Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited was a tramway operator from 1875 to 1897 based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
Nottingham Tramways Company 1872-1875
Plans for tramways in the town of Nottingham started at least as early as 1870 and sufficient progress was made by several prominent business men to formally establish the Nottingham Tramways Company in 1872. The corporation Highways Committee reported on 8 January 1872 that the Nottingham Tramways Company Limited has asked for consent to an application to the Board of Trade for a provisional order authorising them to construct tramways to Arnold, Beeston, Bulwell and Carlton. No plans for this proposed network survive in the local archives in Nottingham.
In November 1872 the company issued notice that they intended to submit a bill to Parliament for the operation of tramways in Nottingham. The proposed network made no mention of Arnold or Beeston but comprised a line from a terminus on Forest Road at its junction with Mount Hooton Road, east along Forest Road, then Mansfield Road, Melbourne Street, Milton Street, Upper Parliament Street, Market Street, Wheeler Gate, Albert Street, and then Carrington Street to the junction with Station Street. From this junction one line would run along Station Street and across London Road into the forecourt of the Great Northern Railway station and another along Arkwright Street to Trent Bridge.
At the same time the company also issued notice that they intended to submit an application to the Board of Trade for a much larger network . These included lines to run along Mansfield Road to its junction with Broadmere Lane, along Chapel Bar, Derby Road, Alfreton Road, Hyson Green Road, Radford Road, David Lane and a terminus in Mill Street; on Derby Road to the intersection with the railway crossing at Lenton Station; along Woodborough Road, Alfred Street and Carlton Road to a terminus at the junction with Oldham Street; the whole length of Forest Road, Basford Road, Elm Avenue and a terminus in High Church Street.
The submission to the Nottingham Corporation was successful, and the plans were approved on 7 November 1872, but it seems that the application to the Board of Trade failed. In November 1873, the company submitted revised proposals to the Board of Trade for the lines running south of St. Peter's Church. These revisions downgraded the proposals and included single-line working for Station Street and Arkwright Street. The line in Station Street was proposed to terminate just before the junction with London Road, rather than cross it to enter the forecourt of the Great Northern Railway station. The records of the corporation reveal that at a meeting on 2 February 1874
Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited 1875-1897
In 1875, the company name was changed to the Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited. This was before the Nottingham Borough Extension Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. xxxi) when the town extended its boundary to encompass Basford, Radford, Sneinton and Lenton. Again it seems that there were problems, for in November 1876 the company came up with a further proposal. This proposal comprised the following lines
Long Row then Market Street, Upper Parliament Street, Milton Street, Melbourne Street and Mansfield Road, terminating opposite the south east corner of St. John's Church, Carrington. 1 mile 6 furlongs 5.7 chains (3,205 yards). From a junction with tramway 1 in the Market Place at the corner of Market Street, then along Angel-row, Chapel Bar, Tollhouse Hill, Derby Road, Alfreton Road, Hyson Green Road and Radford Road, terminating on Radford Road at the junction with Wood Street. 2 miles 2 furlongs 8.7 chains (4,151 yards). The length of Forest Road connecting tramways 1 and 2. 6 furlongs 1.76 chains (1,359 yards). St. Peter's Square, Albert Street, Lister Gate, and Carrington Street to the east end of Station Street. 5 furlongs 1.85 chains (1,141 yards). From a junction with tramway 4 at the junction of Station Street and Carrington Street along Arkwright Street to the Union Inn on London Road. 5 furlongs 8 chains (1,276 yards).
The plans make no reference to locations of the depots, nor crossings or passing places. Rather vaguely, the wording of the application for a provisional order states:
The Provisional Order will also empower the promoters from time to time to make such crossings, passing-places, siding, junctions, curves, turnouts, and other works, in addition to those particularly specified in this notice as may be necessary or convenient to the efficient working of the proposed tramways, or any of them, or for providing access to any stables or carriage-houses or works of the promoters, and will empower the promoters to use carriages on the proposed tramways to be moved by animal or any other locomotive power. . .Nottingham Archives Office PR3820
The total length of the routes outlined in the plans is 6.325 miles (11,132 yards) or 6 miles 2 furlongs and 6 chains (some double track, some single). The report presented to the third annual general meeting of the shareholders in 1880, shows that the company purchased approximately 10 miles 6 furlongs and 4 chains of rail. Some of this rail would have been necessary for the depots and connections into the depots, and some kept for repairs and renewals.
