Hucknall
Encyclopedia
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham
, Nottinghamshire
, England
, in the district of Ashfield
. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in Nottingham
. The town is notable as the site where Rolls-Royce
made the first demonstration of vertical take-off (for a plane). It is also the final resting place of Lord Byron and his estranged daughter, the mathematician Ada Lovelace
.
on the west bank of the Leen
Valley, on land which rises from the Trent
Valley in the south to the hills of the county north of Kirkby-in-Ashfield
. The Whyburn
or 'Town Brook' flows through the town centre, and Farleys Brook
marks its southern boundary.
The town's highest point is Long Hill which is 460 feet (140 metres) above sea-level.
Apart from the southern link to Nottingham, the town is surrounded by farmland.
To the north-west lie Misk Hills
and Annesley
.
To the north-east town are the villages of Linby
and Papplewick
. Beyond them is Newstead Abbey
, once the residence of Lord Byron.
To the west lies Eastwood
, birthplace of D. H. Lawrence
, and the inspiration for many of his novels.
To the east of the town is Bestwood Country Park.
The areas of Butler's Hill
and Westville
often appear as distinct entities on maps, but are generally considered as part of Hucknall.
Its focal point is the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene
, next to the town's market square. The church was built by the Anglo-Saxons and completed after the Norman Conquest, though much of it has been restored during the Victorian era. The medieval church consisted only of a chancel, nave, north aisle and tower but it was considerably enlarged in the Victorian period. In 1872 the south aisle was added and in 1887 the unusually long transepts while the rest of the building apart from the tower was thoroughly restored. The top stage of the tower is 14th century as is the south porch. There are 25 fine stained glass windows by Charles Eamer Kempe
which were added mostly in the 1880s. There is a modest memorial to Lord Byron.
From 1295 until 1915, the town was known as Hucknall Torkard, taken from Torcard, the name of a dominant landowning family. Signs of the old name can still be seen on some of the older buildings.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, coal
was discovered and mined heavily throughout the Leen Valley
, which includes Hucknall. This brought increased wealth to the town along with the construction of three railway lines.
The first was the Midland Railway
(later part of the LMS
) line from Nottingham
to Mansfield
and Worksop
, closed to passengers on 12 October 1964 though partly retained as a freight route serving collieries at Hucknall, Linby
and Annesley
. The Hucknall station
on this line was known as "Hucknall Byron" in its latter years. In the 1990s this line was reopened to passengers in stages as the Robin Hood Line
, the section through Hucknall in 1993 with a new station on the site of the old Byron, though simply called "Hucknall".
The second line was the Great Northern Railway
(later part of the LNER) route up the Leen Valley and on up to Shirebrook
, serving many of the same places as the Midland south of Annesley. It closed to passengers on 14 September 1931 but remained in use for freight until 25 March 1968. The Hucknall station on this line was known as "Hucknall Town".
The third line was the Great Central Railway
(also later part of the LNER), the last main line ever built from the north of England to London
, opened on 15 March 1899. The stretch through Hucknall closed completely on 5 September 1966, but the Hucknall station here (known as Hucknall Central
), had closed earlier, on 4 March 1963.
From 1894 until 1974 Hucknall was the seat of the Hucknall Urban District
council. Upon the abolition of the UDC, the town was transferred to Ashfield
.
In 1956 the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Hucknall
was built to serve the area of west Hucknall.
", from Old English halh (haugh
). This same tribe's name occurs in Hook Norton
, Oxfordshire
. It has been suggested that the name Hucknall once referred to a larger area on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Two other settlements in the locality are called Hucknall; Hucknall-under-Huthwaite, in Nottinghamshire, (known today as Huthwaite
) and Ault Hucknall
in Derbyshire. It is likely that Hucknall Torcard marked the Southern Boundary of this larger Hucknall Area.
Or
Anglo-Saxons called it – either ‘Occa’s Knoll’, knoll being an Old Saxon word for place, or ‘Oak-en-hall’, meaning place of the Oak
.
