Basford, Nottingham
Encyclopedia
Basford is a suburb
in northern Nottingham
. Basford parish was absorbed into Nottingham in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District
which existed from 1894 to 1974.
There is both an ‘Old Basford’ and a ‘New Basford’ although New Basford is mainly Victorian
. Basford lies close to the River Leen
, a tributary of the River Trent
.
Basford is located on the main route of the Nottingham Express Transit
, which connects it to Nottingham City Centre
to the south and Hucknall
and Bulwell
to the north.
Close to Basford Register Office
is the site of a former workhouse
, this was used for Basford and the neighbouring parish
es. The workhouse later became a maternity
hospital and then a psychiatric hospital
. The hospital is due to be demolished.
The place name comes either from Old English "the ford
near the home of Bassa" (Bassa's ford) or French le bas ford, 'the lower ford'.
Near Vernon Park there used to be a complex of high rise flats which consisted of horizontal and vertical blocks connected together by ariel concrete walkways. These were demolished in 1983.
Basford has a good range of shops in the area. It is a large area. Home to Vernon Park, Basford also has football teams who play in the area, and is home to the Bulwell and Basford Rotary Club.
Children in the Basford area usually attend Southwark Primary and Infants School or Old Basford School. The only senior school in the Basford area is the Ellis Guilford School and Sports College
, located on Bar Lane. Ellis Guilford has been highly refurbished recently with a new school building, new changing rooms, new sports hall, tennis courts, and football pitches.
For many years one of the largest industries in Basford was the manufacturing of soap. A soap factory was established in Basford in the 1890s by Gerard Bros.
In 1955 Gerard Bros. was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co., manufacturer of Cussons Imperial Leather
soap. In 2005 the factory was closed and production was moved to Thailand
.
Basford, Old and New was well served by railways with no less than three stations bearing its name in one form or another. Basford Vernon its first was built on the Midland Railway's Nottingham to Mansfield Line, which as is often the case with the first railway in an area still exists. The next built was on The Great Northern and bore various names, originally called Dob Park from the land it was built on, i.e. Dob Rark Hall Grounds. It later had two others including Basford: Basford North and Basford & Bulwell. Lastly came New Basford on The Great Central Main Line. This route joined with the Great Northern via a vast junction area called Bagthorpe.
Basford also had over the years three breweries, though probably only the main one, Shipstones, will be familiar. The other two were Basford Brewery (taken over via Shipstones) and the redundant Prince of Wales Brewery in Old Basford which closed over 90 years ago. However, its buildings remain pretty much as built in the form of Murphy's Chemical Works on Alpine Street.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in northern Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. Basford parish was absorbed into Nottingham in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District
Basford Rural District
Basford was an rural district close to Nottingham, England, from 1894 to 1974. The district consisted of two detached parts, to the north and south of Nottingham...
which existed from 1894 to 1974.
There is both an ‘Old Basford’ and a ‘New Basford’ although New Basford is mainly Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. Basford lies close to the River Leen
River Leen
The River Leen rises in the Robin Hood Hills just outside Kirkby-in-Ashfield. It then flows through the grounds of Newstead Abbey, skirts Hucknall, goes through Papplewick and on through Bestwood Country Park, and following the route of the Leen Valley into suburban and urban Nottingham, passing...
, a tributary of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
.
Basford is located on the main route of the Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit is a light-rail tramway in the Nottingham area in England. The first line opened to the public on 9 March 2004, having cost £200 million to construct. The scheme took sixteen years from conception to implementation...
, which connects it to Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham City Centre
Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England. Nottingham's city centre represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation....
to the south and Hucknall
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
and Bulwell
Bulwell
Bulwell is an English market town approximately northwest of Nottingham city centre, on the northern edge of the city. The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed there were almost 30,000 people living in the Bulwell area, accounting for over 10% of the population of the city of Nottingham.-Early...
to the north.
Close to Basford Register Office
Register office
A register office is a British term for a civil registry, a government office and depository where births, deaths and marriages are officially recorded and where you can get officially married, without a religious ceremony...
is the site of a former workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, this was used for Basford and the neighbouring parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. The workhouse later became a maternity
Maternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
hospital and then a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
. The hospital is due to be demolished.
The place name comes either from Old English "the ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
near the home of Bassa" (Bassa's ford) or French le bas ford, 'the lower ford'.
Near Vernon Park there used to be a complex of high rise flats which consisted of horizontal and vertical blocks connected together by ariel concrete walkways. These were demolished in 1983.
Basford has a good range of shops in the area. It is a large area. Home to Vernon Park, Basford also has football teams who play in the area, and is home to the Bulwell and Basford Rotary Club.
Children in the Basford area usually attend Southwark Primary and Infants School or Old Basford School. The only senior school in the Basford area is the Ellis Guilford School and Sports College
Ellis Guilford School
The Ellis Guilford School & Sports College is a secondary comprehensive school in Bar Lane, Basford, Nottingham. The school provides education for students aged 11–16.-History:The school is very proud of all those that study and work within it...
, located on Bar Lane. Ellis Guilford has been highly refurbished recently with a new school building, new changing rooms, new sports hall, tennis courts, and football pitches.
For many years one of the largest industries in Basford was the manufacturing of soap. A soap factory was established in Basford in the 1890s by Gerard Bros.
Gerard Bros.
Gerard Bros. Ltd. was a manufacturer of personal healthcare products. The company was founded in 1897, and Mr Thomas B. Gerard was voted its first chairman. The company established a factory in Wilkinson Street, New Basford, Nottingham. The factory was built on a site and pumped water from the...
In 1955 Gerard Bros. was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co., manufacturer of Cussons Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather is a brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. The brand originates in Britain and is now available in a number of other countries including Australia, Denmark, Germany , Pakistan, India, Kenya, South Africa, iran and Dubai...
soap. In 2005 the factory was closed and production was moved to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Basford, Old and New was well served by railways with no less than three stations bearing its name in one form or another. Basford Vernon its first was built on the Midland Railway's Nottingham to Mansfield Line, which as is often the case with the first railway in an area still exists. The next built was on The Great Northern and bore various names, originally called Dob Park from the land it was built on, i.e. Dob Rark Hall Grounds. It later had two others including Basford: Basford North and Basford & Bulwell. Lastly came New Basford on The Great Central Main Line. This route joined with the Great Northern via a vast junction area called Bagthorpe.
Basford also had over the years three breweries, though probably only the main one, Shipstones, will be familiar. The other two were Basford Brewery (taken over via Shipstones) and the redundant Prince of Wales Brewery in Old Basford which closed over 90 years ago. However, its buildings remain pretty much as built in the form of Murphy's Chemical Works on Alpine Street.