The Raleigh Project

Welcome to the web pages of the Raleigh Project. We hope you find the information on these pages as fascinating and interesting as we have while researching Raleigh’s history. 

Next Chapter

About the Raleigh Project:

This project will examine the history of the site of Nottingham’s former Raleigh factory, which is now the Jubilee Campus of The University of Nottingham. Many older local residents in the surrounding suburbs had a connection to the factory through employment (either their own or that of a family member) while, as one of the most prolific producers of bicycles in the world, many of the current users of the site – which bears virtually no trace of its former use – will also have a connection through the ownership, at some stage of their lives, of a Raleigh bicycle.

The current use of the site as a focus for innovation and new technology continues the notion of Raleigh being at the forefront of new developments in cycling technology and design. This project seeks to research and celebrate the heritage of the site and to foster a conversation between those who inhabited the space in the past and those who inhabit it now, so that greater understanding of the nature of this space is created, allowing it to become used, enjoyed and understood by a wider cross section of the community.

What are we doing?

To celebrate 125 years of Raleigh and innovation we organised a series of events in partnership with community theatre company Hanby and Barrett.

Beginning with this series of talks, discussions and films the Bike! season also included the touring of a new play around the city, and culminated in an activity-packed finale event at The University of Nottingham's Jubilee Campus - the site of what was once the most modern bicycle company in the world.

The talks included a series of open presentations and lectures by former Raleigh workers, bike historians and current Raleigh management.

The films, which were shown at Broadway Cinema, included a number of cycle-related activities and displays.

Hanby and Barrett worked with members of the community to create an original theatre show which was performed in a variety of venues around the city.

Collation

We are currently collating all the information that has kindly been donated to us. This includes stories, photos and videos.