Description: This copy of a watercolour painting shows the Arboretum as it looked when it was newly built. Looking towards the windmills up on Forest Road. and showing the Waverley Street entrance lodge to the Arboretum in the foreground. The Arboretum was opened to the public May 11, 1852. It comprised seventeen acres, and presents within itself a landscape, Aviary, a People's Park, and an ornamental Garden. The Nottingham Enclosure Act 1845 enclosed fields and meadows, used by the burgesses of freeholders of the City to graze their animals, and to compensate for the loss of open space used for recreation, allotted space for a series of places of public recreation and public walks. One hundred and thirty acres made up of Queen's Walk and Queen's Walk Park, Victoria Park, Robin Hood Chase, Corporation Oaks, St Ann's Hill Avenue, Nottingham Arboretum (seen here), the General Cemetery, Waterloo Promenade, the Church Cemetery and the Forest were created as public open spaces from the enclosures. This view shows the horizon of Forest Road, as yet undeveloped, with only a few houses on the left and windmills on the high ridge, and no High School. The aviaries in the park near the pond have not yet been built. The following account was reported in a newspaper about the opening ceremony:- 'OPENING OF THE NOTTINGHAM ARBORETUM. On Tuesday this long-anticipated festival took place at Nottingham. A procession was formed at two o'clock, in the Market-place, in front of the Exchange, and marched up Clumber-street and Mansfield-road to the top entrance, and thence round the entire grounds, in the following order :- The 'pinders,' in livery of green turned up with silver lace; the Enclosure Commissioners; magistrates; bellman and sheriff's officers in livery, bearing small silver maces;' the Mayor's sergeant in scarlet gown, bearing the large gold mace; the Mayor (Mr. W. Felkin), supported by Mr. Ball, the sheriff of the borough, and the town clerk, in their robes of office, the clerk to the magistrates, magistrates, aldermen, common councilmen, bearing wands; auditors and assessors, citizens, four abreast; South Nottinghamshire Yeomanry band; citizens, four abreast; the North Leicester Yeomanry band, including part of the band of the Duke of Rutland; citizens; the Campanalogian band; citizens. Having perambulated the walks of the entire area, about 18 acres, the Mayor addressed the vast multitude, alluding to the progress making for the benefit of the people in every branch of science, and specially referring to the rapidly-improving position of the town of Nottingham up to the present time. The townspeople had but 300 acres for public recreation; but by an act of Parliament passed in 1845, they have gained the present Arboretum. The Mayor was loudly cheered at the conclusion of his I address. The National Anthem was then sung, three times three cheers given for the Queen, and three for Mr. Felkin, and the multitude broke into groups, and devoted the remainder of the afternoon and evening to dancing, promenading the walks, listening to the music, singing. A juvenile band of fifers and drummers was a source of considerable amusement and attraction. At six o'clock the corporation and principal inhabitants dined together in the Exchange hall. The Arboretum, has been most judiciously laid out. From near the principal entrance lodge stretches a miniature lake, stocked with a variety of British aquatic birds. The grounds are tastefully planted with trees and shrubs, whose botanical names it is intended to indicate by labels. The beautifully undulating greensward has been levelled in places for dancing; and handsome refreshment rooms have been built, where, however, fermented drinks have been interdicted (ie no alcohol). The Arboretum is gratuitously open three days of the week. On Tuesday there was an immense number of visitors from the Midland and Northern Counties, from Birmingham and the Potteries, from Lancashire and the West Riding, as well as from the surrounding districts.'