Nottingham history: The clever meaning behind this unusual Hounds Gate sculpture

Regardless of how long you’ve lived somewhere, you’ll always pick up bits and pieces of local history every so often. 

Many of us will have walked through Nottingham accompanied by an amateur historian keen on pointing out the many Watson Fothergill designs scattered across the city centre. 

The beauty of local history is that every single building, street or park has a backstory (admittedly some are more interesting than others). 

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We often find ourselves walking through the city and wondering ‘why is that there?’, which leads us on to the rest of this story...

It’s common knowledge that quite a few Nottingham roads end with the word ‘gate’. 

From the iconic Lister Gate to Greyfriar Gate, there are a total of 15 city roads including the word ‘gate’ at the end. 

The suffix ‘gate’ can be traced back to the Norse word ‘gata’, meaning street. 

Another of the city’s ‘gates’ is, of course, Hounds Gate. 

Running from Castle Road, across Maid Marian Way to St Peters Square, Hounds Gate is a route commonly used by those accessing the city centre from the west. 

If you’ve ever reached the St Peters Square end of Hounds Gate, you may have noticed an unusual sculpture sitting (literally) at the bottom of a street sign. 

The metal sculpture, located just outside the Black’s clothing store, is of a small dog. 

As some of you may have twigged by now, the copper sculpture is in reference to the mutt’s position in Hounds Gate. 

It’s thought that Hounds Gate earned its name from once being the location of the Nottingham Castle kennels. 

The Hounds Gate hound may be passed by scores of people each day, but its inconspicuous nature means few will even notice it. 

So, if you ever find yourself walking along Hounds Gate, it might be worth taking a moment to show its resident hound some attention.