Wilford
Encyclopedia
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, on the banks of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
. The now demolished Wilford Power Station
Wilford Power Station
Wilford Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated on the north bank of the River Trent, at Nottingham in the East Midlands. The station was demolished during the 1980s and the site has since been redeveloped and is now the Riverside Retail Park....
was located on the bank of the River Trent.
To some with longer memories Wilford should be called South Wilford
South Wilford
South Wilford was a civil parish in Nottinghamshire from 1894 to 1935. It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the parts of the parishes of Wilford and Lenton which were not part of the county borough of Nottingham. It formed part of the Basford Rural District.In 1935, under a...
.
Wilford Church
Wilford Church is a fellowship, and part of the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, that meets, worships and prays together in Wilford, Nottingham. The Wilford Church Family has a membership of around 300. The church's formal name is St Wilfrid's and it has a parish area that covers Wilford, Silverdale, Nottingham
Silverdale, Nottingham
Silverdale Estate, Wilford, Nottingham, England-History:Constructed by George Wimpey in the late 1950s on land from the former Wilwell Farm. Bounded by the Clifton Estate, Fairham Brook, Compton Acres and the former Great Central Railway then after the 1923 re-grouping Silverdale Estate,...
and a large part of the Compton Acres
Compton Acres
Compton Acres, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire is a housing development located to the south west of the main urban area of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the rural-urban fringe. Compton Acres also borders with the villages of Ruddington and Wilford.The name Compton Acres is taken...
estate. There are two Church of England Schools in Wilford..
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He baptised in this area and it is quite likely that he baptised in the ford near the present-day Wilford church.
The Church contains two memorials to the Nottingham poet Henry Kirke White
Henry Kirke White
Henry Kirke White was an English poet, who died at a young age.White was born in Nottingham, the son of a butcher, a trade for which he was himself intended. However, he was greatly attracted to book-learning...
who drew much of his inspiration from the Wilford and Clifton
Clifton, Nottinghamshire
Clifton is a council estate and village in the city of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England founded by Sir Robert Clifton. The estate has a number of shop-clusters and relatively good transport links with the city and surrounding areas. The village is on the A453 which is the main connection...
areas of Nottingham.
Education in Nottingham
Within the area of Wilford, there are two Primary Schools- St. Patrick's Catholic Primary School
- South Wilford CofE Primary SchoolSouth Wilford CofE Primary School-Overview:The South Wilford CofE Primary School began as a Free School that was built in 1736, pursuant to the will of Mr Benjamin Carter who, in 1732, left £200 for that purpose, and bequeathed for its support and for other charitable uses, property which now produces about £220 per annum, of...
There is also a small nursery that is run within the Church Hall within the village.
But also within greater Wilford, there are a further two Secondary Schools
- The Nottingham Emmanuel SchoolThe Nottingham Emmanuel SchoolThe Nottingham Emmanuel School is located near the banks of the river Trent in West Bridgford on Gresham Park Road. It is next to the former Great Central Main Line in the borough of Rushcliffe but is administered by Nottingham LEA.-Admissions:...
- The Becket SchoolThe Becket SchoolThe Becket School is an 11-18 coeducational Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Nottinghamshire, England. It was formed in 1975 by the amalgamation of two schools, Corpus Christi Grammar School and Becket Grammar School for Boys....
(Greater Wilford including parts of Rushcliffe, east of the village)
The Wilford Sports Clubs
Wilford has numerous sports clubs for footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
and archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
.
- Nottingham Moderns Rugby ClubNottingham Moderns R.F.CNottingham Moderns R.F.C is an amateur Rugby Union team based in Wilford, a suburb of Nottingham, England. The 1st XV currently compete within the RFU English rugby union system, and as of the 2010/2011 season they compete in Midlands 2 East . The club plays at their own Ferryfields ground on the...
Is an amateur rugby club playing in the RFU league system. They have pitches and a clubhouse located in between the Ferry Inn pub and the Wilford Toll BridgeWilford Toll Bridge-Wilford Ferry:Until the bridge opened a Wilford Ferry was in operation for some 400 hundred years. This ferry was the scene of a disaster in 1784, when in the midst of a gale an overcrowded ferry boat capsized, and six unfortunate passengers were drowned....
