About the Department of History
Welcome to the Department of History, University of Nottingham
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Our teaching and learning methods, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, are strongly focused on 'active learning'. We emphasise that effective learning in History comes especially from one's own enquiries, critical thinking, and reflection.
You will therefore be encouraged to become independent learners and thinkers, whilst being guided by expert tutors. Active participation and involvement in class discussion and group activities are therefore given priority as a means of developing skills required for learning, researching and employment.
Our academic staff are central to our success and create our lively and inclusive research culture. All of them are nationally or internationally recognized scholars in their fields.
I hope you will find these pages interesting and that it will convey some of the stimulating and friendly atmosphere of the Department.
Professor Maiken Umbach
Head of Department
History of the Department
The Department of History was established as a separate department in 1911, although the subject was taught from the foundation of University College, Nottingham, in 1881. In 1983 the formerly separate Department of Economics and Social History merged into History. In 1998, History was joined with Art History to form the School of History and Art History, a union which lasted until 2003.
Lenton Grove
In 1995 the department moved from Trent Building into Lenton Grove, a Grade II listed house, with associated stables (linked together by a modern walkway) and a 1950s extension.
Lenton Grove History
The house is a plain stucco villa, built probably in the 1790s by Francis Evans, a Nottingham attorney. These homes were for wealthy local business people, built on country house principles but with only a limited surrounding acreage.
More recently, Lenton Grove has been much altered, with an array of irregular classic, neo classic and Victorian additions. In the 1950s, a number of alterations were made for the then occupants, the School of Music. These included an extension to the original stable block by the addition of a simple two-storey brick construction, which housed a music auditorium.
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Lenton Grove Today
The buildings were completely refurbished for the Department of History, to provide staff offices, teaching rooms and a computer suite. Today, most teaching takes place in the Lenton Grove complex. The department has always had a firm commitment to using innovative teaching, learning and assessment methods, where these serve to make the course more rewarding. As far as possible, students are taught in small groups to allow maximum contact with tutors.