The Illustrated History of Nottingham's Suburbs

The Illustrated History of Nottingham's Suburbs shows how the countryside, farms and villages developed into the urban streets, residential areas, shopping districts and industrial estates that are so familiar today. In the course of the last 200 years, the outskirts of the city have been transformed, and they have expanded, in a way that would astonish Nottingham residents of just a few generations ago. In this detailed and fully illustrated account of the suburbs, Geoffrey Oldfield offers a concise history of each district, but he also features local anecdotes and folk lore, and he remembers remarkable, sometimes bizarre episodes and notable individuals who played their part in the story. His survey will be essential reading and reference for everyone who takes an interest in their neighbourhood and in the complex, surprising history of the city itself. In the 18th century the population increased from 10,000 people to 30,000 in just 40 years. Overcrowding in the centre became so acute that an Act of Parliament was passed to allow the building of several new suburbs, and nearby villages were absorbed by the city. The coming of mass transport – the railways, horse-buses, trams, buses and motorcars – enabled the separation of residential areas from industry, and villages on the edge of the city became small towns. Today, while the city has not been able to bring these communities within its boundaries, they have in practice become suburbs within a large conurbation. Geoffrey Oldfield gives a fascinating account of this process, and shows how these places retained their names and something of their original identities. The history of districts as diverse as Basford, Bulwell, Lenton, Sneinton, The Park, Radford, Arnold, Carlton, Beeston and West Bridgford are recalled in his survey, as are the stories of the many other suburbs that make up the modern city.