Long Eaton
| Long Eaton | |
| Derbyshire | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Long Eaton Town Hall | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SK491338 |
| Location: | 52°53’56"N, 1°16’16"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 45,000 |
| Post town: | Nottingham |
| Postcode: | NG10 |
| Dialling code: | 0115 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Erewash |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Erewash |
Long Eaton is a town in south-east Derbyshire adjacent to the borders with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. It lies just north of the River Trent about seven south-west of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area. The town is nine miles east of Derby.
History
Long Eaton is referred to as Aitone, in the Domesday Book. Several meanings are associated with this name, for example "farm between streams" or "low lying land". This agricultural settlement grew up close to the lowest bridging point of the River Erewash.
In 1228 the village gained the "Long" prefix due to its length. The cottages and farms straggled along the Market Place, High Street and Main Street.
The "Great Fire of Long Eaton" ripped through 14 houses and several other building in the Market Place destroying them in 1694.[1]
The village remained a constant size until the coming of the railways in the nineteenth century. The Midland Counties Railway in 1839 and the Erewash Valley Line in 1844 provided transport links which encouraged growth. Two industries came to employ many people in the growing town, lace-making and railway wagon manufacturing. A large railway yard at Toton Sidings grew just north of the town.
By 1900 the town had grown to have a population of over 10,000. It had expanded with the construction of many new houses, business premises and factories throughout the Victorian period. In 1921 Long Eaton's boundaries were extended bringing Wilsthorpe and parts of both Sandiacre and Sawley into the town.
Notable architecture
A notable building in the town is the Palladian Long Eaton Hall. This was originally a private residence, but is now occupied by the borough council, and is attached to the Long Eaton Town Hall complex, which opened in 1991.
The Parish Church of St Laurence stands to the east of the Market Place. Local tradition dates the church to the 11th century, possibly built under King Cnut. However, it is more likely that it dates to after the Norman Conquest, possibly into the 12th century. It was originally a daughter church of All Saints, Sawley, but gained its independence in the 19th century.
There are several fine examples of industrial architecture in Long Eaton. Most are connected with the town's development as a lace-making centre. By 1907, the town housed almost 1,400 lace machines and the industry employed over 4,000 people (a quarter of the population). One of the largest lace-making mills, Harrington Mill, was built in 1885. It took one and a quarter million bricks to build the 550-foot-long factory and it has 224 cast-iron windows down one side.[2] Harrington Mill is a traditional, four-storey, red lace mill, built by a consortium of lace manufacturers. The turrets on the sides of the building house the original staircases.[3]
A glance above the shops on High Street and the Market Place can reveal some interesting architecture. A large part of the centre is made of Victorian and early twentieth century architecture. The New Century Buildings are a good example of late Victorian architecture.
In general Long Eaton's main shopping streets have retained more character than those of most towns of its size.
The High Street and Market Place were pedestrianised during the 1990s and in 2010 work to enhance and improve the layout and paving of Long Eaton town centre was completed.
Transport
The main road through the town forms part of the A6005 and junction 25 of the M1 motorway is located on its north-western border.
The Long Eaton railway station is on the Midland Main Line and the Erewash Canal passes through the town.
Brass band
Long Eaton also has a successful brass band, the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band, which is one of only two brass bands still functioning in the district. The band was formed in 1906 as a result of severance from the local Temperance Society. At the height of its success, it reached the Brass Band Second Section. The original Silver Prize Band club on Sailsbury Street in Long Eaton has since closed down early 2015 - however the band itself continues to operate.
In 2006, the band's centenary year, the band won the Midland Area Regional Championships, the band's first contest win since 1966. This secured them promotion back to the Second Section, and an invitation to the National Championships of Great Britain. The band also won this contest, providing their best contest result since 1927.
Sport
Long Eaton Speedway raced at the Long Eaton Stadium on Station Road, the first meeting was held on 18 May 1929.[4][5] The Long Eaton Invaders became National Speedway Champions in 1984. However, the Speedway stadium closed in 1997. The former area of the speedway stadium has now been recreated into a whole new estate of houses and flats to let and buy, and a partial playing field for Grange Primary School.
Long Eaton United F.C. play in the Midland Football League as founder members in 2014. The club were formed in 1956 but records show that a team has been part of the town for many years including Long Eaton Town F.C. They have a Ladies team who compete in the East Midlands Womens Football League
The town also has a Rugby club, Long Eaton RFC.
Notable people
- Mark Draper - footballer[6]
- Garry Birtles - footballer, signed for Nottingham Forest from Long Eaton United and won two European Cups with the club
- Saira Khan - TV presenter
- Laura Knight, DBE - impressionist painter (born 1877)
- Lewis McGugan - footballer
- Dougie Squires, OBE - choreographer
- John Walters - broadcaster
- Georgia Groome - actress[7]
- Aetherfx (Jacob Tugby) - electronic musician, lived and originally from Long Eaton
- Douglas Houghton, Baron Houghton of Sowerby - Labour politician, last Cabinet member to have been born in the nineteenth century and last cabinet member to have served in the First World War[8]
- Ernest Terah Hooley (1859-1947) - business financier, four-times bankrupt, died in reduced circumstances at Long Eaton.[9]
- Dan Wheeldon - Cricketer
- Albert Ball VC - Attended Trent College in Long Eaton, 1911 - 1913
References
- ↑ "The Long Eaton & Sawley Archive". Long-eaton.com. http://www.long-eaton.com/timeline.asp.
- ↑ Bussey, Linda (1993). Photographers Britain - Derbyshire. Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-0157-8.
- ↑ "Spirit Of Enterprise Lives On At Mill". This is Derbyshire. 21 October 2008. http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/SPIRIT-ENTERPRISE-LIVES/article-413184-detail/article.html.
- ↑ Nottingham & Long Eaton Speedway. Philip Dalling. ISBN 978-0-7524-4163-4
- ↑ "Speedway in Derbyshire". Bygonederbyshire.co.uk. 5 September 2012. http://www.bygonederbyshire.co.uk/stories/8203-Speedway-Derbyshire/article-1809721-detail/article.html.
- ↑ Mark Draper at Sporting Heroes. Retrieved June 2007.
- ↑ Georgia Groome Internet Movie Database entry
- ↑ Obituary, The Independent, accessed 1 August 2012
- ↑ "Death of Mr. E.T. Hooley". The Times: p. 2. 13 February 1947.
Gallery
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St. Lawrence church located in the town centre -
The old factory chimney of Bridge Mills, situated on Derby Road -
The newly built Long Eaton School -
A cycle race in 1885 at Long Eaton Recreation Ground -
Long Eaton Speedway -
Long Eaton's distinctive library