The Board of Trade made a provisional order for the scheme, known as the , and this was confirmed in the Tramways Orders Confirmation Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. cxxiv)Tramways Orders Confirmation Act 1877 for which royal assent was received on 23 July 1877. The company was authorised to operate animal-drawn trams only, in the borough of Nottingham and also in the districts of Lenton, Basford and Radford. These districts were not included in the Borough of Nottingham until the Nottingham Borough Extension Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. xxxi). The Nottingham and District Tramways Order 1877 also specified the minimum levels of service that the company was required to operate: to run carriages each way every morning in the week and every evening in the week (Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday always excepted), at such house, not being later than seven in the morning or earlier than six in the evening respectively.
The track was of the Winby and Levick system and consisted of flat-bottomed, grooved tramway-type rails laid longitudinally on broad iron plates, which in turn rested on consolidated macadam or other road material; this was believed to make up a sufficient foundation without concrete. Nottingham was the first installation of this newly patented system. The base plates were 12 inches wide and inch thick in lengths 11 feet 11 inches long, and were laid continuously in order to avoid the plate joints and the rail joints coming together, as the rails were in lengths. [The rail length figure reported in the Nottingham Evening Post is 27 ft.] The base plate length of 11 ft 11 inches and track length of would allow a run of nearly two miles of track before the plate joints and the rail joints came together]
The cost of laying the track was £1,974 (), a mile and the contract for laying the rails was placed with Ridley and Company. The paving works cost £2,559 (), per mile and this was undertaken by the Nottingham Corporation.
The Southern Route
On Wednesday 11 September 1878 the tramway company performed a test run:
Yesterday the Nottingham Tramways Company made an experiment for running the No. 1 car for the inspection of the directors prior to the opening for the public, which event will in all probability take place on Saturday next. At ten o'clock in the morning the car was "in waiting" near the Walter Fountain, and being a novelty in Nottingham, and splendidly fitted up also, a crowd of interested spectators soon gathered around for minute inspection. Under the impression that the car was being opened to the public, many persons jumped inside, though, to their disappointment, they were politely requested to retire until Saturday next.
At about 10.30 Mr. Alderman Gilpin, chairman of the company, and several other directors made their appearance, and a few minutes later the car, drawn by a couple of powerful horses, went sliding along Carrington-street to the Midland and nearly to the Great Northern Railway Stations. Pleased with the sight, the people ran by the side of the car and not a few hailed the conductor to stop and take them up. Having returned to the end of Station-street, the car was run along Arkwright-street to the Trent Bridge. Considering that the metals are new and not so clean as they will be kept in a few days, the car went along very pleasantly indeed.
The whole of the road which is now completed, and which is known as the No. 1 Section, is about a mile and a half in length. The other day, the Government inspector, Colonel Majendi, went over the line, and having pronounced it to be satisfactory, a certificate is expected to arrive in a day or two As this is the district from which most of the traffic is expected to come, cars, capable of carrying out-side as well as inside passengers will in all probability be used in the future, though at present the eight vehicles provided are for inside passengers only. The line is double all the way, and the traffic which is expected will render the running practically continuous. The fare will be twopence all the way.
In Carrington-street and Station-street the road is sufficiently wide to allow ordinary vehicle traffic on either side of the trams, though in Arkwright-street the aspect of the road shows pretty clearly that some difficulty will arise. If a cab is drawn at the side of the road one of the wheels must be drawn at the least a foot upon the footway, otherwise a collision will be inevitable. The same difficulty applies to both side of the way, and as traffic is great in Arkwright-street, the double line will be rather awkward unless the foot-way is reduced.
The depot of the company, which is a newly-erected building off Arkwright-street, is complete to the detail, the stables being capable of accommodating 50 or 60 horses. The rooms are lofty and well ventilated, and certainly the core of horses which we saw yesterday were well worth of the home which they now realise. A finer set of cattle it is scarcely possible to conceive, and cannot fail to win the admiration of the people.Nottingham Journal 12 September 1878
The tramway was formally opened on 17 September 1878 (although services for the public were delayed for a day awaiting the arrival of the certificate from the Board of Trade). At 3:00pm three cars, decorated with flags, made an inaugural run from St Peter’s church to Trent Bridge. They carried the company chairman, Alderman Gilpin, the company manager, Mr Gideon Herbert, the mayor of Nottingham, Sir James Oldknow, Saul Isaac MP, the vicar of St. Mary's, Canon Francis Morse and other invited guests.
The progress of the party was watched with lively interest by some thousands of spectators assembled along the whole route, particularly in St. Peter's Square. The route taken was from outside the company offices in St Peter’s Square along Albert Street, Lister Gate, Carrington Street and the Station Street terminus, where the party turned round and came back along Station Street to Muskham Street via Arkwright Street, to inspect the Muskham Street Depot and stables. Afterwards they continued to Trent Bridge for a banquet in the Town Arms Inn at the southern terminus of the line. Toasts were made and speeches given, and in this extract the chairman revealed a taste of things to come, and attempted to allay some fears of other road users: