham. From 1852 it has been open free of charge on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, but charged 6d admission ({{Inflation|UK|0.025|1852|r=2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} on other days, or £1 ({{Inflation|UK|1|1852|r=2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} for a yearly permit.

File:Nottingham Arboretum - refreshment rooms.jpg

Refreshment rooms with a banqueting hall occupying the entire frontage, built by James Ebrank Hall to designs in the Tudor style by Henry Moses Wood, opened in 1852. The building also comprised a ladies' room, refectory, kitchen, entrance hall with staircase, and three chambers upstairs. The whole was constructed of brick with stone facings and a castellated front.{{cite news |author= |title=Public Opening of the Nottingham Arboretum |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001100/18520514/040/0008?browse=true |newspaper=Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties |location=England |date=14 May 1852 |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} The wings of the refreshment rooms were demolished in 1932.{{cite news |author= |title=Nottingham Arboretum "Glass Houses" |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19321019/038/0008 |newspaper=Nottingham Evening Post |location=England |date=19 October 1932 |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} After 1957 the remainder of the building traded as a pub under the names, The Arboretum Rooms, The Arboretum pub (also known as 'The Pub in the Park'), Arboretum Hotel and Arboretum Manor. In 1965, the building was severely damaged by fire and had to be rebuilt almost completely. In 2006, another fire resulted in its demolition.

File:Nottingham Arboretum Aviary.png

The Circular Aviary was opened in 1889,{{cite news |author= |title=Arboretum Aviary |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/18890621/018/0003|newspaper=Nottingham Evening Post |location=England |date=21 June 1889 |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} with cast-iron uprights and roof struts covered with modern steel mesh. The Upper Aviary was built in 1934 to house tropical birds. The Main Aviary of brick was constructed in 1955/6.

The first bandstand was moved here from the green in Nottingham Castle in 1881 and placed in front of the Refreshment Rooms. A new one designed by city architect Frank Beckett Lewis{{cite news |author= |date=11 February 1907 |title=Items of Local Interest |newspaper=Nottingham Evening Post |location=England |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19070211/071/0007 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite news |author= |date=13 May 1907 |title=Nottingham Arboretum Bandstand |newspaper=Nottingham Journal |location=England |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001896/19070517/192/0008 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} replaced it in 1907.

English Heritage has designated the arboretum a Grade II* listed site on the Register of Historic Parks & Gardens and the park's Bell Tower, bandstand and Circular Aviary have all received Grade II listing protection.

Arboretum was the name of a ward in the City of Nottingham until 2019, when it was merged with the Hyson Green ward to form the Hyson Green and Arboretum ward. At the time of the 2011 census, the former Arboretum ward had a population of 13,321.{{cite web |url = https://www.nottinghaminsight.org.uk/research-areas/census-2011/ | title = Census 2011 | accessdate = 20 March 2020 | publisher = Nottingham City Council}}

Facilities and events

There is an aviary built in 1889 that is Grade II listed,{{NHLE|num=1255209 |desc=Aviary at South West Entrance to Arboretum |accessdate=2 August 2020}} and a bandstand built in 1907 by Frank Beckett Lewis that is also Grade II listed.{{NHLE|num=1255243 |desc=Bandstand at Arboretum |accessdate=2 August 2020}}

There have been many functions held at the Arboretum including the annual Nottingham Pride festival.{{cite web | url = http://ournottinghamshire.org.uk/page_id__453.aspx | title = Nottingham's Pride festivals from 1997 onwards | author = David Edgley | date = 18 October 2011 | accessdate = 19 March 2020 | publisher = Our Nottinghamshire}}

Listed buildings within the Arboretum

{{main|Listed buildings in Nottingham (Hyson Green and Arboretum ward)}}

In addition to the Bell Tower, the aviary and the bandstand, the Arboretum contains a number of other listed buildings, all at Grade II. These include: the main gateway and entrance; two lodges at the south-west and east; a pedestrian subway, all by Henry Moses Wood and dating from 1851–52; a statue of Feargus O'Connor of 1859 by J. B. Robinson; and a war memorial to the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot of 1862–63 by Marriott Ogle Tarbotton. The cupola of the war memorial formerly contained a bell looted by British troops from a temple in Canton during the Second Opium War; this was removed to the regimental museum in 1956. Two of the cannon were captured at Sebastopol in 1854–55 during the Crimean War and the other two are replicas.*Gateway, Screen Walls, and Railings at South West Entrance to Arboretum: {{NHLE|num=1270421 |desc=Gateway, Screen Walls, and Railings at South West Entrance to Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *Lodge at South West Entrance to Arboretum: {{NHLE|num=1255244 |desc=Lodge at South West Entrance to Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *Lodge, Gate and Screen Walls at East Entrance to Arboretum: {{NHLE|num=1270404 |desc=Lodge, Gate and Screen Walls at East Entrance to Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *Memorial to Samuel Morley (MP) 1920 by Joseph Else: {{NHLE|num=1255245 |desc=Memorial to Samuel Morley at South West Entrance to Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *Pedestrian Subway, Railings and Walls on East Side of Arboretum: {{NHLE|num=1270405 |desc=Pedestrian Subway, Railings and Walls on East Side of Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *Statue of Feargus O'Connor by JB Robinson of Derby: {{NHLE|num=1255246 |desc=Statue of Fergus O'Connor on South Side of Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}} *War Memorial to the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot on South Side of Arboretum, 1862-63 by Marriott Ogle Tarbotton: {{NHLE|num=1270406 |desc=War Memorial on South Side of Arboretum |access-date=17 November 2023|ref=none}}

References

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