A Tunnel #Wander

I’d been meaning to do this wander for a while, but had been too busy with work to take a full lunch hour. So, as a reward for finally finishing a rather tricky project at work, I decided to go out into the sunshine.

We begin at the Arkwright Building, part of the Nottingham Trent University campus. It was originally built as University College Nottingham, but has also served as a Natural History Museum and a Central Library.

And further still leads us to the Register Office. Originally built as the Poor Law Guardian’s Office. The interior is very grand, but has suffered greatly in it’s conversion to its present use.

Waverly Building.

Here’s a close-up of The Terrace Royal on Clarendon Street. This long terrace of grand houses is covered with beautiful ornamentation.

I then walked along Wollaton Street, there is always plenty to photograph here, from the closed ramshackle Chinese restaurant….

…to old warehouses cut into the city stone…

…and a terrific sign. How have I managed to miss this in the past?

On to Canning Circus…

…and back down Derby Road towards the city. We cross the road, and take a bit of a leap of faith.

What is down here?

This is a public right of way, but they don’t encourage it.

Down to the carpark entrance…

Almost there, down the steps…

…and straight into a huge tunnel cut into the rock!

The Park Tunnel was built in 1855 to allow horsedrawn carriages to go from Derby Road in to the lar-de-dar Park Estate. It was built by architect TC Hine, but is too steep, so was never really used.

It is brick vaulted, and the walls are part brick and part rock.

Half way down the tunnel is open to the air, with a staircase leading up to The Ropewalk.

Looking back towards the Derby Road end.

…and on towards The Park

And out the other side. Ignoring the graffiti, it is a quiet, pretty spot.

Some houses on The Ropewalk look down upon the tunnel.

And there is a ‘doorway’ high up by the entrance.

[Update: An explanation of the ‘doorway’ from the Nottingham Cave Survey]

An older, much smaller, parallel tunnel exists in the cliff above the Park Tunnel.  The southern entrance can be seen when approaching the Park Tunnel from Tunnel Road, however the other entrance is bricked up.  The purpose or function of this tunnel is not certain but it has been compared to a similar sized tunnel in the Park which ran beneath Newcastle Terrace.  This tunnel is thought to have acted as a link between a house on Derby Road and it’s allotted garden further down the cliff. Both exits are now blocked up.

Interesting erosion.

And heading back in to the tunnel – it looks like I have company.

And up the stairs to The Ropewalk.

It wouldn’t be a wander on a sunny day without a visit to the Sky Mirror.

And finally, a couple of nice buildings on Angel Row – I will catalog them all one day.

That is all. I hope you enjoyed today’s wander.