OS grid reference SK3732 Country England Post town DERBY District Derby UK parliament constituency Derby South | Region East Midlands Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Derbyshire Dialling code 01332 | |
 | ||
Population 5,000 (Approx 2011 Census) | ||
Allenton is a suburb of the city of Derby, England, situated about three miles south of the city centre. It is located between the suburbs of Osmaston, Boulton, Alvaston and Shelton Lock. Allenton is a busy part of the city of Derby, with a variety of modern shops, stores and other facilities, including free parking. The suburb has its own busy market every Friday and Saturday located on Osmaston Road.
Contents
Map of Allenton, Derby, UK
History
Allenton (formerly Allentown) was named after Isaac Allen who built the first houses there in 1878. One hundred and twenty thousand years ago, during a warmer part of the Ice Age, the whole area was a riverside swamp, and skeletons of a hippopotamus, elephant, brown bear, hyena and bison have been found there. The Allenton hippopotamus was found underneath the Crown Hotel (established in 1891) and its well-preserved skeleton is displayed at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
The Allenton house fire occurred on 11 May 2012, which led to the deaths of six children, 5 of them being male, and one of them being a female.
Landmarks
Allenton is known for its main landmark, the Spider Bridge. This footbridge over a roundabout is so named because it has eight 'legs' in four directions. Each direction has a set of steep steps and a stepped ramp (for easier disabled access). The Spider Bridge was erected in July 1971 and has been painted various colours over the years. It is currently white painted.
Allenton has a cosmopolitan outdoor market, although this has been in decline. The suburban shopping centre is among the largest in Derby although there are few high street chains except for Boots, Co-op and Greggs. A functional sculpture by Michael Dan Archer was installed in the shopping centre in 2007. Commissioned by Derby City Council, it forms a circular seating area on which are laser-scanned copies and models of some of the key bones of the Allenton Hippo skeleton at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
Culture
Allenton has several fast food outlets including 'zaza pizza Italian takeaway, Zan Fish Chip Shop (formerly named The Crest of the Wave Chip Shop), Fung Wong Chinese, Balti House, Allenton Kebabs, Pizza Romance. and the Hot Bread Shop Cafe. Within the shopping area and at each end of the shops is a public house: The Mitre and The Crown Inn (see Crown Hotel above). There are schools, dentists and doctors, beauty salons, hairdressers, pawn brokers, several charity shops and a flower shop. The local fire station is just a few hundred yards from the shops. The old Derby Canal has long since been transformed into a bicycle track with tarmacadam surface. This track offers access by bicycle from Allenton into Derby city centre – it is part of the National Cycle Network. Allenton has a large number of employees in the aero-engine industry as Rolls-Royce plc has its jet engine production facility adjacent to Allenton.