In the Domesday Book
(A.D. 1086) the name appears as Hochenale (volume 1, pages 288-290).
tram system as well as sharing a station
on the Robin Hood Line
. There is also a stop at Butler's Hill
/Broomhill. The town used to be on the A611 but now this has bypassed the town to the west with a single-carriageway road with roundabouts, with access to junction 27 of the M1
. The trams were built from 2002-2004 and goes from Hucknall to Station street next to Nottingham train station.
Trent Barton
Premiere Buses
Dunn Motor Traction t/a yourbus
which was founded in 1788 by Frederick Ward and located at the southern end of Annesley Road. It relocated in the 1970s to a new build still on Annesley Road but at the north end of the town, near the roundabout of the B6011 road.
The National School has a large science block with 10 labs and an astro turf, both opened in 2004 by Princess Anne. A New Eco Building Is Now Open In the School.
Holgate Comprehensive School
a Specialist in the Arts was given a specialist status of 'School of arts' and is on Hillcrest Drive in Beauvale, to the west of the bypass. It has an athletics track.
superstore opened in 2003, which created a number of jobs for the town. In 2008, the store was extended to make it a Tesco Extra store. A Tesco Express Store Was Open In Early January 2009 On Annesley Road.
Other popular shops in Hucknall are Jonathan James, Card Warehouse, Wilkinsons
, Bon Marché, Argos
and many charity/second hand shops.
It is in close distance to (a bus or a tram ride) Morrisons
in Bulwell
, Tesco Top Valley and Tesco Extra in Bulwell.
The Hucknall Colliery Company, formed in 1861 sank two shafts, Hucknall No. 1 colliery (known as "Top Pit") in 1861 (off Watnall Road) and Hucknall No. 2 colliery (known as "Bottom Pit") in 1866 (off Portland Road).
No. 1 closed by 1943, and No. 2 closed in 1986.
was built in 1916, which became RAF Hucknall. From 1927, Rolls-Royce began using the airfield for flight tests. During World War II
, the aerodrome at Hucknall was the location of the first flight of a P-51 Mustang
fitted with a Rolls-Royce
Merlin Engine
. The fitting of the Merlin, replacing the existing Allison V-1710 engine allowed the Mustang airframe to reach its full potential and achieve spectacular high altitude performance, something the Allison engine could not provide.
In the early 1950s, the Rolls-Royce site at Hucknall developed the world's first vertical-takeoff jet 'aircraft' - actually, a test rig, officially called the Thrust Measuring Rig
, but soon nicknamed the "Flying Bedstead
" because of its shape. The first untethered flight, piloted by Capt. Ron Shepherd, took place on 3 August 1954 before a distinguished audience.
The rig rose slowly into the air and hovered steadily. It then moved forward, made a circuit of the area, then demonstrated sideways and backwards movements before making a successful landing.
The flight was a tremendous success and during the next four months a number of free flights were made, up to a height of 50 ft. There are pubs in Hucknall called The Flying Bedstead and The Harrier. Rolls-Royce's flight test centre closed in 1971, but engines were still tested there until late 2008. There are still components manufactured at the site.
During World War 2
, a German prisoner-of-war, Franz von Werra
, attempted to escape by posing as a Dutch pilot and flying off in a Hurricane
fighter. He was the only German to succeed in returning to the Reich. His exploits can be seen in the film The One That Got Away.
s, weedkillers, other pesticides, fertilisers
and garden products sold nationally through garden centres, independent DIY retailers and large retail multiples. Doff is one of Europe's largest producer of premium slug
killer pellets. In addition, Doff provides extensive contract formulating and packing opportunities for third parties.
team is Hucknall Town F.C.
. Founded in 1945, originally as a colliery team (Hucknall Colliery Welfare FC), changing its name to Hucknall Town in 1987 after closure of the pit.
