I love any excuse for a weekend away, but when that weekend away takes place in the first few months of the year then I think it takes a little extra planning. I mean, I love going to new places and getting a chance to walk every where and explore, but when it's freezing and potentially snowing or raining or blowing bitterly cold wind in your face, then the "exploring" part isn't always so fun. So when we knew we were going to Nottingham for a weekend in January we immediately began researching as many indoor locations to explore as we could. We researched the usual suspects--cafes, donut shops, restaurants, museums, and the like. But we also looked for interesting manor houses in the region (like Wollaton Hall) and because I'm a library nerd, I decided to look around for one of those in Nottingham as well, and thus we stumbled across this hidden gem. The Bromley House Library. It's a member's only library (that I would definitely try to become a member of if I was local), but for visitors to Nottingham you can still enjoy this gorgeous, historic library by guided tour. I didn't know how much of a hidden gem it was until I posted pictures of the library on my Instagram and Nottingham locals commented they hadn't heard of the library before! On one hand it's very surprising since this gorgeous library was founded in 1816--on the other hand we accidentally walked past the front door a few times! It is a hidden pocket of calm and quiet in the bustling center of the city. Once you find the door you pass inside to another world, climbing a wide lemon-walled stairway to the library's main floor where another staircase (this one a spiral) invites you to climb upwards towards hundreds of leather-bound treasures. The library is spread across several floors and reading rooms, each with its own unique appeal from the photography studio in the attic to the window seats facing the walled garden or the 'Standfast Library' room with the Meridian Line cutting through its floor. There's something to discover around every corner in this charming building, even if you don't have time to properly browse the shelves!
CONVERSATION