. - Wilford Wasps Basketball Club
- Wilford Mavericks FC
- Wilford Bowls Club
- Wilford Bowmen
Amenities in Wilford
Wilford village, though depleted of many of its original amenities, such as the Village Shop, and News-agent. The Village still includes some key amenities, although how long they will last is unsure.Within the village area, there is a Co-op Super Market
Super Market
Super Market is one of the neighbourhood of Liaquatabad Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. This area is named after Supermarket in the area.There are several ethnic groups in Super Market including Muhajirs, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, etc....
, along with a Maypole Pub. There is also a Social Club with the bowls club and green on site. Deeper into the village, is the Ferry Pub, adjacent to the Iremongers Pond and Toll Bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
Within a short walk of the village, is the Gresham Sports Pavilion which includes an all purpose and weather football pitch, and indoor changing facilities. Across the Toll Bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
is also Victoria Embankment, which includes the annual Riverside Festival, War Memorial and park, and Children's Play-area and large paddling pool.
Early Settlements
The Nottingham village of Wilford is believed to have been named after an amalgamation of the church name, St. Wilfrids and an ancient ford at the site which crossed the River Trent (i.e.'Wil' - 'Ford'). William The Conqueror's Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
contains a 1086 entry referring to the settlement as 'Wilesforde'. At that time the lands were owned by William Pevrel who also owned the lands of nearby Clifton. He must have been very important as he lived in Nottingham Castle. 'Wilesforde' had a fishery, a priest and 23 sokemen (general land administrators). The land passed to the Clifton Family in the 13th Century.
The village was certainly in existence in Roman times as many Roman coins have been unearthed in the area. A submerged Roman ford was found in the river in 1900. It consisted of a paved path with rows of black oak piles on each side.
Wilford is also located within what was once the southern tip of Sherwood Forest, the stomping ground of the legendary Nottingham hero, Robin Hood.
The Development Of Wilford
The chiefly agricultural village was unaffected by the growth of Nottingham until the middle of the 19th century. Prior to this, the dense woodlands and picturesque river views made Wilford a popular retreat for many Nottingham people. The Wilford Ferry Inn was a particular favorite and was renowned for its cherries. Wilford was a beautiful place and attracted writers, poets and authors from all over the county. In 1846 the poet Spencer Hall wrote 'Who ever saw Wilford without wishing to become an inmate of one of its peaceful woodbined homes.'The communities of Wilford and Clifton were remarkable in that they managed to detach themselves from the effects of the nearby town. One early 19th century traveller to Wilford commented, 'the rural manners of the inhabitants have been preserved to a great degree from the leaven of the town; and nothing can be more striking than the contrast of life in so short a transition. There is nothing, absolutely nothing - in the village itself to denote its proximity to the town.'
In 1870 the Wilford of Henry Kirke-White changed forever when the meadows and woodlands on the opposite river bank were industrialized by the Clifton Colliery. Coal dust can still be seen today on the partially blackened stone work of St. Wilfrids Church. In 1880 Thomas Miller (a popular author of over fifty books) wrote of Wilford 'Where are the famous cherry eatings of Wilford now? The poetry around the neighbourhood is fast fading.'.
John T. Godfrey described Wilfords decline twenty-eight years later:- 'Wilford has lost much of its pristine beauty. Fire and Tempest, devastating floods and the decay of nature, have ... wrought sad havoc ... old thatched cottages have given place to modern brick buildings which do not fail to offend the artistic eye; the majestic elms have all been decimated ... a colliery which works its way beneath the meadows on the opposite side of the river rears its hideous Hydra-like head'.
Nottingham Expands Into Wilford
In 1887 an act of Parliament split the parish into North Wilford & South Wilford. The Meadows area, once covered in bright Corcuses became a housing estate. By 1901, four and a half thousand people lived in the Meadows, almost ten times the population of the entire Wilford area in 1801.In the 1950s Wilford itself expanded in line with Clifton from an agricultural community to a suburban housing estate. The Silverdale housing estate (named after a farm that covered part of the land) not only swallowed up much of Wilford's farm land. It also expanded the southern boundary of Wilford. The huge ugly gray Clifton Bridge and its busy approach roads on the opposite banks of the Trent and another housing estate in 1986 ended Wilford's pretense as a country village. The new housing estate, equal in size to Silverdale, called Compton Acres, sadly built over a very pleasant and fertile meadow area between the original Wilford village and the Silverdale estate.