Over the seasons they have risen steadily through the non-league pyramid
and have won many honours. They currently (2009) play in the Northern Premier League
, and in 2005 reached the final of the FA Trophy
. After a reprieve from relegation in the 2007-2008 season, due to other teams' demotions through financial difficulties, Hucknall were relegated for the first time in their history in the 2008-2009 season. The town's top Sunday side are Plough Barflies FC who play their home games at Hucknall Town FC's Watnall Road ground. They have risen from the depths of the Notts Combination League to the top of the Notts Sunday Morning League in consecutive seasons. Rolls Royce Leisure F.C.
were based near the fire station at the Rolls Royce Leisure Sports Ground on Watnall Road until folding in 2009.
Hucknall Cricket
Club, founded 1890. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd XIs currently play in various leagues of the South Notts. Cricket League.
Greater Nottingham
The Nottingham Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics, consisting of the city of Nottingham and the adjoining urban areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, in the East Midlands of England...
, Nottinghamshire
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in the district of Ashfield
Ashfield
Ashfield is a local government district in western Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 111,387. The district is mostly urban, with a tradition of coal mining. There are three towns in the district; the largest being Sutton-in-Ashfield...
. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in 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...
. The town is notable as the site where Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
made the first demonstration of vertical take-off (for a plane). It is also the final resting place of Lord Byron and his estranged daughter, the mathematician Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
.
Statistics
Population 29,704 (14,572 (49%) male, 15,132 (51% female). Total households 12,427 (Census 2001, Nottinghamshire County Council). White (94%) Asian (3%) Afro-Caribbean (1%)Geography
Hucknall is situated seven miles (11 kilometres) north-west of NottinghamNottingham
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...
on the west bank of the Leen
River Leen
The River Leen rises in the Robin Hood Hills just outside Kirkby-in-Ashfield. It then flows through the grounds of Newstead Abbey, skirts Hucknall, goes through Papplewick and on through Bestwood Country Park, and following the route of the Leen Valley into suburban and urban Nottingham, passing...
Valley, on land which rises from the 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...
Valley in the south to the hills of the county north of Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 25,265 . It is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area. The Head Offices of Ashfield District Council are located there....
. The Whyburn
Whyburn
The Whyburn, or Town Brook is the main watercourse flowing through the town of Hucknall in the English county of Nottinghamshire. It rises in two separate springs at the foot of the Misk Hills by Whyburn Farm, and flows east into the town of Hucknall, past Whyburn Lane to which it also gives its...
or 'Town Brook' flows through the town centre, and Farleys Brook
Farleys Brook
Farleys Brook is the name of a minor watercourse in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. It rises in a pool within a copse close to the M1 motorway at the foot of the Misk Hills. It flows Southeastwards through the Misk Meadows, Pennine View, and Nabbs Lane Estates, where several parks and open spaces are...
marks its southern boundary.
The town's highest point is Long Hill which is 460 feet (140 metres) above sea-level.
Apart from the southern link to Nottingham, the town is surrounded by farmland.
To the north-west lie Misk Hills
Misk Hills
The Misk Hills consist of a gently undulating sandstone plateau between Hucknall and Annesley in the county of Nottinghamshire in the North East Midlands of England. They offer views Southwards across the town of Hucknall, and the City of Nottingham...
and Annesley
Annesley
Annesley is a village and civil parish in the District of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, England, located between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,096. Nearby to the west is Annesley Woodhouse...
.
To the north-east town are the villages of Linby
Linby
Linby is a small village in Nottinghamshire, the nearest town is Hucknall.The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small streams known as Linby Docks run on both sides of the main street....
and Papplewick
Papplewick
The parish of Papplewick is situated towards the west of central Nottinghamshire, to the north of the town of Hucknall. It has an area of 7.15 km². The village of Papplewick is located in the west of the parish. It is 7.5 miles north of Nottingham and 6 miles south of Mansfield...
. Beyond them is Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, originally an Augustinian priory, is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron.-Monastic foundation:The priory of St...
