Abandoned Royal Residence

By Aimee Braniff Cree

HAUNTING IMAGES reveal the stunning townhouse that was once home to the daughter of Queen Victoria.

Images captured by urban explorer Kyle Urbex in Nottingham, England, show the home falling down in many places but the grandeur and striking architecture including a spiral staircase of the home of Princess Louise remain.

A house has existed on this site since at least the 16th century and parts of the house date from that time. In 1646 it was owned by Thomas Hutchinson (MP) and occupied by Lady Hutchinson, mother of Colonel Hutchinson.

The front was reconstructed in 1728-33 for William Hallowes.

Alterations were made in 1742, and it was again remodelled in 1833 when it was converted into the Judges’ lodging by the architects Henry Moses Wood and John Nicholson.

In 1887 it was lived in by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. The lodgings had to be specially furnished for her stay at the expense of the Mayor of Nottingham.

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and higher education and of the feminist cause. She was an influential supporter of the Edinburgh College of Domestic Science, the forerunner to Queen Margaret University, becoming the institution’s first Patron in 1891 until 1939.

Her early life was spent moving among the various royal residences in the company of her family.

When her father died in December 1861, the court went into a long period of mourning, to which with time Louise became unsympathetic.

She was an able sculptor and artist, and several of her sculptures remain today. She was also a supporter of the feminist movement, corresponding with Josephine Butler, and visiting Elizabeth Garrett.

Before her marriage, Louise served as an unofficial secretary to the Queen from 1866 to 1871.

Louise also became an able dancer, and Victoria wrote, after a dance, that Louise “danced the sword dance with more verve and accuracy than any of her sisters”.

Her wit and intelligence made her a favourite with her father, with her inquisitive nature earning her the nickname “Little Miss Why” from other members of the royal family.

In 1922 it was then converted to County Council offices, with additions in 1930. Two adjacent properties, 17 and 19, were demolished in 1931 to provide car parking for the court opposite. There were further additions to County House in 1949.

It housed the Nottinghamshire County Record Office from 1966 to 1992.

In 2009 it was bought by Finesse Collection, the owners of the Lace Market Hotel but the extension of the hotel did not proceed, and it was put into the hands of receivers after a legal dispute. In 2014 it was up for sale again.

“Located on High Pavement in the Nottingham City Centre sits a big former townhouse now in a state of disrepair,” said Kyle.

“It can be first traced back to the 1600’s when a Miss Lady Hutchinson occupied the large residence in 1646.

“She was the mother to the great colonel Hutchinson who was commander for the garrison when the castle of Nottingham was held for the parliament back during the Civil War however the much modern premises dates back from around 1730 with additional alterations in 1833 when it stopped life as a private residents and changed in the type of property it would be.

“It was used as judges houses and in 1887 it was used as a residence in the highest order as it was home to Princess Louise who was 4th daughter to Queen Victoria.

“In 1922 it found its final use as the Nottingham Record Office which held all the archives for both city and council cases.

“The large hall once used as the judges dining hall was converted into a public reading room and eventually in 1992 County Archives moved to its present location in Wilford St leaving the County House empty and left to rot ever since closing.

“After a sketchy climb down the now overgrown steps finding a window open I was stunned at the decay left inside.

“Navigating round was fairly easy and I oddly found a monopoly game inside.

“The staircase had to be the main attraction of this house. I can see why it played such a historic part in Nottingham history.

“Snapping a few shots of the upper rooms I was on my way out and back to a packed street for the well known infamous outside shot.”

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ENDS