Ilkeston ( ) is a town located in the Borough of Erewash in Derbyshire, England, with a population of 40,953 at the 2021 census.
History and culture
Ilkeston was likely founded during the 6th century, and gets its name from its supposed founder Elch or Elcha, who was an
East Anglia chieftain. The town appears as Tilchestune in the
Domesday Book of 1086, when it was owned principally by Gilbert de Ghent. Gilbert also controlled nearby Shipley,
West Hallam 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 is extensively spoken. Ilkeston is referred to as 'Ilson' in this dialect.
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 Hall.
NatWest's Ilkeston branch gained much media interest when a hole in a neighbouring wall received an influx of reviews on Tripadvisor, causing them 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 Britain 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 and later concrete pipes were produced, Stanton being the first in the UK to develop the 'spun pipe' process.
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), 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 Group. The last casting was an emotional event in 2007.
Charter fair
Ilkeston Market Place is the site of a
Charter fair.
The fair celebrated its 772nd anniversary in 2024, the Charter being granted by King Henry III in 1252. This makes the fair older than
Nottingham's famous Goose Fair 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 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.
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.
[History of Ilkeston 1899 page 252] 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'.
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, 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 Midland Railway 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) line from Nottingham to Derby Friargate station, closed in September 1964. A major feature of this line was Bennerley Viaduct, 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.
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 operates the majority of buses around Ilkeston, including the
Ilkeston Flyer into Derby, My15 into Long Eaton and East Midlands Airport, The Two into Nottingham, 31 into Kirk Hallam, 32 into Derby, 33 into Mansfield, and 34 into Hucknall.
In addition, Notts + Derby and Littles Travel operate some Derbyshire County Council tendered routes around Ilkeston, the latter operating the 14A and 14B routes into Stanton by Dale and
Sandiacre.
Sport
Football
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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 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
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Ilkeston Rugby Club (known as the "Elks") is a Rugby union club founded in 1926.
Cricket
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Ilkeston Rutland Cricket Club (established in 1829) is based on Rutland Sports Park.
First-Class County games
Every season between 1925 and 1994, the Derbyshire County Cricket Club played up to a couple of first-class cricket matches on the Rutland Recreation Ground, and one-day matches between 1970 and 1994.
Tennis
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Ilkeston Tennis Club is based on Rutland Sports Park
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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
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Ilkeston Outlaws Basketball Club, established 1966, field's teams in the local Sherwood Basketball League
Golf
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Ilkeston Borough Golf Club was founded in 1929 and had access to a 9-hole golf course, known as 'Pewit Golf Course' located off West End Drive, Ilkeston. The course closed in 2022 after struggling throughout the COVID period, it is now Pewit Coronation Meadows Local Nature Reserve.
Media
Local news and television programmes are BBC East Midlands and
ITV Central. Television signals are received from the Waltham TV
transmitter,
and the Nottingham relay transmitter.
The town is served by both BBC Radio Nottingham on 103.8 FM and BBC Radio Derby on 104.5 FM. Other radio stations including Smooth East Midlands on 106.6 FM, Capital East Midlands on 96.2 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Midlands on 106.6 FM and Erewash Sound, a community based radio station on 96.8 FM.
The town is served by the Ilkeston Advertiser
Twin towns
Ilkeston is twinned with:
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Châlons-en-Champagne in France, since 1957.
[Originally called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renamed in 1998]
Notable residents
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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.
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Stanley Hawley (1867-1916), pianist and composer, was born at 61 South Street, and died at his sister's house on Derby Road at the age of 49.
[Book by Ann Featherstone & Beverley Kilby. Ilkeston As it Was (2023) ]
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William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow 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.
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Robert Lindsay,
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Linda Armstrong, an actress, born in Ilkeston
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Robert Holmes (born 1943), photographer, author and adventurer. Member of the RGS 150th Anniversary expedition to the Karakoram,
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John Paxton (1819–1868), cricketer
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Ben Roberts who played Chief Inspector Derek Conway in ITV's The Bill
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Alf Freeman (1904-1966), football player
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
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|Bennerley Viaduct
See also
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Listed buildings in Ilkeston
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Ilkeston Corporation Tramways
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Ilkeston Grammar School
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Ilkeston Community Hospital
External links