, once the residence of Lord Byron.
To the west lies Eastwood
Eastwood, Nottinghamshire
Eastwood is a former coal mining town in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of over 18,000, it is northwest of Nottingham, and northeast of Derby, on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Mentioned in Domesday Book, it expanded rapidly during the...
, birthplace of D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
, and the inspiration for many of his novels.
To the east of the town is Bestwood Country Park.
The areas of Butler's Hill
Butler's Hill
Butler's Hill is a residential area near to the town centre of Hucknall. It is approximately seven miles north-west of Nottingham, England.Butler's Hill has its own tram stop on the Hucknall branch of the Nottingham Express Transit...
and Westville
Westville, Nottinghamshire
Westville is a residential area to the west of Hucknall. It is approximately eight miles north-west of Nottingham, England.It has few facilities of its own....
often appear as distinct entities on maps, but are generally considered as part of Hucknall.
History
Hucknall was once a thriving market town.Its focal point is the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene
Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Hucknall
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest....
, next to the town's market square. The church was built by the Anglo-Saxons and completed after the Norman Conquest, though much of it has been restored during the Victorian era. The medieval church consisted only of a chancel, nave, north aisle and tower but it was considerably enlarged in the Victorian period. In 1872 the south aisle was added and in 1887 the unusually long transepts while the rest of the building apart from the tower was thoroughly restored. The top stage of the tower is 14th century as is the south porch. There are 25 fine stained glass windows by Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
which were added mostly in the 1880s. There is a modest memorial to Lord Byron.
From 1295 until 1915, the town was known as Hucknall Torkard, taken from Torcard, the name of a dominant landowning family. Signs of the old name can still be seen on some of the older buildings.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was discovered and mined heavily throughout the Leen Valley
Leen Valley
The Leen Valley is the wide valley formed by the River Leen within the county of Nottinghamshire.The Leen Valley was once an important centre for hosiery and coal mining industries. Today, although light manufacturing continues, the valley is increasingly becoming part of the commuter belt for...
, which includes Hucknall. This brought increased wealth to the town along with the construction of three railway lines.
The first was the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(later part of the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
) line 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...
to Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
and Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
, closed to passengers on 12 October 1964 though partly retained as a freight route serving collieries at Hucknall, Linby
Linby
Linby is a small village in Nottinghamshire, the nearest town is Hucknall.The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small streams known as Linby Docks run on both sides of the main street....
and Annesley
Annesley
Annesley is a village and civil parish in the District of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, England, located between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,096. Nearby to the west is Annesley Woodhouse...
. The Hucknall station
Hucknall station
Hucknall station is a railway station and tram stop in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England.It is located on the Robin Hood Line north of Nottingham and is also the northern terminus of the Nottingham Express Transit.The station has park and ride facilities...
on this line was known as "Hucknall Byron" in its latter years. In the 1990s this line was reopened to passengers in stages as the Robin Hood Line
Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell are in Derbyshire.The towns and villages served by the route are listed below:*Nottingham*Bulwell*Hucknall...
, the section through Hucknall in 1993 with a new station on the site of the old Byron, though simply called "Hucknall".
The second line was the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(later part of the LNER) route up the Leen Valley and on up to Shirebrook
Shirebrook
Shirebrook is a town in the Bolsover district of north-east Derbyshire on the border with Nottinghamshire, England. At the 2001 UK Census it had a population of 9,291 , 10,412...
, serving many of the same places as the Midland south of Annesley. It closed to passengers on 14 September 1931 but remained in use for freight until 25 March 1968. The Hucknall station on this line was known as "Hucknall Town".
The third line was the 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...
(also later part of the LNER), the last main line ever built from the north of England to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, opened on 15 March 1899. The stretch through Hucknall closed completely on 5 September 1966, but the Hucknall station here (known as Hucknall Central
Hucknall Central railway station
Hucknall Central railway station was a station in Hucknall on the Great Central Railway's main line from Manchester to London.-Construction:Hucknall Central was of the larger 'town' variety of stations on the Great Central main line, with access to the island platform being via a footbridge from...
