Short history of Notts: Part 1

Saxon Nottingham

Nottingham began in the 6th century as a small Saxon settlement called Snotta ing ham. The Saxon word ham meant village. The word ing meant 'belonging to' and Snotta was a man. So it was the village owned by Snotta. It was inevitable that sooner of later Nottingham would grow into a town as it is the first point where the Trent can be forded but the river is also navigable this far inland.

In the late 9th century the Danes conquered North East and Eastern England. They turned Nottingham into a fortified settlement or burgh. Nottingham had a ditch around it and an earth rampart with a wooden palisade on top.

In 920 the English king recaptured Nottingham and he built a bridge across the Trent. By the 10th century Nottingham was a busy little town though with a population of only several hundred.

Interesting factfiles about Nottingham Today:

- It has a population of 621.000 and 3 million people live within an hour's drive time;
- Over 2 mill. people regularly shop in Nottingham, placing it in Uk's top five retail centers;
- Under the streets of Nottingham there are over 400 man-made caves dating back to the 13th Century.