24 and 26, Low Pavement

The houses were built for Francis Gawthern in 1733 who built them on the site of Vault Hall, a former mansion house of the Plumptre family. Gawthern moved into No. 26 in 1734. The gates and railings on the forecourt were also erected at the same time and are separately Grade II* listed. In 1783 No. 26 was occupied by Francis Gawthern's great-nephew, also called Francis, who married Abigail Frost that year. Abigail Gawthern lived until 1822 and her diary survived; it is a remarkable record of the history of Nottingham from 1751 until 1810. No. 26 became known as Gawthern House. In her diary for 21 August 1798, she records that her visitors were Lord Byron, the two Miss Parkyns (of Bunny…