), had closed earlier, on 4 March 1963.
From 1894 until 1974 Hucknall was the seat of the Hucknall Urban District
Hucknall Urban District
Hucknall was an urban district in Nottinghamshire, England, from 1894 to 1974.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 based on the Hucknall Torkard urban sanitary district. It was centred on the town of Hucknall...
council. Upon the abolition of the UDC, the town was transferred to Ashfield
Ashfield
Ashfield is a local government district in western Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 111,387. The district is mostly urban, with a tradition of coal mining. There are three towns in the district; the largest being Sutton-in-Ashfield...
.
In 1956 the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Hucknall
Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Hucknall
The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Hucknall is a parish church in the Church of England in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.-History:The church was built in 1956 and further extended in 1985. It is a hexagonal shaped building. It has a total immersion baptistery....
was built to serve the area of west Hucknall.
Etymology
Hucknall was recorded as Hokeuhale (n.d.) and Hokenale (n.d.), suggesting "nook of land of Hōcanere (a tribeTribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
", from Old English halh (haugh
Haugh
Haugh is an Old English and Scots term referring to a low-lying meadow in a river valley. Haugh may also refer to:People*David Haugh, an American sports journalist*John Haugh, an Irish hurler...
). This same tribe's name occurs in Hook Norton
Hook Norton
Hook Norton is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in Oxfordshire, England. It is northeast of Chipping Norton.-Toponym and early history:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It has been suggested that the name Hucknall once referred to a larger area on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Two other settlements in the locality are called Hucknall; Hucknall-under-Huthwaite, in Nottinghamshire, (known today as Huthwaite
Huthwaite
Huthwaite is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England, located to the west of Mansfield, close to the Derbyshire border. Before 1907 the village was known as Hucknall-under-Huthwaite and also Dirty Hucknall.-Derivation of Name:...
) and Ault Hucknall
Ault Hucknall
Ault Hucknall is a small village, which gives its name to the surrounding civil parish, in the Bolsover district of Derbyshire, England.Local residents describe the settlement as the "smallest village in England", although as a village is not legally defined in England, this is not a provable claim...
in Derbyshire. It is likely that Hucknall Torcard marked the Southern Boundary of this larger Hucknall Area.
Or
Anglo-Saxons called it – either ‘Occa’s Knoll’, knoll being an Old Saxon word for place, or ‘Oak-en-hall’, meaning place of the Oak
.
In the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
(A.D. 1086) the name appears as Hochenale (volume 1, pages 288-290).
Transport
The town is the northern terminus for the Nottingham Express TransitNottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit is a light-rail tramway in the Nottingham area in England. The first line opened to the public on 9 March 2004, having cost £200 million to construct. The scheme took sixteen years from conception to implementation...
tram system as well as sharing a station
Hucknall station
Hucknall station is a railway station and tram stop in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England.It is located on the Robin Hood Line north of Nottingham and is also the northern terminus of the Nottingham Express Transit.The station has park and ride facilities...
on the Robin Hood Line
Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell are in Derbyshire.The towns and villages served by the route are listed below:*Nottingham*Bulwell*Hucknall...
. There is also a stop at Butler's Hill
Butler's Hill
Butler's Hill is a residential area near to the town centre of Hucknall. It is approximately seven miles north-west of Nottingham, England.Butler's Hill has its own tram stop on the Hucknall branch of the Nottingham Express Transit...
/Broomhill. The town used to be on the A611 but now this has bypassed the town to the west with a single-carriageway road with roundabouts, with access to junction 27 of the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
. The trams were built from 2002-2004 and goes from Hucknall to Station street next to Nottingham train station.
Bus services
Trent Barton
- Rainbow 3: Nottingham - Hucknall - Annesley - Kirkby - Mansfield.
