.gif)
|  |

|
|
Information
I lkeston town is situated in the Erewash Valley,
9 miles N.E of Derby and 8 miles N.W of Nottingham. It
is the third largest town in Derbyshire.
Standing on a hill,
this former mining community was mentioned in Domesday
when it was known as Tilchestune. The pits have closed
in Ilkeston but it still a busy industrial town, whose
many industries include engineering,hosiery, lace and
fabrics, electronics, plastic and food distribution. A
history of the town's industrial past is told in the
Erewash Museum, housed in a fine Georgian building in
the High Street.
Despite it's industrial outlook, parks, trees and
flower beds are a feature of the community and there is
some pleasant countryside around the towm.
|
|
Perfectly placed
Ilkeston offers an unrivalled shopping and
leisure experience, being perfectly placed between
Nottingham and Derby, with excellent transport links.
Ilkeston appears to have begun as a hilltop
settlement of the Anglo Saxon Chief Ealac (or ‘The Elk’)
around the 6th century AD. Later, in 1252 the Lord of
the manor was awarded a Charter, permitting a weekly
market and annual fair. The market and fair continue to
flourish in the town. The market place is brought to
life every Thursday and Saturday offering an excellent
range of goods, from toys, confectionery and greeting
cards to electrical goods, books and clothes. The
Ilkeston fair, in October, has become an event not to be
missed, which is now one of the largest street fairs in
Britain.
Ilkeston has over 200
shops of all sizes, offering a wide variety of goods and
services to the discerning customer. Many of the leading
high street retailers are in the town, along with a
superb range of independent shops. A variety of these
can be found in the pleasant surroundings of the
covered Albion Centre. This diversity of shops in
Ilkeston enables all your shopping needs to be catered
for in one visit, saving you time and money. So, whether
you are looking for toys and china gifts, or a morning
suit and millinery for a wedding, Ilkeston has it all
for you
St Mary's Church dates back to around the year
1200, but little is left from this period apart from the
3 East piers between the nave and the South aisle. The
nave was doubled in length when the church w as enlarged
in 1909-10 by P. H. Currey, and the tower was rebuilt in
a new position. It contains a rare and remarkable early
14th century stone screen. There is a well preserved
effigy of a cross-legged knight, presumed to be that of
Nicholas de Cantelupe, who died in 1272. The Cantelupes
were lords of the manor in the 13th century.
Opposite the church is the Town Hall, a modest
barogue brick building of 1868. It was extended in 1974.
Another interesting building in the market place is
large red brick Carnegie Library, built in 1904 by
Hunter and Woodhouse of Belper, with it's decorative Art
Nouveau stone panels between the small windows under the
eaves.
Sport is well catered for in Ilkeston, with an 18
hole golf club just south of the town. Cricket is played
at the Rutland Recreation Ground, so called, because the
Dukes of Rutland once owned much of the land here. It
has a football team and a rugby team. A swimming complex
known as the Victoria Park Leisure Centre is situated in
Manner Road and there is a 10 pin bowling alley in the
town centre.
Twin
Town -- Ilkeston
History
|
|
|
- Information Source -
Erewash Borough
Council
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
FACTS
on Ilkeston
|
| (Ĭl´kĕsten) ,
town (1991 pop. 34,683), Derbyshire, central England.
Iron and coal mines lie to the south. Rayon, lace,
hosiery, and iron goods are manufactured. Ilkeston is
mentioned in the Domesday
Book . Eastwood, a nearby mining village, is the
birthplace of D. H. Lawrence
, and many of his novels are set in the area. | | |
|
In
Film and TV
|
|
The town has been used as a filming location for the
hit television series Playing The
Field shown on BBC 1. Also a number of
other shows have used Ilkeston and surrounding
areas.
Ilkeston is also the
birthplace of actor Robert
Lindsay, well known for his part in `Me and My
Girl`, 'My Family' and more recently 'Horatio
Hornblower'. .... | | |
|
Ilkeston
Fair
|
|
Until the second half of the
18th century, Ilkeston
was a relatively small, agricultural settlement. In 1252
the Lord of the Manor of 'Elkesdon' was awarded a
charter, permitting a weekly market and an annual fair.
The fair was originally held in August, but later
evolved into a 'statutes' or hiring fair in October.
From the mid-19th century onwards, the entertainment
aspect took over, leading to the popular annual event
which continues to this day. More | |
.gif) |
|
Download our guide to the best
of the borough, by clicking below:
Essential
Erewash (1.75MB) . |
| | | |