Scattered throughout Nottingham city centre are a handful of High Victorian buildings in a style known as Gothic Revival. These are the survivors of what was once over 100 commercial buildings designed by Mansfield-born architect, Watson Fothergill. The richly ornamented style was the height of fashion, and Fothergill became a master in its art. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, his buildings transformed our architectural landscape. Perhaps the best known of all Fothergill’s designs was the Black Boy Hotel, which stood on Long Row until its demolition and redevelopment in the sixties.
Between 1874 and 1900, Fothergill was commissioned to design five banking premises for the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank. These included branch offices in Mansfield, Loughborough and Newark on Trent. Nottingham itself had one branch office on Carrington Street, and an office and residence at the corner of Pelham Street and Thurland Street. That Fothergill had a wry sense of humor is attested to by the fact that the Thurland Street building is the home of his jibe against the banking profession; two stone monkeys.
The expression, “to have a monkey on your back”, means that you are carrying a troublesome burden. The Victorians popularly referred to a mortgage as a ‘stone monkey’ and to have a stone monkey on one's back – a mortgage to pay – was considered to be an even greater burden. On the outside of the Thurland Street bank, high up on the corner of a chimney-stack, Fothergill has placed a carving of a monkey. A literal stone monkey.
Not easy to spot from street level, his more famous brothers can be found on the inside of the building. From the main door on Pelham Street, the building opens out into a circular banking hall with a high glass-domed roof. This roof is supported by four ornate marble pillars, on one of which is a large rendition of a monkey. The monkey would have faced customers at the bank as they queued to do business at the counter. Some references say the monkey has a chain about its neck. However, this is not true. The monkey is in fact holding a chain in his left hand, which appears to be attached to a large wad of paper money. The symbolism would not have been lost on the Victorian customer.
The building is now the retail fashion outlet, All Saints, and it is well worth popping inside to view the magnificent interior and to say hello to Nottingham’s famous stone monkeys.
For more on Nottingham history, check out the Nottingham Hidden History website.
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