- Rainbow 3A: Nottingham - Hucknall - Newstead - Annesley Woodhouse - Kirkby - Sutton - Mansfield.
- Rainbow 3B: Nottingham - Hucknall - Annesley - Kirkby - Sutton.
- Rainbow 3C: Nottingham - Hucknall - Annesley - Kirkby - Coxmoor Estate - Mansfield.
- N3: Nottingham - Hucknall - Kirkby.
- 141: Nottingham - Hucknall - Blidworth - Mansfield - Sutton.
- Amberline: Derby - Heanor - Eastwood - Hucknall.
- Connect: Hucknall Estates - Hucknall - Hucknall Station.
Premiere Buses
- S43: Bulwell - Hucknall.
- S44: Hucknall - Morrisons - Bulwell.
- Red 8: Hucknall Estates - City Hospital - Nottingham.
- 2: Hucknall - Sherwood Business Park - Brinsley - Eastwood
Dunn Motor Traction t/a yourbus
- 228: Hucknall - Bestwood Village - Bulwell - Phoenix Park - Assarts Farm - Strelley - QMC - Beeston.
Education
The National SchoolThe National School
The National Academy formely known as The National School, and also its official name Church of England Technology College , is a Church of England secondary school located on Annesley Road in Hucknall, in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England...
which was founded in 1788 by Frederick Ward and located at the southern end of Annesley Road. It relocated in the 1970s to a new build still on Annesley Road but at the north end of the town, near the roundabout of the B6011 road.
The National School has a large science block with 10 labs and an astro turf, both opened in 2004 by Princess Anne. A New Eco Building Is Now Open In the School.
Holgate Comprehensive School
Holgate School (Hucknall)
Holgate School is a specialist "School of arts" in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England, a former mining community north of Nottingham. The school has a centre for deaf students and the sixth form serves both the secondary schools in Hucknall...
a Specialist in the Arts was given a specialist status of 'School of arts' and is on Hillcrest Drive in Beauvale, to the west of the bypass. It has an athletics track.
Shopping
Hucknall's TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
superstore opened in 2003, which created a number of jobs for the town. In 2008, the store was extended to make it a Tesco Extra store. A Tesco Express Store Was Open In Early January 2009 On Annesley Road.
Other popular shops in Hucknall are Jonathan James, Card Warehouse, Wilkinsons
Wilkinsons
Wilkinsons could refer to:*The Wilkinsons, a country music group.*The Wilkinsons , a reality TV show following the group of the same name.*Wilkinson a British store....
, Bon Marché, Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
and many charity/second hand shops.
It is in close distance to (a bus or a tram ride) Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
in Bulwell
Bulwell
Bulwell is an English market town approximately northwest of Nottingham city centre, on the northern edge of the city. The United Kingdom Census 2001 showed there were almost 30,000 people living in the Bulwell area, accounting for over 10% of the population of the city of Nottingham.-Early...
, Tesco Top Valley and Tesco Extra in Bulwell.
Industry
Mining
Hucknall was a colliery town from 1861 to 1986. The sinking of the coal mines caused the settlement to grow rapidly from a village to a market town in under a hundred years.The Hucknall Colliery Company, formed in 1861 sank two shafts, Hucknall No. 1 colliery (known as "Top Pit") in 1861 (off Watnall Road) and Hucknall No. 2 colliery (known as "Bottom Pit") in 1866 (off Portland Road).
No. 1 closed by 1943, and No. 2 closed in 1986.
Rolls-Royce
Hucknall AirfieldHucknall Airfield
Formerly RAF Hucknall, Hucknall Airfield is located north northwest of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England.Hucknall has been in continuous use as an airfield since 1916. Formerly RAF Hucknall, it featured in the film The One That Got Away...
was built in 1916, which became RAF Hucknall. From 1927, Rolls-Royce began using the airfield for flight tests. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the aerodrome at Hucknall was the location of the first flight of a P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fitted with a Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
Merlin Engine
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
. The fitting of the Merlin, replacing the existing Allison V-1710 engine allowed the Mustang airframe to reach its full potential and achieve spectacular high altitude performance, something the Allison engine could not provide.
