Stapleford, Nottinghamshire

Stapleford
Stapleford  Stapleford shown within Nottinghamshire
Population	16,910
District	Broxtowe
Shire county	Nottinghamshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NOTTINGHAM
Postcode district	NG9
Dialling code	0115
Police	Nottinghamshire
Fire	Nottinghamshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Broxtowe
List of places: UK • England • Nottinghamshire

Stapleford is a town in the county of Nottinghamshire, England some 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of the centre of Nottingham.

Geography

Stapleford lies on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. To the north of Stapleford is Ilkeston and to the east is Beeston. To the west across the River Erewash is Sandiacre, and to the south is Toton.

Politics

Stapleford is part of Broxtowe Borough and the Broxtowe Parliamentary Constituency. From 1935 until 1974 Stapleford was paired with the town of Beeston in the Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having previously been part of the Stapleford Rural District. The town was parished in 1987 and now has a town council.

The local MP is Anna Soubry of the Conservative Party from May 2010, and the town is represented on both Nottinghamshire County Council and the borough council by the Liberal Democrats. The town council is also Liberal Democrat. This is a rare situation in the East Midlands.

Brief history

Stapleford's origins can be traced to before Norman times. In the churchyard of St Helen's church is the Stone Cross which dates back to Saxon times and is said to be the oldest Christian memorial in the Midlands. Stapleford owed its development in part to its closeness to the River Trent and the River Erewash as the town became a central point for trade. The area also expanded during the late 18th century when the stocking hose trade thrived in the Midlands. Evidence of this history can be found today with the original Stocking Knitters Houses still standing alongside more modern properties and shops such as on Nottingham Road. The main crossroads in Stapleford at the junction of Nottingham Road, Derby Road, Toton Lane and Church Street is called The Roach. The name is from the time when French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars were set the task of cutting through rock to create roads and this was referred to as the 'La Roche'.

Stapleford is also home to the Hemlock Stone, which is situated on Stapleford Hill. It is approximately 200 million years old, dating back to the Triassic Period. Many theories surround why it exists.

During March 2006, a new NHS Health Centre and 'Walk-In Centre' was opened in the town. A Sainsbury's local was opened on the site of the former Total petrol station in 2007. The town is often referred to informally as "Stabbo".

More recently it is the home of the Full Mash microbrewery, currently producing 5 BBL. The brewery regularly features in the Locale scheme.

Famous people

• Well travelled Scottish footballer Tom Johnston, football manager and player.
• Arthur Mee, the writer, journalist and educator, was born in Stapleford in 1875.
• Gallipoli hero Walter Richard Parker, VC, lived in Stapleford and is buried in the town cemetery.
• Dave Watson, who was a defender in the Sunderland team that won the FA Cup in 1973, was born in Stapleford in 1946.
• Sir John Borlase Warren, an 18th century MP for Nottingham and an admiral, lived in Stapleford. The now closed Happy Man and Warren Arms pubs were named after him and his family.
• John Radford, wine and food writer, author and broadcaster, grew up in Stapleford from 1949-1965

Schools and colleges

Primary schools

• Albany Infant and Nursery School
• Albany Junior School
• Fairfield Primary School
• Wadsworth Fields Primary School (formerly Fredrick Harrison's Infant school & Stevenson's Junior School)
• St John's C of E Primary School (The oldest building still in use as a school in Nottinghamshire)
• William Lilley Infant and Nursery School

Secondary schools

• George Spencer Academy

Colleges

• George Spencer sixth form

Transport

Road transport is the primary method of transport in and out of the area. East Midlands Airport is approximately 16 kilometres away, the airport provides domestic and international routes, focused mainly on EU/EEA/Swiss routes.

Bus

Bus services operate to Nottingham, Derby, Beeston, Ilkeston and other local towns.

Trent Barton

• 4: Nottingham - QMC - Stapleford - Sandiacre - Risley - Derby.
• 15: Old Sawley - Stapleford - Ilkeston.
• 18: Nottingham - QMC - University Boulevard - Boots - Beeston - Stapleford.
• 20: Nottingham - QMC - University Boulevard - Boots - Beeston - Ilkeston - Heanor. (Sundays only)
• 21: Nottingham - QMC - Stapleford - Kirk Hallam - Ilkeston.
• Commuter Xprss: Nottingham - Stapleford - Sandiacre.

Premiere Travel

• 17: Nottingham - QMC - Beeston - Toton - Stapleford.

NottsBus

• 111: Stapleford Shopper. (Subsidised by Nottinghamshire County Council)

Roads

Stapleford is connected to Nottingham, Derby and the M1 motorway by the A52.

Railway

The closest railway station (with regular services) is Beeston providing direct services to Nottingham, Derby, London, Lincoln, Bedford, Burton upon Trent, Leicester, Loughborough, Tamworth, Newark (Castle), Luton, East Midlands Parkway, Birmingham and Matlock.

Light Rail

Proposals have been made to build a Light Rail (Tram) line towards the town as part of the Nottingham Express Transit system. A park and ride scheme is planned near to the A52 connecting to Line 2 in Toton as part of the Phase 2 expansion.

External links

• Stapleford Website
• Broxtowe Borough Council
• Local news and events website, includes town history