Nottinghamshire is a county full of history, so much so that even the biggest of history buffs would never stop finding different places to explore.
As you’ve probably worked out by now, the team here at Nottingham World love nothing more than showing you the places you may not have heard of before.
From abandoned roads to hidden tunnels, these fascinating places prove why Nottinghamshire is one of the UK’s best counties to explore.
The streets of Nottingham city centre are a great starting point for history enthusiasts, particularly if a small doorway in Angel Row has ever caught your eye.
The unassuming doorway is nestled between two shops, so you probably wouldn’t have even noticed it before.
But rather than leading to student flats, the doorway is the entrance to Bromley House Library.
Home to around 50,000 books, the library has been welcoming the city’s bibliophiles for more than 200 years.
The Grade II listed building, a four-storey Georgian townhouse, was built in 1752 for George Smith, grandson of the Smith’s Bank founder.
With its iconic spiral staircase, today the building features a series of reading rooms across three upper floors.
Day-to-day the library is only open to members, although non-members are welcome to buy tickets for events.
Nottingham World was previously given a rare tour of the library, taking in its many different rooms that are usually off-limits to visitors.
Explore the library by browsing the photos below:
1. Bromley House Library
The spiral staircase leads to the library's second floor, where thousands of books can be found | Nottingham World Photo: Nottingham World
2. Bromley House Library
Members have access to several reading rooms across three upper floors | Nottingham World Photo: Nottingham World
3. Bromley House
In the 19th century, local businessman Alfred Barber set-up a photographic studio in the attic of Bromley House. This is believed to have been one of the first commercial photographic studios in the country and was used until 1955 | Nottingham World Photo: Nottingham World
4. Bromley House Library
There are nearly 50,000 books in the library, with some dating back hundreds of years | Nottingham World Photo: Nottingham World