Bingham, Nottinghamshire

Geography

Bingham lies near the junction of the A46 (the old Fosse Way) and the A52, about nine miles (14 km) east of Nottingham and similar distances south-west of Newark-on-Trent and west of Grantham. Neighbouring communities are Radcliffe-on-Trent, East Bridgford, Car Colston, Scarrington, Aslockton, Whatton in the Vale and Cropwell Butler. There is a market in the central Market Place every Thursday, and a farmers' market there on the third Saturday of the month.

Toponomy

The place-name Bingham seems to contain an Old English personal name, Bynna, + ingahām (Old English), The village of the people of . . . ; the village of the people called after . . .so probably, 'homestead/village of Bynna's people'.

History

The Romans built a fortress at Margidunum (Bingham) and a settlement at the river crossing at Ad Pontem (East Stoke) on the Fosse Way that joined Isca (Exeter) to Lindum (Lincoln). The south-east of Nottinghamshire later formed the wapentake of Bingham. Bingham acquired a market charter in 1341.

Dormitory town

Bingham has expanded vastly since the 1950s, and most of the housing is relatively new. Most of the older buildings (including the Church of St. Mary and All Saints, Bingham, the oldest) are in the centre.

About 500 houses are being built bordering the A52 (Grantham Road) and the existing Mill Hill estate. There have been concerns that the 1000+ people who will move into these new houses will require more and improved services, which the local councils are so far proving reluctant to provide, despite the large sums gained for the Exchequer from the sale of the land in public ownership. Another 1000 houses are planned as part of 'Future Bingham', north of the railway line.

The A46, to the west of the town, was upgraded and completed in 2013 as a grade-separated dual-carriageway. The Widmerpool-Newark Improvement has been diverted to the west of the former Roman town to preserve the archaeology. The A52 bypass to the south of the town opened in December 1986.

Education

There are four schools in Bingham: Robert Miles Infant school, Robert Miles Junior School, Carnarvon Primary School and the comprehensive Toot Hill School. Central College Nottingham also has a campus in the town.

Churches

The Anglican parish Church of St. Mary and All Saints, Bingham, occupies a Grade I listed medieval building restored in 1845–46 and again in 1912. It has a peel of eight bells and a 19th-century organ. It belongs to the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The new building of Bingham Methodist Church opened on 1 April 2016 at Eaton Place. It belongs to the Grantham and Vale of Belvoir Circuit.

Economy

Although Bingham is largely a dormitory town for Nottingham, it also has a number of thriving businesses and a busy centre. The town has a shop vacancy rate of just 2% against an East Midlands average of 16%.* There are 20 takeaways and places to eat, 11 hairdressers/salons, 5 estate agents and 39 other retail outlets. Bingham also provides shopping, medical and other services to those in the surrounding villages. Planning permission has been obtained to build a large supermarket near the town centre, but construction has not yet commenced. In March 2015 planning permission was granted for two other chain supermarkets.

To the north of the town is an industrial estate with about 40 businesses. The largest include GWIBS 24/7, a privately owned company employing over 50 people in mechanical, electrical and IT services. Others include Focus Label Machinery, Trent Designs, XACT Document Solutions, the Workplace Depot (manufacturing mobile safety steps, trucks and trolleys), and Water at Work. In 2012, The Workplace Depot won a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice. Bingham has a Business Club

In November 2013 Bingham was named by Family Investments as the best town in England and Wales in which to bring up a family. The report cited factors such as excellent schools, childcare provision, low crime and affordable housing.

Film and TV locations

Bingham was a location in Midlands film director Shane Meadows' film Twenty Four Seven, which contained scenes shot at Toot Hill top field, The Linear Walk and Bingham Boxing Club. Bingham has also been in two episodes of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, as well as some episodes of Crossroads, Woof! and Boon.

Robot Wars series 3, Jungle Run and scenes from Shane Meadows' 2006 film This is England were filmed nearby on the former RAF Newton site.

Dickinson's Real Deal was filmed at the Bingham Leisure centre in 2015 and broadcast on TV on ITV1 in March 2016.

Notable people

Leisure and sports

Bingham Leisure Centre has sports facilities and a swimming pool. The facilities are attached to Toot Hill School.

There used to be six pubs in the town, of which four remain as such: the White Lion, the Butter Cross Wetherspoons (formerly The Crown), the Chesterfield at Bingham, and the Horse and Plough. The Moot House has been redeveloped, and the former Bingham has reopened as a pub-restaurant and has been renamed the Wheatsheaf.

Bingham has Scout troops totalling around 140 young people. 1st Bingham Scouts includes Beavers and Cubs.

The town's sports clubs are:

Wallenfels in Bavaria, Germany. Music groups have visited to and from the twin towns, and a beer festival is held in Bingham every year.

Transport

Trent Barton provides a frequent and well used public bus service into Nottingham. Bingham's railway station provides a less frequent service to and beyond Nottingham and Grantham.

Bus services

Centrebus

Trent Barton