Sneinton Dragon: The story behind Nottingham's unmissable metal dragon sculpture

Once you’ve lived in Nottingham for a while, you’ll start to recognise many of the city’s quirks. 

From the underground cocktail bar in a historic cave to the strange sculpture of a train emerging from a tunnel in Woodthorpe Grange Park, it’s fair to say Nottingham is home to some pretty bizarre sights. 

As unorthodox Nottingham attractions go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more unusual than the Sneinton Dragon. 

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Located on the corner of Manvers Street and Sneinton Hermitage, the huge metal statue is hard to miss. 

Standing seven feet high and with a 15-foot wingspan, the bizarre sculpture would probably raise eyebrows in a Ripleys Believe It Or Not! museum, nevermind beside a busy city centre road. 

If you’ve ever passed the sculpture and wondered how on earth it came to be, here’s the story.

To understand why a huge stainless steel dragon sculpture was plonked in the heart of Nottingham, we first have to go back to the early 20th century. 

According to Atlas Obscura, Sneinton was one of the first small villages to be absorbed into the city of Nottingham during its rapid 19th-century industrial boom, which saw the village’s population explode to more than 20,000 people. 

By the early 20th century, this overcrowding had caused the area to become a poor and unhealthy district.

In 1914 local social historian Robert Mellors wrote: “For more than half a century there has existed in certain parts of Nottingham a monster who has devoured in the first year of their lives a large number of infants… His name is SLUM.”

Fast forward 92 years, to 2006, and Sneinton residents were asked by the Renewal Trust what sort of public artwork they would like to represent the area and its history. 

A survey was conducted and the overwhelming suggestion was a dragon. 

The reason for residents choosing a dragon is open to interpretation. 

Was it to signify the infant-killing monster Mellors named “Slum”? Quite possibly.

It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly what inspired the unusual choice, but in the interests of democracy the people’s vote was honoured and the statue was installed in 2006. 

Designed by local craftsman Robert Stubley, the dragon has stood dominant in Sneinton for the past 18 years.

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