In the early 1950s, the Rolls-Royce site at Hucknall developed the world's first vertical-takeoff jet 'aircraft' - actually, a test rig, officially called the Thrust Measuring Rig
Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig
The Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig was a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft developed by Rolls-Royce in the 1950s. The TMR used two Nene turbojet engines mounted back-to-back horizontally within a steel framework, raised upon four legs with castors for wheels...
, but soon nicknamed the "Flying Bedstead
Flying bedstead
The Flying Bedstead was a nickname given to two completely different experimental vertical take-off and landing aircraft, both receiving the nickname because each comprised a skeletal platform raised on four legs that resembled a bedstead....
" because of its shape. The first untethered flight, piloted by Capt. Ron Shepherd, took place on 3 August 1954 before a distinguished audience.
The rig rose slowly into the air and hovered steadily. It then moved forward, made a circuit of the area, then demonstrated sideways and backwards movements before making a successful landing.
The flight was a tremendous success and during the next four months a number of free flights were made, up to a height of 50 ft. There are pubs in Hucknall called The Flying Bedstead and The Harrier. Rolls-Royce's flight test centre closed in 1971, but engines were still tested there until late 2008. There are still components manufactured at the site.
During World War 2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a German prisoner-of-war, Franz von Werra
Franz von Werra
Franz Xaver Baron von Werra was a German World War II fighter pilot and flying ace who was shot down over England and captured...
, attempted to escape by posing as a Dutch pilot and flying off in a Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
fighter. He was the only German to succeed in returning to the Reich. His exploits can be seen in the film The One That Got Away.
Garden products
One of the most important local firms in Hucknall is Doff Portland. The company has grown to become the UK's largest independent manufacturer of insecticideInsecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
s, weedkillers, other pesticides, fertilisers
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
and garden products sold nationally through garden centres, independent DIY retailers and large retail multiples. Doff is one of Europe's largest producer of premium slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
killer pellets. In addition, Doff provides extensive contract formulating and packing opportunities for third parties.
People
- Steve BlatherwickSteve BlatherwickSteven Scott Blatherwick is an English former footballer who spent much of his career playing for Chesterfield, as a defender. He retired from the game at the age of 32, on medical advice after suffering a back injury...
is a former professional footballerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played for clubs including Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and ChesterfieldChesterfield F.C.Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. - Lord Byron (poet, philosopher and revolutionary) was buried in the parish churchChurch of St. Mary Magdalene, HucknallThe Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest....
(on 16 July 1824). - Robin BaileyRobin BaileyRobin Bailey was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.Although often chosen for upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Judge Graves in Thames Television's Rumpole Of The Bailey, Bailey is perhaps most fondly remembered for his portrayal of Uncle Mort in I Didn't Know...
(1919–1999), actor. - Ben CauntBen CauntBen Caunt was a 19th century English bare-knuckle boxer who became the "heavyweight" boxing champion known as the "Torkard Giant" and "Big Ben".-Early life:...
(1815–1861), a bare-knuckle fighter, known as "The Torkard Giant", who became 'Champion of England'. It is after Ben Caunt that the bell Big Ben is named. - Eric CoatesEric CoatesEric Coates was an English composer of light music and a viola player.-Life:Eric was born in Hucknall in Nottinghamshire to William Harrison Coates , a surgeon, and his wife, Mary Jane Gwynne, hailing from Usk in Monmouthshire...
(1886–1957), whose compositions include the theme music for The Dam BustersThe Dam Busters (film)The Dam Busters is a 1955 British Second World War war film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film recreates the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany with Wallis's...
movie, and the "Sleepy Lagoon" introduction for Desert Island DiscsDesert Island DiscsDesert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
. - Philanthropist Zachariah GreenZachariah GreenZechariah Richard Green was a renowned philanthropist and healer.He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England....
