chief town of the above county. It is a handsome town, and a county of itself by charter. The name is derived from the Saxon word Nottingham, which signifies cavern, from the caves and apartments anciently dug in the rocks on which the town stands. These, being soft, easily yield to the spade and pickaxe; whence the townsmen have excellent cellars for the vast quantities of malt liquors made here, and sent, as well as their malt, to most parts of England. The situation of the town is very pleasant, having meadows on one hand, and hills of a gentle easy ascent, on the other. It is well supplied with fuel, both wood and coal, from the forest; and with fish by the Trent, which runs about a mile to the south of it, and has been made navigable for barges: so that they receive by it not only great quantities of cheese from Warwickshire and Staffordshire; but all the heavy goods from the Humber, and even from Hull. Over the Trent is a stately stone bridge of 19 arches, where the river is very large and deep, having received the addition of the Dove, the Derwent, the Irwsh, and the Soar, three of them great rivers of themselves, which fall into it after its passing by Burton in Staffordshire.

The town is of great antiquity, and it had formerly a strong castle, in which the Danes, in the time of the heptarchy, held out a siege against Ruthred king of Mercia, Alfred, and Ethelred his brother king of the West Saxons.

Soon after the Conquest, William either repaired this fortress, or built a new one on the same spot, in the second year of his reign, probably to secure a retreat on his expedition against Edwin earl of Chester and Morcar earl of Northumberland, who had revolted. He committed the custody of it to William Peverell, his natural son, who has by some been considered as the founder. It stands on a steep rock, at the foot of which runs the river Leen.

Deering, in his history of Nottingham, seems very justly to explode the story of the place called Mortimer's Hole, having been made as a hiding place for him; and from his description of it, shows that it was meant as a private passage to the castle, to relieve it with men or provisions in a siege. He says that it is one continued staircase, without any room, or even a place to sit down on. It was by this passage that Edward III. got into the castle and surprised Mortimer and the queen; and from hence, and his being carried away through it, it has its name.

Edward IV. greatly enlarged the castle, but did not live to complete the buildings he began. Richard III. finished them.

It was granted by James I. to Francis earl of Rutland, who pulled down many of the buildings; but it was still of so much strength, that Charles I. in 1642, pitched on it as the place for beginning his operations of war. He set up his standard, first on the walls of the castle, but in two or three days removed it to a close on the north side of the castle, without the wall, on a road spot; after which it was for many years called Standard close, and since from the name of one who rented it, Nevil's close. Where the standard was fixed, there stood a post for a considerable time. It is a common error that it was erected on a place called Deramount, a little further north than the close just mentioned; this is an artificial hill, raised on purpose for a wind-mill which formerly stood there. The castle was afterwards sequestered by the parliament, and the trees in the park cut down.

This castle was so strong that it was never taken by storm. After the civil war, Cromwell ordered it to be demolished. On the Restoration, the duke of Buckingham, whose mother was daughter and heir of this Francis earl of Rutland, had it restored to him, and sold it to William Cavendish, marquis and afterwards duke of Newcastle. In 1674 he began the present building, but died in 1676, when the work was not far advanced. However, he had the building of it so much at heart, that he left the revenue of a considerable estate to be applied to that purpose, and it was finished by Henry his son. The expense was about £4,000. It is one of the seats of the present duke of Newcastle.

In the park, west of the castle, and facing the river Leen, are some remains of an ancient building (if it may be so called) cut and framed in the rock. Dr Stukeley gives it, as he does most things, to the Britons. Many other ancient excavations have been found in other parts of the rocks.

The frames for knitting stockings were invented by one William Lea of this county, about the beginning of the 17th century; but not meeting with the encouragement he expected, he went with several of his workmen to France on the invitation of Henry IV. The death of that king, and the troubles which ensued, prevented attention being given to the work. Lea died there, and most of his men returned to England. Other attempts were made to steal the trade, without better success, and it has flourished here ever since, and is now carried on to a very considerable extent. It is noted for its horse-races on a fine course on the north side of the town. The corporation is governed by a mayor, recorder, six aldermen, two coroners, two sheriffs, two chamberlains, and twenty-four common-council men, eighteen of the senior council, and six of the junior, and a bell-bearer. The population, which in 1801 was 28,861; in 1811 had increased to 34,553.

The town being within the jurisdiction of the forest, the former of these pinders is town-woodward, and attends the forest courts. It has three neat churches, the chief of which is St Mary's; and an almshouse, endowed with 100l. a-year, for twelve poor people; with a noble townhouse, surrounded with piazzas. A considerable trade is carried on in glass and earthen wares, and frame stockings, besides the malt, and malt liquors, mentioned above: Marshal Tallard, when a prisoner in England, was confined to this town and county. In the duke of Newcastle's park there is a ledge of rocks hewn into a church, houses, chambers, dove-houses, &c. The altar of the church is natural rock; and between that and the castle there is a hermitage of the like workmanship. Upon the side of a hill there is a very extraordinary sort of a house, where you enter at the garret, and ascend to the cellar, which is at the top of the house. Here is a noted hospital founded by John Plumtree, Esq. in the reign of Richard II. for thirteen poor old widows. There are four handsome bridges over the Trent and Lind. To keep these in repair, and for other public purposes, the corporation has good estates. This town and Winchelsea both give title of earl to the noble family of Finch. Here David king of Scots, when a prisoner in England, resided; and under ground is a vault, called Mortimer's hole, because Roger Mortimer, earl of March, is said to have concealed himself in it, when he was taken and hanged by order of Edward III. W. Long. 1. 5. N. Lat. 53.