Street Tales: Exchange Walk

Farmer and the proprietors of Smith's Bank quickly saw the potential of the planned thoroughfare, linking St. Peter's Square to the Market Place. At their joint expense they made Exchange Walk, which was at that time private property.

 

The name comes from The Exchange Building, built between 1724 and 1726, that replaced a shambles of buildings on the same site. It cost £2,400 at the time and comprised a four‐storey, eleven‐bay frontage 123ft (37m) long. The architect was Marmaduke Pennell. The Exchange Building was demolished in the late 1920s to be replaced by the Nottingham Council House. There’s a shopping mall also called The Exchange which forms part of the present Council House building. The Exchange was Nottingham's first 'modern' shopping centre. It was opened on 22 May 1929 by the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII.

 

Farmer and the authorities of Smith's Bank planned to make Exchange Walk into a major shopping thoroughfare which would have rivalled some of the city's other major shopping streets. It was their aim to create a main thoroughfare suitable for vehicles. However, to the planners shock, the plans were rejected by the town. 

 

Perhaps, with the power of hindsight, it is a positive thing that Exchange Walk did not develop into a much bigger shopping lane. The thoroughfare carries a large amount of pedestrian traffic today and thus relieves the traffic along Wheeler Gate. Perhaps more importantly, it saves valuable time in acting as a shortcut to the Square rather than being diverted up Wheeler Gate and Bridlesmith Gate.

For more on Nottingham History, check out the Nottingham Hidden History website.