The fascinating history of Nottingham shopping arcade

The Flying Horse Arcade is well known for independent shops and boutiques that sell everything from cheese to art. The building has a long history stretching back to the 13th century but it has only been a shopping arcade since 1989.

After it celebrated its 300th birthday, the building became a coaching inn where travellers could rest, get some food and care for their horses mid-journey. There were many of these around the city centre including The George Hotel on George Street.Stagecoaches could enter at the South Parade entrance on Poultry Arcade. Interestingly from 1332 to 1799, the street was once referred to as Cuckstool Row as the historic public punishment stool was once kept at the marketplace.

The hotel underwent structural alterations in 1937 as the demand for accommodation in the city centre skyrocketed. There were planned alterations that included bedrooms added to the first and second floors with a new staircase built. The hotel also took on new staff including a manageress for it's 'smoke bar' although there was no clue in the adverts as to what that actually was.

The Flying Horse Inn had another life during the 1960s that its regulars may not have known about. A bar to the left of the premises was known as an early gay venue with many of the staff also thought to be LGBT+ themselves. Renovations in 1969 meant the gay bar was moved to another part of the building along with new restaurants, bars and coffee houses established.

Trust Houses had expressed an interest in demolishing the hotel to replace it with shops or offices but they then sold it to Grand Metropolitan Hotel for £200,000 with the new owners saying they would like to keep it as a hotel. They also planned to create four restaurants and eight new bars.

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