History of Ilkeston

The South Derbyshire town of Ilkeston is situated approximately 10 miles east of the City of Derby and 8 miles west of the City of Nottingham. The town stands at a height of around 100 metres above sea level and occupies the same sandstone levels upon which stand the town of Heanor to the north and the villages of Sandiacre and Stanton by Dale to the south. Ilkeston is also bordered to the east by the River Erewash and the Erewash Canal and to the west by the Nutbrook.
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Though a small number of prehistoric and Roman archaeological finds have been made in the area, no evidence of any permanent settlement dating from a time prior to the Conquest has yet been found. Ilkeston itself probably began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement and became part of the Danelaw in the 9th century. The Domesday Book of 1086 records the name of the village as Tilchestune - the 'T' being mistakenly added by a Norman scribe. Domesday tells us that before the Conquest of 1066 the principal landowners were named Ulf Fenisc, Osmund Benz and Toli.
After the Conquest, the manor was handed to Gilbert of Ghent, who in turn sublet the land to Malgar. During the Medieval period, the manor passed through a succession of families, all of whom held other manors either within or without the county. These families included the Muskhams, the Gresleys, the Cantelupes, the Zouches, the Savages and the Manners (see Lords of the Manor). - More

Ilkeston Past In Pictures

Related: United Kingdom Geography

(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.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Ilkeston

Ilkeston Market Place
The large upper Market Place is a later addition to the lower Market Place for which Hugh de Cantelup first gained permission to hold a Thursday Market in 1252. The Market Place is now a conservation area and has several features of historical interest.

St Mary's Church, Ilkeston
St Maryâ€™s dates from around 1150 AD but has been significantly altered over time. The three piers and arches which separate the nave from the south aisle are all that remain of the original building. Extensive alterations took place in the Victorian period, including the rebuilding of the tower.

Ilkeston Town Hall
This purpose built Town Hall was built in 1867-68 to an Italian style design by the architects R. C. Sutton of Nottingham.

Dalby House, Ilkeston
Georgian building with Victorian extensions, built as a family home and later as a boarding house for pupils and staff at a nearby school. The building now houses Erewash Museum and contains displays relating to the history of life in the Borough. Also of note are the museum gardens, providing an attractive town centre garden.

Scala Cinema, Ilkeston
Ilkeston's first purpose built Cinema by James Parsons and Sons of Bulwell (1913), believed to be the second oldest remaining purpose built Cinema in the country. The style incorporates features of Edwardian, classical and art nouveau designs.

Stanton Road Cemetery, Ilkeston
Ilkeston's first non conformist cemetery, opened in the 19th Century. Nearest to Stanton Road are the monuments to many of Ilkeston's most prominent citizens, at the back of the cemetery are many hunderds of unmarked graves, the final resting place of many of the town's poorest citizens. For further information on Staton Road Cemetery please click here.

Stanton Ironworks , Ilkeston
The site of the now much reduced ironworks. There had been ironworking on the site since 1840s but much is now semi-derelict and a little of any antiquity remains. There are a few 19th Century work shops remaining but no trace of the blast furnaces. Still intact are the ornate company offices of 1914, adjacent to Lows Lane, and a number of other 20th Century associated buildings.

Straws Bridge
Straws Bridge is located on High Lane, on the boudary of Ilkeston and West Hallam. It is a popular local attraction, and a haven for both local and visiting wildlife. Plentiful parking is available for visitors wishing to take a stroll around the network of lakes and surrounding footpaths. Straws Bridge also incorporates the nature reserve known as Pewit Carr. The reserve consists of species rich grassland with orchids, willow carr and sedge beds.

Kirk Hallam

Cat & Fiddle Windmill
The Cat and Fiddle post mill, with the date of 1788 on the timbering, stands on the site of an earlier mill. This is the only surviving post mill in Derbyshire. On a clear day there are excellent views of the surrounding countryside. At the bottom of the hill is Moat Wood, the firner site of the original moated manor house.

All Saints Parish Church
Norman in origin, All Saints Church has a few surviving original features, notably the font.

Little Eaton

Peckwash Mill
Late 18th Century watermill building on the site of a former 13th Century corn mill. During 17th and 18th centuries it was one of the biggest paper mills in the world, finally being used in the textile industry in 1800s and 1900s. The mill, along with other industrial sites, now form part of a World Heritage Site.

- Information Source - Erewash Borough Council