Attenborough, Nottinghamshire
Attenborough is a village and a suburb in the Broxtowe borough of Nottinghamshire. It forms part of Greater Nottingham, and is to the southwest of Nottingham, between Long Eaton (to the southwest) and Beeston (to the northeast). It adjoins the suburbs of Toton to the west and Chilwell to the north.
The village is the location of Attenborough railway station, and of the Attenborough Nature Reserve.[1]
Further information
The Attenborough Nature Reserve is a series of gravel pits, which have been flooded after gravel extraction and are now a haven for all sorts of birds and other wildlife.
The main commercial centre of Attenborough is around the junction of Nottingham Road (the A6005) and Attenborough Lane.
Further towards the Nature Reserve, on the other side of the railway line, is a tennis club, a private school, Attenborough Cricket Club, which doubles as the village green, and St. Mary's Church (the historic C of E parish church).[2] This south-eastern part of Attenborough is bounded to the northwest by the railway line, and to the other three sides by the wetlands of the Nature Reserve. It is the historic part of the village, with two listed buildings as well as the listed church itself.[3]
On the footpath that runs over the railway and onto Barrett Lane, a hoard of Roman coins was found[citation needed] some time ago[when?].
Flood defences
The village was flooded in November 2000. In 2006, planning started for substantial flood defences for the village. However the scheme proved controversial in Attenborough due to the impact of a high flood wall along The Strand. Whilst the £51 million series of flood defence improvements, designed to reduce incidents to once every hundred years, along a 27 km stretch of the Trent, generally began construction in 2009, the part that will run around the village has been revised and was resubmitted for planning permission in 2010.[4] Permission was approved in August 2010, with the defences being moved to behind the village green. Work is now underway on building the defences (October 2011), with completion expected in Summer 2012.
Local government and politics
Attenborough is an unparished area and has no parish council. Attenborough is one of the wards for local government/electoral purposes within Broxtowe and returns one councillor to the Borough Council. In the 2007 local elections the Conservatives won the seat.[5] The next elections to Broxtowe Borough Council will be held in 2011. For elections to Nottinghamshire County Council the village is covered by the electoral division of Beeston South & Attenborough (consisting of the Beeston Central, Beeston Rylands and Attenborough wards). The most recent county council elections were held in 2009 – the Conservative candidate won Beeston South & Attenborough.[6]
For elections to Parliament the village is part of the Broxtowe constituency. The present Member for Parliament is Anna Soubry of the Conservative Party, who won the seat from the Labour Party at the 2010 general election.
History
Attenborough was known in Saxon times as Addensburgh.
Attenborough was the home village of Henry Ireton (1611 – 26 November 1651). He was an English general in the army of Parliament during the English Civil War.[7]
During the First World War, the railway station had its platforms extended as it was used as an interchange for soldiers heading for Chetwynd Barracks. In the graveyard of St Mary's Church can be found a memorial to the 134 people killed on 1 July 1918 in an explosion in the shell factory in nearby Chilwell. This death toll remains the largest number of deaths caused by a single explosion in mainland Britain.
During the Second World War, Attenborough railway station was said to be the longest in Europe due to its proximity to Chilwell army base.[citation needed]
A ferry, Barton Ferry, used to cross the River Trent from the mouth of the River Erewash (near Attenborough) to Barton in Fabis. A crossing existed at this point since before 1774.[8]
Transport
Road transport is the primary method of transport in and out of the area which is connected to Nottingham by the A6005. 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, Stapleford, Long Eaton and other local towns.
- Trent Barton
- Indigo: Nottingham – QMC – University Boulevard – Beeston – Chilwell – Attenborough – Toton – Long Eaton / Derby / Sawley / Loughborough (Via East Midlands Airport).
- Premiere Travel
- 17: Nottingham – QMC – Beeston – Attenborough – Toton – Stapleford.
Rail
Attenborough
Main article: Attenborough railway station
An hourly service is provided throughout the day by East Midlands Trains Matlock to Nottingham service. Additional services run at peak times, including some operated by CrossCountry.
Beeston
Beeston railway station is approximately 3 km away. It provides regular and direct connections to various locations across the United Kingdom.
Direct services include Nottingham, Derby, London, Lincoln, Bedford, Burton upon Trent, Leicester, Loughborough, Tamworth, Newark (Castle), Luton, East Midlands Parkway, Birmingham and Matlock.
References
- ^ Attenborough Nature Centre
- ^ Attenborough Church
- ^ Beeston and District Civic Society Listed buildings
- ^ BBC News Attenborough flood defence plans submitted
- ^ Broxtowe Borough Council Election results 2007–10 by ward
- ^ Nottinghamshire County Council Beeston South & Attenborough election result 2009
- ^ Notts. History – Ireton's House
- ^ Chapman, John (1774). Map of Nottinghamshire. ISBN 0-902751-46-8.