There are plenty of historical buildings near Nottingham Castle tucked away down many of the side streets. When walking down Castle Gate, you'd be forgiven for not noticing no.33, a tiny house on the corner next to the graveyard.
The Grade II-listed building was thought to have been built by the Collins family in the early 18th century. The house which now stands on the corner would have once been part of a busy street that continued all the way to Nottingham Castle, but this was disrupted when Maid Marian Way underwent massive changes in the 1950s.
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The Castle Gate area was split in two with much of the property demolished. The house was left on its own and is sadly showing signs of neglect. While it is unclear how long it has been empty, photos show the building occupied by businesses in 2000.
The house does have a historical significance as in the 1830s it was home to the poet Ann Taylor Gilbert. She wrote poetry and hymns and was married to Revered Joesph Gilbert who was a Congregational minister. They moved to Nottingham in 1825 before eventually settling at Castle Gate.
Gilbert wrote for the Eclectic Review and had an interest in atheism and prison reform that was unusual for the time. She also established one of the earliest women's refuges and an anti-slavery society. Her autobiography reveals details of watching the reform riots from the rooftop of the building in 1831.
She was also a member of the Bromley House subscription library before her death on December 20, 1866. Gilbert was buried next to her husband in Nottingham General Cemetry.
The building is thought to be from the 18th century although there are parts of the back that are estimated to be from the 17th century. There are several important gravestones propped up against the building at the back including one of Abel Collins. Collins built many of the almshouses around the city before his death in 1705.
Sadly, it is showing serious signs of neglect with plaster and paint falling off the walls, windows and doors boarded up.
It was once listed as one of the most expensive properties on the street but it was sold in 2020 for £177,000. The building, no.31, next door was once the home of Radio Trent who had an office in the cellars. The house had been used as a women's hospital with the mortuary thought to be in the cellar of the property leading to claims that the building was haunted.
Hilary Silvester, local historian and chairwoman of the Civic Society said the organisation has been in touch with the new owners and is concerned about the state of the property. They would like to see it restored amid fears that it would deteriorate further.
"The building is very old and it's part of one of the most attractive parts of Nottingham around Castle Road and Castle Gate. It's a shame that those streets were cut in half when they made Maid Marian Way through them. They went through a historical part of Nottingham but left No.33 on the corner although it once continued all the way to the other side of Castle Gate," she explained.
"The house has been in poor condition for a long time and it's something that concerns us. We understand that owners are looking to repair it as we have heard several times that it will be restored but we hope it is before it actually falls down or disintegrates. It's such an attractive-looking building that was used until quite a few years ago but it's been closed for a while now."
She added: "It's been gradually fading away so we are looking forward to a time when it is restored. We urge the owners to do that as quickly as possible and find a suitable use for it. It deserves to be restored and refurbished."
Nottinghamshire Live has attempted to contact the owners of the building.
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