Wilford Today
Its quite disturbing today to read so many accounts of Wilford's lost beauty when compared to the modern Wilford. Large housing estates, wide busy roads and empty featureless playing fields occupy most of the surrounding lands. Clifton Grove still retains some of its charm and gives an insight into the Wilford of previous centuries.The original Wilford village is today however strangely quiet. It is detached from Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
by the Trent
Trent
-Places:* Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent* Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom* Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen* Trent, California, USA* Trent, Kentucky, USA* Trent, South Dakota, USA* Trent, Texas, USA...
and no longer on the direct traffic route from Nottingham after the conversion of the Wilford Toll Bridge
Wilford Toll Bridge
-Wilford Ferry:Until the bridge opened a Wilford Ferry was in operation for some 400 hundred years. This ferry was the scene of a disaster in 1784, when in the midst of a gale an overcrowded ferry boat capsized, and six unfortunate passengers were drowned....
to a foot bridge in the early 1970s. The Clifton Colliery is no more and in its place are a number of less intrusive commercial sites. The avenues and roads are full of eye catching, interesting and cosy looking spacious buildings and cottages. They all seem unique, with a half hidden ivy window here, a colourful stain glass window there or even a set of grand white pillars flanking a porch entrance!
Interesting Facts
A famous pirate is buried within the Church's cemetery.The last public lynching tree was located at the Wilford Crossroads.
Wilford Church's black stone composure is mainly because of the black smoke from the previous power station located across the river.
Notable people
- Jeremiah BrandrethJeremiah BrandrethJeremiah Brandreth was an out-of-work stocking maker who lived in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, who was hanged for treason. He was known as "The Nottingham Captain"...
- revolutionary, was born here in 1790. He was the last person to be decapitated with an axe for treason.
Nature
Wilford is home to a number of nature reserves - two being Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife TrustNottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust founded in 1963 is a wildlife conservation charity working to protect and enhance the wildlife and habitats of Nottinghamshire. They care for over 60 nature reserves covering more than of wildlife habitat ranging from wildflower meadows to ancient woodland...
- Wilford Claypit Nature Reserve
- Wilwell Cutting
Wilford also has a number of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
- Iremongers Pond SINC; which is now cared for by the Iremongers Pond Association
- Gresham Marshes SINC; which is managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife TrustNottinghamshire Wildlife TrustNottinghamshire Wildlife Trust founded in 1963 is a wildlife conservation charity working to protect and enhance the wildlife and habitats of Nottinghamshire. They care for over 60 nature reserves covering more than of wildlife habitat ranging from wildflower meadows to ancient woodland...
- Trentside SINC
- Wilford Disused Railway is also designated as a SINC
See also
- Wilford Suspension BridgeWilford Suspension BridgeWilford Suspension Bridge is a combined pedestrian footbridge and aqueduct which crosses the River Trent linking the town of West Bridgford to the Meadows in the city of Nottingham...
- Wilford Toll BridgeWilford Toll Bridge-Wilford Ferry:Until the bridge opened a Wilford Ferry was in operation for some 400 hundred years. This ferry was the scene of a disaster in 1784, when in the midst of a gale an overcrowded ferry boat capsized, and six unfortunate passengers were drowned....
- List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Nottinghamshire
- Compton AcresCompton AcresCompton Acres, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire is a housing development located to the south west of the main urban area of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the rural-urban fringe. Compton Acres also borders with the villages of Ruddington and Wilford.The name Compton Acres is taken...
- Great Central RailwayGreat Central RailwayThe Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
- Silverdale, NottinghamSilverdale, NottinghamSilverdale Estate, Wilford, Nottingham, England-History:Constructed by George Wimpey in the late 1950s on land from the former Wilwell Farm. Bounded by the Clifton Estate, Fairham Brook, Compton Acres and the former Great Central Railway then after the 1923 re-grouping Silverdale Estate,...
- Clifton, Nottingham
- RuddingtonRuddingtonRuddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....