West Hallam
Encyclopedia
West Hallam is a large village
close to Ilkeston
in the County of Derbyshire
in the East Midlands
region of England
.
West Hallam has had its own parish council since 1894 and, since 1974, has been part of the Erewash
Borough.
in 1086. St Wilfrid's Church is over 700 years old. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, West Hallam had a reputation for Catholic sympathies at a time when Catholics were persecuted.
Until the early 20th Century West Hallam was a small rural village and the property of the Newdigate family. Most jobs were in the agricultural area with mining work locally in the Erewash Valley
coalfield. There was also a West Hallam railway station
, connected to the Great Northern Railway and Derby Friargate Station.
The Newdigate family finally parted with their interest as Lords of the Manor in 1914.
The later 20th Century saw rapid change with both the collieries and the railway disappearing during the 1960s. Ilkeston Colliery was the last to close in 1959 and some buildings remain, now in industrial use. The railway station is now Station House, a private residence.
The colliery spoil tips were removed and landscaped and after much opencast coal extraction the area regained its traditional rural appeal from the 1970s onward. In the 1970s and 1980s a major new housing development dramatically increased the village's population.
The former Second World War Army Ordnance Depot off Cat and Fiddle Lane to the south of the village was reopened in the 1980s as Midland Storage (now known as TDG Pinnacle) and remains a significant local employer.
Most residents are now employed away from West Hallam, some even commuting daily as far as London.
One of present-day West Hallam's more notable places is the Bottle Kiln. On the site of the former West Hallam Pottery - which once had two such kilns and was virtually derelict for many years - this well renovated bottle kiln and supporting buildings now houses an art and crafts gallery, a cafe and a Japanese style tea garden and gift shop.
A valuable open space is the recreational area at Straw's Bridge (also known as Swan Lake) on West Hallam's eastern border, on the A609, with Ilkeston
. This popular lake and walking area was formed from a flood meadow and the site of the old West Hallam Sewage Works in around 1990. This site was opencast mined in the late 1980s and the restored site along with some adjacent land forming part of the Ilkeston area known as 'Manor' or 'Manners Floods' forms the Straw's Bridge area today.
West Hallam also has very active Cricket and Football Clubs,The Cricket Club is West Hallam White Rose and was founded in 1880 and unfounded 1850 making it one of the oldest clubs in derbyshire, it should not be confused with the Nutbrook cricket club who are actually from cotmanhay and have no ties to the village of west hallam.The West Hallam Cricket Club runs three adult teams in the derbyshire county league and junior sections fom U11s to U17s with children welcome from the age of 4 upwards on a wednesday night during the summer months from 6.30 onwards. a Village Hall in The Village and a Community Centre on Station Road. Scargill Church of England School is situated on Beech Lane. There are also currently three pubs (The Punch Bowl, The Newdigate and The White Hart), a shopping centre in the village and four public recreation grounds.
West Hallam is also well provided as far as local charities are concerned. As well as the Rev John Scargill's charity, established in 1662 and still going strong, needy locals may benefit from the Ann Powtrell Foundation and the West Hallam Trust (West Hallam United Charities), all of which are long established.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
close to Ilkeston
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...
in the County of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
region of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
West Hallam has had its own parish council since 1894 and, since 1974, has been part of the Erewash
Erewash
Erewash is a local government district and borough in eastern Derbyshire, England, to the east of Derby and the west of Nottingham. It contains the towns of Ilkeston, Long Eaton and Sandiacre and fourteen civil parishes....
Borough.
Early history
Although it is not known exactly when the village was founded, it existed at the time of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086. St Wilfrid's Church is over 700 years old. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, West Hallam had a reputation for Catholic sympathies at a time when Catholics were persecuted.
Until the early 20th Century West Hallam was a small rural village and the property of the Newdigate family. Most jobs were in the agricultural area with mining work locally in the Erewash Valley
Erewash Valley
The Erewash Valley is the valley of the River Erewash on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as far as the River Trent. It runs along the boundary of the southern end of the Derbyshire hills and the more rolling Nottinghamshire country...
coalfield. There was also a West Hallam railway station
West Hallam railway station
West Hallam railway station was a railway station located between the villages of Stanley and West Hallam in Derbyshire, England. It was opened by the Great Northern Railway on its Derbyshire Extension in 1878.- History :...
, connected to the Great Northern Railway and Derby Friargate Station.
Twentieth century
The later 20th Century saw rapid change with both the collieries and the railway disappearing during the 1960s. Ilkeston Colliery was the last to close in 1959 and some buildings remain, now in industrial use. The railway station is now Station House, a private residence.
The colliery spoil tips were removed and landscaped and after much opencast coal extraction the area regained its traditional rural appeal from the 1970s onward. In the 1970s and 1980s a major new housing development dramatically increased the village's population.
The former Second World War Army Ordnance Depot off Cat and Fiddle Lane to the south of the village was reopened in the 1980s as Midland Storage (now known as TDG Pinnacle) and remains a significant local employer.
Most residents are now employed away from West Hallam, some even commuting daily as far as London.
Amenities
A valuable open space is the recreational area at Straw's Bridge (also known as Swan Lake) on West Hallam's eastern border, on the A609, with Ilkeston
Ilkeston
Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population at the 2001 census was 37,550...
. This popular lake and walking area was formed from a flood meadow and the site of the old West Hallam Sewage Works in around 1990. This site was opencast mined in the late 1980s and the restored site along with some adjacent land forming part of the Ilkeston area known as 'Manor' or 'Manners Floods' forms the Straw's Bridge area today.
West Hallam also has very active Cricket and Football Clubs,The Cricket Club is West Hallam White Rose and was founded in 1880 and unfounded 1850 making it one of the oldest clubs in derbyshire, it should not be confused with the Nutbrook cricket club who are actually from cotmanhay and have no ties to the village of west hallam.The West Hallam Cricket Club runs three adult teams in the derbyshire county league and junior sections fom U11s to U17s with children welcome from the age of 4 upwards on a wednesday night during the summer months from 6.30 onwards. a Village Hall in The Village and a Community Centre on Station Road. Scargill Church of England School is situated on Beech Lane. There are also currently three pubs (The Punch Bowl, The Newdigate and The White Hart), a shopping centre in the village and four public recreation grounds.
West Hallam is also well provided as far as local charities are concerned. As well as the Rev John Scargill's charity, established in 1662 and still going strong, needy locals may benefit from the Ann Powtrell Foundation and the West Hallam Trust (West Hallam United Charities), all of which are long established.
Notable residents
- Thomas Rossell PotterThomas Rossell PotterThomas Rossell Potter was a British antiquary. He started a school in Leicestershire, but he is known for his publications about the history and geology of Leicestershire...
(1799–1873), writer, was born here.
- Sir Francis NewdegateFrancis NewdegateSir Francis Alexander Newdigate Newdegate GCMG was Governor of Tasmania from 1917 to 1920, and Governor of Western Australia from 1920 to 1924....
GCMG KStJ (1862–1936), Lord of the Manor until 1914 was Governor of TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
(1917–1920) and of Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
(1920–1924).