Ilkeston is a town in the Borough of Erewash,

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, England, on the

River Erewash The River Erewash is a river in England, a tributary of the River Trent that flows roughly southwards through Derbyshire, close to its eastern border with Nottinghamshire. Etymology The approximate meaning of the name is not in doubt, but t ...

, from which the borough takes its name, with a population at the 2011

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 38,640. Its major industries,

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

mining,

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

working and lace making/

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

s, have now all but disappeared. The town is close to both

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

and

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

and is near the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which ...

and the border with

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

. The eastern boundary of Ilkeston is only two miles from Nottingham's western edge and it is part of the

Nottingham Urban Area The Nottingham Built-up Area (BUA), Nottingham Urban Area, or Greater Nottingham is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics as which is built upon, with nearby areas linked if within 200 metres - see the List of urban a ...

History and culture

Ilkeston was probably founded in the 6th century AD, and gets its name from its supposed founder, Elch or Elcha, who was an Anglian chieftain ("Elka's Tun" = Elka's Town). The town appears as Tilchestune in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

of 1086, when it was owned principally by Gilbert de Ghent. Gilbert also controlled nearby Shipley,

West Hallam West Hallam is a large village and civil parish 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. T ...

and Stanton by Dale.''Domesday Book: A Complete Translation''. London: Penguin, 2003. pp. 753–4 Ilkeston was created a borough by Queen Victoria in 1887. Ilkeston is one of several places where the distinctive dialect of

East Midlands English East Midlands English is a dialect, including local and social variations spoken in most parts of East Midlands England. It generally includes areas east of Watling Street (which separates it from West Midlands English), north of an isogloss s ...

is extensively spoken. Ilkeston is referred to as 'Ilson' in this dialect. Generally the name is pronounced with three syllables, ''Ilkisstun'', not ''Ilk's tun''. The American Adventure, a large theme park which closed in 2007, was located on the outskirts of Ilkeston on the former Woodside Colliery adjoining Shipley Country Park. The NatWest Hole Ilkeston, an architectural tourist attraction outside the Bath Street branch of NatWest bank gained much media interest when Tripadvisor decided to suspend reviews in February 2020.

Stanton Ironworks

One of the biggest and most important local employers was the Stanton Ironworks, later known as Stanton and Staveley – the continuation of a long-standing tradition of iron working in this area. There has been evidence of iron working and quarrying in the area since

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

times, and the industry began blossoming into a huge industrial concern in the 1780s. By the mid-19th century there were several blast furnaces and the production rose from around 500 tons of pig iron per month to 7,000 at the end of the century. The Stanton Ironworks acquired a number of smaller ironstone quarrying and ironworks companies. These included the Wellingborough Iron Company in 1932. Steel pipe manufacturing began at Stanton after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and later concrete pipes were produced, Stanton being the first in the UK to develop the 'spun pipe' process. Ilkeston Stanton Ironworks Wagon small

In the mid-19th century the works produced 20,000 tons of iron castings per year, 2.5 millions by 1905. Up to 12,500 people were employed during the period when the works were part of British Steel Corporation, of which 7,000 worked at the Stanton works. During its long existence the works produced huge quantities of a variety of products, including pig iron, tunnel castings, (used in projects such as the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

), pipes and street furniture as well as bitumen, roadstone, chemicals and munition casings. The works gradually declined, the business being run from 1985 by the French

Saint-Gobain Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of ...

Group. The last casting was an emotional event in 2007. The huge Stanton site has been partially given over to business park and the rest of the site is earmarked for redevelopment which is subject to local opposition.

Ilkeston Charter fair

Ilkeston Market Place is the site of a

Charter fair A charter fair in England is a street fair or market which was established by Royal Charter. Many charter fairs date back to the Middle Ages, with their heyday occurring during the 13th century. Originally, most charter fairs started as street marke ...

. The fair celebrated its 770th anniversary in 2022, the Charter being granted by King Henry III in 1252. This makes the fair older than

's famous

Goose Fair The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham, England, during the first week of October. Largely provided by travelling Showmen, it is one of three established fairs in the United ...

and it is one of the largest street fairs in the Country, indeed in Europe. The present fair developed from two separate fairs, as another 'agricultural hiring fair' or 'Statutes Fair' was traditionally held on

Wakes week The Wakes Week is a holiday period in parts of England and Scotland. Originally a religious celebration or feast, the tradition of the Wakes Week developed into a secular holiday, particularly in North West England during the Industrial Revolution ...

in October as well as the original Charter Fair which was held on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15 August). The two fairs were combined in 1888 and the one Charter Fair has been held in October ever since. Since 1931 the fair has been officially opened by the Mayor - first of Ilkeston and since 1974 of Erewash - on the Fair Thursday at noon with the Town Clerk (Chief Executive) reading the Charter from the steps of the Town Hall.

