Between roughly 1840 and 1900, Nottingham produced more machine-made lace than any other city on earth, and the Lace Market is the half-square-mile of red-brick warehouses where the trade was done. The buildings are extraordinary — five and six storeys of decorative brickwork, cast-iron columns, oversized windows — and almost all of them are listed.
The lace trade died after the First World War and the district decayed badly through the second half of the 20th century before a long, careful regeneration turned the warehouses into flats, design studios, restaurants, and galleries. Stoney Street and Broadway are the best streets to wander; St Mary's Church anchors the southern end. The Lace Market is the most rewarding part of the city centre to walk through, day or night.