The tannery was in use from 1500 – 1640. Tanning is the process of making leather from animal
skins. In medieval times it was used for making shoes, belts, gloves harnesses, armour and
bottles – a viable and profitable business.
Tanning was a very long process and the work was hard, dirty and very unhealthy. The awful smells
from the tanning process clung to the workers clothes and hair. The stench was so strong that it even
kept the rats away!
Left standing are the original basement walls of the last remaining buildings of Drury Hill, one of the
main streets in the notorious Narrow Marsh area of the city. In Medieval Nottingham this area was a wealthy neighbourhood but by 19th century some of the worst slums in Britain could be found here.
Housing was in short supply in Nottingham and the poorest families often rented basements to live in.
Entire families slept, ate and lived in a single room. The overcrowding and poor sanitation made it a
breeding ground for diseases such as cholera, Tuberculosis and Smallpox.
