Author Post Archive

Posts by Chloe

Into the Labyrinth

The story of the rediscovery and exploration of Nottingham’s caves has often been driven not only by determined study, but also by simple curiosity and even happenstance. This was certainly the case in 1837, when, in the course of the construction of a row of houses along Mansfield Road, the entrance to a mysterious labyrinth …

The Lions’ Den: Entertainment in Nottingham’s caves

Visitors to Nottingham’s caves are often disappointed to learn that most of them were used to store goods such as ale, wine and hay; or else as wells or kilns. True, they have been a vital part of the fabric of the town for at least a millennium, but these quotidian purposes don’t exactly live …

Temples, tombs and troglodytes: the mythical origins of Nottingham’s caves

Upon encountering Nottingham’s caves, it was clear to many early antiquarians that these mysterious and little-understood structures must have deep roots, stretching back millennia into the distant past.   An early proponent of this theory was the Elizabethan travel writer William Camden (1551-1623), who claimed in his landmark survey, ‘Britannia’, that the caves had been …

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Unearthing the Secrets of Vesuvius

It might nearly be Christmas, but today’s blog marks a holiday of a different kind as we continue to follow Dr Edward Wrench on his European tour in 1876. Last time we saw Dr Wrench, he had emerged from the Catacombs of the Capuchins at Rome, and, having satisfied his more superstitious impulses by drinking …

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Skeletons and Superstitions

I don’t know about you, but the wintry weather has me yearning for warmer climes – and I’m not the only one! Last time we met Dr Edward Wrench in the midst of his European tour in February 1876, he was looking out over the Colosseum, but in today’s instalment he’s heading underground in search of …

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Rambling around rock holes

William Parsons was a solicitor who lived between around 1809 and 1881, and who, between his legal work, his participation in the political and civic life of  Nottingham and his often-rambunctious social life, was witness to major transformations to the fabric of the city due to increasing urbanisation and enclosure – a change to which …

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Decoding Images in Early Modern Print

This is guest blog by Tom Nixon-Roworth, who recently undertook a three-month WRoCAH-funded Research and Employability Project (REP) on the Parish Library Collections, in which he reflects on his experience working at Manuscripts and Special Collections. It may come as no surprise to learn that as soon as the project was confirmed I was eagerly …

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Exploring the Archives: A summer placement at Manuscripts and Special Collections

This is a guest post by Arwen Jenkins, a University of Nottingham student, who recently completed a Summer Research Placement at Manuscripts and Special Collections. How does working in archives and with manuscripts go when you’ve had no prior experience? For so many humanities students, analysing and exploring primary sources are essential parts of our …

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Dear sisters: Have you seen this feminist zine?

Is it a collage? Is it poetry? Is it a meditation in pink rice bran-based ink? The zine Dear sisters is all of the above. Each page prints a response by a woman living in Notts to second wave feminism. In the 1970s-1990s hundreds of feminist magazines and newspapers circulated in the UK. They rallied …

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How to do a Scoping Survey at Manuscripts and Special Collections

This is a guest post by Hannah Kane, a University of Nottingham student, who recently completed a Summer Research Placement at Manuscripts and Special Collections. What is a Scoping Survey? A scoping survey involves identifying and checking material to establish its relevance to your research topic. In my case, another undergraduate student and I completed …

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