Nottingham's best-known architect, 1841 - 1928 "...a provincial
goth..." - Ken Brand It's not often that I express admiration
for architects; I tend to view them either as a necessary evil,
or like Prince Charles, see them as creating "monstrous
carbuncles" in our cities. Watson Fothergill is, for me, an
exception, and my appreciation and respect for his works border
on hero worship. Anyone who has spent any time in and around
Nottingham has doubtless seen his buildings, which do stand out
from the humdrum, with a unique and distinctive style. Walk the
environs of Nottingham Castle, The Park Estate, the city centre
or Mapperley and you will see his designs, notable by the hefty
timber eaves, Gothic towers and turrets, as well as his
idiosyncratic approach to the use of brickwork. To some they are
hideous, to me they are the mark of a man of genius. A Little
History He was born in Mansfield on 12 July 1841, to Robert
Watson and Mary Ann Fothergill. At birth he was named Fothergill
Watson, though he was to chan