(1817–1897). Buried in the local Parish churchChurch of St. Mary Magdalene, HucknallThe Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest....
. Has a monument to his memory in Titchfield Park. - Jack HallJack Hall (footballer born 1883)John Henry "Jack" Hall was an English professional footballer who played more than 200 games in the Football League as an inside forward or centre forward.-Career:...
(1883–1938) professional footballer who played as an inside-forward or centre-forwardStrikerForwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for StokeStoke City F.C.Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, Leicester Fosse, and BirminghamBirmingham City F.C.Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. - Thomas Cecil HowittThomas Cecil HowittThomas Cecil Howitt, OBE an eminent British provincial architect of the 20th Century, was born on 6 June 1889, at Hucknall, near Nottingham....
, (1889–1968) an eminent British provincial architect of the 20th Century. The architect of Nottingham Council HouseNottingham Council HouseNottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides magnificently over the Old Market Square....
. - Countess Ada LovelaceAda LovelaceAugusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
(1815–1852), daughter of the Poet Lord Byron, is buried in the churchChurch of St. Mary Magdalene, HucknallThe Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is a parish church in the Church of England.The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a particularly significant building of more than local interest....
. She is credited as being the first programmer, having assisted in realising the potential of BabbageCharles BabbageCharles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
's analytical engineAnalytical engineThe Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, a design for a mechanical calculator...
. - Enoch 'Knocker' WestEnoch WestEnoch James "Knocker" West was an English football player.Born in Hucknall Torkard, Nottinghamshire, West started his career for Sheffield United. He was not a success at Bramall Lane, and in 1905 a fee of £5 was enough to convince the Blades to sell him to Nottingham Forest. In 1910, he...
(1886–1965), a footballer who played for Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, Nottingham Forest and Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. In 1915 he was banned from playing football for 30 years for allegedly fixing a match. He protested his innocence until his death. - Sam Weller WiddowsonSam Weller WiddowsonSamuel "Sam" Weller Widdowson was an English sportsman of the Victorian era. He played cricket for Nottinghamshire and association football for Nottingham Forest and also played once for the England national football team, against Scotland in 1880...
, a footballer who played for Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He also played cricket for NottinghamshireNottinghamshire County Cricket ClubNottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and is credited with inventing football shin padsShin guardA shin guard or shin pad is a piece of equipment worn on the front of a player’s shin to protect them from injury. These are commonly used in sports including association football, baseball, ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, cricket, and other sports...
in 1874.
Sport
The town's 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...
team is Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Watnall Road.-History:...
. Founded in 1945, originally as a colliery team (Hucknall Colliery Welfare FC), changing its name to Hucknall Town in 1987 after closure of the pit.
Over the seasons they have risen steadily through the non-league pyramid
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
and have won many honours. They currently (2009) play in the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
, and in 2005 reached the final of the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
. After a reprieve from relegation in the 2007-2008 season, due to other teams' demotions through financial difficulties, Hucknall were relegated for the first time in their history in the 2008-2009 season. The town's top Sunday side are Plough Barflies FC who play their home games at Hucknall Town FC's Watnall Road ground. They have risen from the depths of the Notts Combination League to the top of the Notts Sunday Morning League in consecutive seasons. Rolls Royce Leisure F.C.
Rolls Royce Leisure F.C.
Rolls Royce Leisure Football Club were a football club based in Hucknall, England. Rolls-Royce Welfare F.C. were formed in 1935 when Rolls's Hucknall factory first opened its gates. The club disbanded briefly in the mid-1970s. They were renamed as Hucknall Rolls Royce F.C. in 1991, before a...
were based near the fire station at the Rolls Royce Leisure Sports Ground on Watnall Road until folding in 2009.
Hucknall Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club, founded 1890. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd XIs currently play in various leagues of the South Notts. Cricket League.