Transport

Railway

Ilkeston did not have a railway station from 1967 to 2017, despite its substantial population and the fact that the Erewash Valley Line (formerly part of the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

, later the LMS) skirts the eastern edge of the town. Ilkeston once had three railway stations. Ilkeston Junction station, also known as "Ilkeston Junction & Cossall" was on the former

and later LMS Erewash Valley Main Line: this station closed in January 1967. A short branch led from this station to Ilkeston Town station, at the north end of Bath Street, which closed to passengers in June 1947. Ilkeston's third station was Ilkeston North, on the former Great Northern Railway (later

LNER LNER may refer to: * London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 * London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a typ ...

) line from Nottingham to

Derby Friargate station Derby Friargate railway station was the main station in Derby on the Great Northern Railway Derbyshire Extension, popularly known as the (Derby) Friargate Line. History The line opened on 1 April 1878. The station was on the Derbyshire and ...

, closed in September 1964. A major feature of this line was

Bennerley Viaduct The Bennerley Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct spanning the Erewash Valley between Awsworth (Nottinghamshire) and Ilkeston (Derbyshire) in central England. It was built in 1877 but closed to rail traffic in 1968, as part of the Beeching cuts ...

, a long, high, wrought iron structure which still crosses the Erewash valley just to the north east of Ilkeston. Once threatened with demolition, it is now a Grade 2 listed building, though the line and embankments have long since been removed. The Viaduct has been the subject of much renewed interest and has been reopened to the public as part of a cycleway and footpath. Following a long-running local campaign, in March 2013 Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced that Ilkeston was one of three sites 'most likely' to get a new station as part of the 'New Stations Fund', costing £5 million and sited close to the old Ilkeston Junction station. On 15 May 2013 it was announced this new station would be built, which would be named Ilkeston station. It has two platforms, which can take six trains per hour with up to six passenger cars and includes waiting shelters. A 150 space car park, cycle storage, bus stop, drop off point and taxi rank are also on site. The station is unmanned with automated ticket machines. Due to flood prevention work and the discovery of great crested newts, the opening was significantly delayed, the new station opened on 2 April 2017.

Buses

TrentBarton Trentbarton operates both local and regional bus services in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, England. It is a subsidiary of the Wellglade Group. History In October 1913, Trent Motor Traction Company was foun ...

operate the majority of buses around Ilkeston including the Ilkeston Flyer into Derby, TheTwo and 21 into Nottingham, 33 to Mansfield, My15 to Long Eaton and East Midlands Airport

Notts + Derby Notts+Derby is a bus operator providing services in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It is a subsidiary of the Wellglade Group. Services Notts+Derby operate a number of contracted bus services around Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. One of their ...

and CT4N operate some Derbyshire County Council tendered routes around Ilkeston.

Ilkeston spa baths

From early in the 19th century the existence of natural mineral waters was noted here and exploited. A local businessman Thomas Potter built, in 1831, the famous Ilkeston Bath at the bottom of Town Street attached to the Rutland Hotel. For over 60 years the baths helped tourism to the town at a time when spa towns like Bath and Harrogate enjoyed popularity. 'If you're doubled in pain and thin as a lath, Come at once then and try, the famed Ilkeston Bath,' was a well known advertising slogan. A mixture of a general decline in the popularity of spa bathing and, reportedly, contamination of the waters from mining activities led to the eventual closure of the baths just before 1900. The baths and the adjacent Rutland Hotel, which also enjoyed a revenue from tourism, no longer exist though they are remembered in the name of 'Bath Street'.

Sport

Football

* The original Ilkeston Town was liquidated in 2010 after a 114-year history. Ilkeston FC was formed the following year, which was in turn liquidated in 2017. However, by July 2017 a new club, Ilkeston Town F.C. founded by the former owner of

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

Alan Hardy, replaced the liquidated Ilkeston FC, and the new club's home ground was established on the New Manor Ground, on Awsworth Road.

Rugby

* Ilkeston Rugby Club (known as the "Elks") is a

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

club founded in 1926. The home ground is based at 'The Stute', Hallam Fields Road.

Cricket

Ilkeston Rutland Cricket Club Ilkeston Rutland Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England. The club has a history dating back to 1824. Ground Ilkeston Rutland's main ground is the Rutland Sports Park, on Oakwell Drive in Ilkeston which i ...

(established in 1829) is based on Rutland Sports Park. The club currently has 4 senior teams in the Derbyshire County Cricket League, and a well established Junior section playing competitive cricket in the

Erewash Young Cricketers League The Erewash Young Cricketers League (EYCL) is a part of Cricket Erewash, which was formed in 2004 as a result of an amalgamation of the EYCL, The Erewash Cricket Development Group and The Long Eaton & District Cricket Association; with an aim ...

