Police Station, Nottingham

The former Police Station on High Pavement in Nottingham is a striking Grade II-listed Edwardian building that once formed part of the city’s historic justice complex. Built in 1905, it stands immediately adjacent to the imposing Shire Hall-now home to the National Justice Museum-and still retains the iconic blue lamp above its doorway, a traditional symbol of British police stations.

This atmospheric building evokes Nottingham’s long legal history. Before the police station was constructed, the site hosted the grand Castle Inn dating back to the 1600s. The area itself is steeped in centuries of justice and punishment-prison cells have existed here since at least 1449, and the courtrooms date back to the 14th century.

Originally intended as a place to hold prisoners before their trials, the police station became part of a larger complex where individuals could be arrested, tried, sentenced, and even executed, all on the same site. Even after the courts moved to Canal Street in 1991, the building remained a powerful symbol of Nottingham’s judicial legacy. In 1995, the site reopened as the Galleries of Justice Museum and was later rebranded in 2017 as the National Justice Museum.

Today, the former police station-still easily found along the cobbled and historic High Pavement-offers a photogenic glimpse into the city’s past. Its red-brick façade, traditional architecture, and enduring blue lamp make it one of the most evocative stops along one of Nottingham’s oldest and most beautiful streets.