‘I visited this members’ only library with a spiral staircase - it’s now my favourite Nottingham hidden gem’

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: