History writer David Hunter takes a wander through the historic district of Hockley to find out the story behind the curious street name ‘Goose Gate’, and the industries and architecture which defined the area.

There are many street names in Nottingham which give hints as to their historical roots, Goose Gate in Hockley is one such curious title. Local legend suggests that its name comes from the geese which trudged along this route on the way to the Goose Fair market, supposedly shod with specially supplied shoes to protect their webbed feet on the long walk.
This familiar street, now lined with many independent shops, bars and cafes, is a place which has seen dramatic changes over the years. It changed from what was once probably a semi-rural district with an earthwork fortification made from rocks and soil artificially placed or sculpted into walls. Through the dramatic expansion of the town following the Norman conquest, various medieval industries of cloth-fulling and ceramics blossomed in the area. The hosiery and lace industries of the 19th century soon followed, providing the surrounding areas with the unique architectural character we know today.
But back to the geese. Before 1066, there was an Anglo-Danish settlement close by, protected by a rampart and a ditch, so there may well have been geese there. Goose Gate followed a route just outside this fortification. Close by, the River Leen and River Trent were handy for any geese that wanted to swim - easier on the feet than the high road. The previously mentioned earth fortifications close to Goose Gate were abandoned after the conquest, and the settlement area expanded with the Norman borough's establishment.
Formerly called Walker Gate, the wider area around Goose Gate is locally referred to as Hockley, although strictly speaking Hockley is only a short length of road joining Goose Gate and Lower Parliament Street. The name ‘Hockley’ comes from ‘Hockley in the Hole’, a local dip along the historic English ‘Watling Street’, a north/south route which connected Dover and London to the north west - not a good place to hang around as it was notorious as a place for highway robbery.
The name ‘Hockley’ comes from ‘Hockley in the Hole’, a local dip along the historic English ‘Watling Street’, a north/south route which connected Dover and London to the north west - not a good place to hang around as it was notorious as a place for highway robbery.
A historical and archaeological group in Nottingham, The Thoroton Society, identified another possible reason behind the Goose Gate name - a goldsmith, Richard de Gos, who lived in this area in the 1300s. Appointed as a Bailiff for the Eastern borough seven times, Gos would have had considerable power, and being a goldsmith meant having secure storage for valuables and possibly also being a banker, which would give him enough influence to possibly have the street named after him.
Much of the Medieval street layout of Nottingham follows stone town wall defences created to protect the Castle where the River Trent and surrounding marshes, with gates existing at Chapel Bar, Cow Gate, St John's and Swine Bar. To the east of the Swine Bar, now Heathcoate Street in Hockley, earth ramparts and the ditch remained. Much of the walls had been demolished by stone robbing by 1540, and by the 1700s. All that remains today is a short section, which is still preserved today inside a hotel building in Chapel Bar, with the gates of Heathcoate street long gone.
Excavations around Goose Gate between 1969 and 1980 revealed a few more clues as to the Medieval goings-on, with remains of a pottery kiln, corn drying pits, a malt kiln, ovens and buildings with cellars, possibly warehouses or workshops. Fragments of Nottingham Splashed stoneware were also found on this site. A Badder and Peat map from 1744 also reveals an orchard existed in this area, too, but the industrial buildings of the 19th century eventually covered these sites.
These iconic factories of Nottingham’s rich lace and fabric trade remain, now re-purposed as college premises, residential apartments, artists studios or offices. Other notable modern buildings in the Goose Gate area include the site of the original Boots the Chemist, opened by Nottingham born Jesse Boot the entrepreneur chemist and philanthropist. While Boots is now recognised around the country, Goose Gate has retained a character of being home to small businesses rather than larger commercial concerns. Creative hubs such as City Arts, The Carousel and other artists’ studios and independent retail outlets can be found in-and-around the Sneinton Market area.
It's unfortunate that there is no more publicity given to the heritage uncovered by excavations over the years, but interesting to speculate about what sort of legacy the Creative Quarter will leave behind and what future generations will make of it. It seems unlikely that there will be any perambulations by geese to entertain visitors, unless an enterprising artist decides to introduce live or human imitations as an art event - or has it all been done before?
David Hunter would like to thank the staff of Bromley House Library for their invaluable support in doing the research for this article and enabling him to access the archives of the Thoroton Society, whose archives he has used as sources in writing this article. You can read more about Bromley House in the April 2025 edition of LeftLion.
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