. ''First-Class County games''
Every season between 1925 and 1994, the Derbyshire County Cricket Club played up to a couple of

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officia ...

matches on the Rutland Recreation Ground, and one-day matches between 1970 and 1994.

Tennis

* Ilkeston Tennis Club is based on Rutland Sports Park and is a member of the Derby Tennis League. It is claimed to be the largest tennis club in Ilkeston, offering tennis for all ages and abilities as well as professional coaching. Facilities include 4 Outdoor Tennis Courts and 3 indoor tennis courts. * Stanton Tennis Club is a private tennis establishment situated at The Stute Hallam Fields Road, sports complex. There are 3 private tennis courts at this tennis facility.

Basketball

* Ilkeston Outlaws Basketball Club, established 1966, field's teams in the local Sherwood Basketball League and the Basketball England National League. The Ilkeston Outlaws Basketball Club have two main junior basketball teams: the ''Ilkeston Hawks'' and ''Ilkeston Falcons'' for ages 4–18 years.

Golf

* Ilkeston Borough Golf Club was founded in 1929 and has access to a 9-hole course (known as 'Pewit Golf Course') located off West End Drive, Ilkeston. The Course is owned, managed and maintained by Erewash Borough Council.

Twin towns

Ilkeston is twinned with: *

Châlons-en-Champagne Châlons-en-Champagne () is a city in the Grand Est region of France. It is the capital of the department of Marne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims. Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renam ...

in France, since 1957.

Notable residents

*Samuel Taylor (1816–1875), the famous 'Ilson Giant' who reached the height of 7' 4", was born nearby at Hallam Fields. His grave in Stanton Road Cemetery was restored by the Cemetery's Friends in 2008. *

William Roache William Patrick Roache (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since it was first broadcast on 9 December 1960. He is listed in the ''Guinness World Records ...

, who plays

Ken Barlow Ken Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by William Roache. He was created by Tony Warren as one of ''Coronation Street''s original characters and December 2020 marked Ken's 60th anni ...

in '' Coronation Street'', grew up in Ilkeston. He now holds the world record as the longest-serving actor to play the same role continuously, having been with the show since its inception in December 1960. * Robert Lindsay, the stage and television actor probably best known for his parts in ''

Citizen Smith ''Citizen Smith'' is a British television sitcom written by John Sullivan, first broadcast from 1977 to 1980. It starred Robert Lindsay as Walter Henry "Wolfie" Smith, a young Marxist "urban guerrilla" in Tooting, south London, who is attempti ...

'' and latterly ''

My Family ''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...

'', was born as Robert Lindsay Stevenson in Ilkeston on 13 December 1949. Before he became an actor he worked at the nearby Stanton & Staveley steel works and also attended the Ilkeston detachment of the Army Cadet Force. * Linda Armstrong, an actress, born in Ilkeston * Robert Holmes FRGS (born 1943), photographer, author and adventurer. Member of the RGS 150th Anniversary expedition to the Karakoram, Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York. *

John Paxton John Paxton (May 21, 1911, Kansas City, Missouri – January 5, 1985, Santa Monica, California) was an American screenwriter. Some of his films include ''Murder, My Sweet'' in 1944, '' Cornered'' in 1945, ''Crossfire'' in 1947 (an adaptation o ...

(1819–1868), cricketer * Ben Roberts who played Chief Inspector

Derek Conway Derek Leslie Conway TD (born 15 February 1953) is an English politician and television presenter. A member of the Conservative Party, Conway served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Shrewsbury and Atcham from 1983 to 1997, ...

in ITV's ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

Gallery

File:Armstrong's Mill, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, Armstrong's Mill File:ParkLnCemRH.JPG, Park Cemetery Chapel File:St Mary's Church, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, St Mary's Church File:Market Place, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, North Side of Market Place File:United Reformed Church, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, United Reformed Church File:Town Hall Ilkeston.jpg,

Ilkeston Town Hall Ilkeston Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The town hall, which currently serves as one of two meeting places of Erewash Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building. History In the first half of t ...

File:Needlemakers Arms, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, Needle Makers Pub File:StantonWireRH.jpg, Stanton Ironworks Oct 2008 (demolished Autumn 2009) File:StantonWorks.jpg, Stanton Ironworks Remnants File:Our Lady and St Thomas of Hereford's Church, Ilkeston, Derbyshire.jpg, Our Lady and St Thomas of Hereford Roman Catholic Church File:Ilkeston Fair Derbyshire.jpg, Helter skelter at Ilkeston Fair File:Bennerley Viaduct Ilkeston.jpg,

References

External links

Ilkeston & District Local History Society
{{authority control Towns in Derbyshire Populated places established in the 6th century Charter fairs Unparished areas in Derbyshire Borough of Erewash