Stapleford, Nottinghamshire

Geography

Stapleford lies on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. To the north of Stapleford is Ilkeston and to the east is Beeston. To the west across the River Erewash is Sandiacre, and to the south is Toton.

Politics

Stapleford is part of Broxtowe Borough and the Broxtowe Parliamentary Constituency. From 1935 until 1974 Stapleford was paired with the town of Beeston in the Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having previously been part of the Stapleford Rural District. The town was parished in 1987 and now has a town council.

The local MP is Anna Soubry of the Conservative Party from May 2010 and again since 2015, and the town is represented on Nottinghamshire County Council by the Liberal Democrats and also on Broxtowe Borough Council by Labour Party, Conservative Party and one Independent Councillor. The town council is a mixture of Labour Party, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Stapleford Alliance and Independent Councillors since the election on 7 May 2015.

Brief history

The place-name 'Stapleford' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears, unusually, spelt as now, Stapleford. In the Pipe Rolls of 1194 it appears as Stapelford. The name means 'ford marked by a post or posts'.

Stapleford's origins can be traced to before Norman times. In the churchyard of St Helen's church is the Stone Cross which dates back to Saxon times and is believed to be the oldest Christian memorial in the Midlands. Stapleford owed its development in part to its closeness to the River Trent and the River Erewash as the town became a central point for trade. The antiquary John Weever defined a staple town "to be a place, to which by the prince's authority and privilege wool, hides of beasts, wine, corn or grain, and other exotic or foreign merchandize are transferred, carried or conveyed to be sold." The area also expanded during the late 18th century when the stocking hose trade thrived in the Midlands. Evidence of this history can be found today with the original Stocking Knitters' Houses still standing alongside more modern properties and shops such as on Nottingham Road. The main crossroads in Stapleford at the junction of Nottingham Road, Derby Road, Toton Lane and Church Street is called The Roach. The name is from the time when French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars were set the task of cutting through rock to create roads and this was referred to as the 'La Roche'.

Stapleford is also home to the Hemlock Stone, which is situated on Stapleford Hill. It is approximately 200 million years old, dating back to the Triassic Period. Many theories surround why it exists.

During March 2006, a new NHS Health Centre and 'Walk-In Centre' was opened in the town, but has since closed. A Sainsbury's local was opened on the site of the former Total petrol station in 2007.

More recently it is the home of the Full Mash microbrewery, currently producing 5 BBL (that is to say, beer in five-barrel batches). The brewery regularly features in the LocAle scheme, a CAMRA campaign for local beer promotion.

Nickname

The town is often referred to informally as "Stabbo".

Famous people

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Colleges

Transport

Road transport is the primary method of transport in and out of the area. 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, Ilkeston and other local towns.

Trent Barton

NottsBus

Roads

Stapleford is connected to Nottingham, Derby and the M1 motorway by the A52.

Railway

The closest railway station (with regular services) is Beeston providing direct services to Nottingham, Derby, London, Lincoln, Bedford, Burton upon Trent, Leicester, Loughborough, Tamworth, Newark (Castle), Luton, East Midlands Parkway, Birmingham and Matlock.

Light Rail

In August 2015, a Light Rail (tram) line was opened towards Stapleford via Beeston and Chilwell as part of the Nottingham Express Transit system. A park and ride station, called Toton Lane Park & Ride has been built about 1 mile south of Stapleford town centre, and adjacent to some residential areas of the town. It is on Toton Lane, just south of the A52 roundabout, and will be terminus of line 1 of the Phase 2 expansion. There are no plans for extension into the centre of Stapleford.