On the eve of a new exhibitions about Vikings in Nottingham, the Lakeside Arts Centre at the University of Nottingham present David Knight talking about The History of Nottingham, including looking at the cities defences and caves.
claiming that Snottingham was known as House of Caves. The Danes had overwintered in Nottingham (or Snottingham, as it was at the time) in 868 and were besieged by an army of Mercians and West Saxons. In 918, Edward I captured Nottingham from the Danes and repaired the defences.
The Danes had occupied Nottingham from 877 until 918 and there was a strong Danish impact on street names - all of the Gates come from the Danish word "geta" meaning street. There is also evidence of Scandinavian structural remains at Halifax Place, near St Mary's Church, which could have been Danish long houses, although this has not been confirmed. Halifax Place is also one of the few places in Nottingham where Viking artefacts have been found. There is also a potential Viking burial site in Sneinton, which was discovered in 1851 during building work. Two iron swords, a spearhead and human remains were discovered at the site.
Following the Norman conquest, the ditch was filled in and housing was built on top of where it had been. In 1067, the castle was built and the Norman borough between the castle and the Lace Market showed a big growth. It seems that at this time there were no southern defences for the city, just north, east and west and these were improved in the 13th century with the building of a wall. Woolpack Lane marks the junction between the old Anglo-Danish defences and the newer, medieval ones and there was a re-cut of the pre-conquest ditch by another one dug in the 12th century. St Mary's Church is even in the Doomsday book where it is listed alongside 191 houses in Nottingham.
Three caves at Halifax Place have been conclusively dated to the high medieval timeframe - these caves were used for tanning and the kilning of malt. A cave at Fisher Gate, dated from somewhere between 1100-1350 featured a rock-cut corn drying oven while a 13th century cave on Goose Gate is probably the best example in Nottingham of a poetry kiln.
The Vikings exhibition is on at Lakeside Arts from the 25th of November until the 8th of April. David Knight is working on the ongoing Origins of Nottingham Project.
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