Donkey Hill

[bamber 128]

The other day the subject of Donkey Hill came-up in conversation and the derivation of the nickname in particular.

One suggestion was that the area was used as a rest and recreation area for pit ponies at Gedling Colliery but I'm not convinced.

I'm betting another Nottstalgian will know. So over to you ...

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

For the benefit of those who don't know the location (including me), where is/was it?

[poohbear 1,360]

Opposite Ransom Road Wells Road end.

[bamber 128]

It's Saint Bartholomew's Road. One of the steepest in the Nottingham area.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

This thread means I've learned something new today. For a number of years I lived in Mapperley, off Kenrick Road, and I've driven up and down St Bartholomew's Road many times - but never knew the 'Donkey Hill' bit.

[bamber 128]

Cliff Ton. I charge for private tuition!

[catfan 14,793]

I always thought it is the steepest hill in Nottm.

[denshaw 2,871]

Or Freda Avenue off Westdale lane?

[Beefsteak 305]

We were always told it was Freda Avenue

[poohbear 1,360]

Known in 1882 as Bartholomew Stile Footway...all fields and allotments then.

[carni 10,094]

We have come down Freda sideways in the winter a few times one to be avoided in icy weather,never tried St Bartholomews,sounds scary,will take a look next visit to Notts.

[piggy and babs 544]

good picture of donkey hill the houes with the bay windows is my fiends dee and grahams house.

[piggy and babs 544]

my dad used to walk up and down freda every day on his way to work at the pit from cavendish rdused to go with him sometimes on a friday to get his wages bad enough going walking down it in good weather and always came back on the bus to parks corner and walked up cavendish rd home glad i did not have to walk back up itwalked down donkey hill many a time but glad i never had to walk up that one either.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

We were always told it was Freda Avenue

In the Streetview version, it doesn't look as dramatic as Donkey Hill. Just depends on the angle.

[Stan 386]

Some of the roads off Blue Bell Hill were pretty steep (e.g Pym St.etc)

[catfan 14,793]

I had a delivery on Freda Ave a few weeks ago, not for the faint hearted. Certainly a good test for any handbreak !

In retrospect, I think Freda Ave is the steeper of the two, but not as long as Donkey Hill.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

I/we always called the end of Lascelles Avenue from the junction of Rufford Avenue down to Chesterfield Avenue as Donkey Hill.

This was before Chesterfield Avenue was built.

I remember sledging down Donkey Hill in the late 1950s.

This was when there were orchards either side of Donkey Hill which was no more than a track/footpath.

I lived on Welbeck Avenue(number 7) 1953-1967.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

That complicates things.

Are we now discovering that every steep hill in Nottingham is/has been known as Donkey Hill?

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

That complicates things.

Are we now discovering that every steep hill in Nottingham is/has been known as Donkey Hill?

Lascelles Avenue is the next Avenue to Freda Avenue(connected by Cavendish Avenue) so the same hill.

A school friend lived at the bottom of Freda Avenue (Gordon Price)

[DAVIDW 1,683]

And then there were the Donkey Steps that went from the end of Standhill Road /Hillview Road passing by Pilkington Road down to Valley Road Carlton.

Probably 50 years since I went down there but it was narrow at the top and widened out further down and even though there were actual steps spaced quite far apart, it was an excellent sledging run in the winter .

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

When I lived in Mapperley (see post #6) I walked up and down those steps on many occasions. Again, I never knew any donkey connection. Last time I was in the area, houses had been built at the side of the steep steps.

bamber's original post suggested that Donkey Hill was used as a rest and recreation area for pit ponies at Gedling Colliery but that was referring to St Bartholomew's Road, which I think would be a bit too far to drag pit ponies for a break.

But bubblewrap's version of Donkey Hill which was the end of Lascelles Avenue from the junction of Rufford Avenue down to Chesterfield Avenue might make more sense as a place for parking ponies, being just across the road from Gedling pit.

[Beefsteak 305]

Pit ponies never returned to the surface until they 'retired' stabled deep under ground. (Unless I've been misinformed and they came up during 'pit fortnight' ) So a 'retirement home' out of sight of the pit might actually be a good idea.!

[piggy and babs 544]

beefy pit ponies certainly did come up on top during christmas and pit fortnight they had a field opposit the pit canteen just as you started walking down the lane to the grey goose entrance loved to go and watch them come up and into the field my favorite was called ginger and charlie my dad always fed them mint imperials when down pit so they came up to him very easily ginger was very gentle there was a three sided shelter in the field two . sometimes they also brought ponies up top if they had been hurt or needed vet treatment.

[DAVIDW 1,683]

This is just a guess but it may have been called Donkey Hill because of the donkeys going up and coming back down from the clayfields of Mapperley transporting bricks for the building work in Nottingham . (Old newspaper quotes in italics)

Bartholomew Stile Footway, 10 Feet. One other public Footpath and Highway, of the width of

10 feet, to be called " Bartholomew Stile Footway," commencing at the Coppice Road at or near the south-west end thereof,

and, called Bartholomew Stile........to which point the said Blue Bell Hill Road is of the width of 18 Feet ; thence

proceeding over the said Clay Field, in the same direction to and terminating at a Close called Wood Lane Close,

Just having a further search round and this doesn't really answer why it was called Donkey Hill but it was originally just a narrow uneven track that led from St.Anns Well Road up to Bartholomews stile . There was still a Bartholomews Stile, Thorneywood, listed in the Wrights directory of 1920. Though I see St.Bartholomews Church was built in 1902 on Blue Bell Hill Road .

(It may be noted that the

footway itself is marked Bartholomew Style on Jackson's map......St. Bartholomew's footstile, and before the construction of St. Ann's Hospital, Thorneywood, it stood at the end of a field

at a spot now occupied by the medical and nursing staff quarters. The stile was on one of the popular walks of the district.

Bartholomews stile (or style) marked the edge of the borough of Nottingham . It had to be climbed over to reach the Pad Row wheat fields and a path going to Lambley or Gedling . So maybe the only way to transport heavy goods from Nottingham to Lambley was up that pathway by donkey.

Not sure what a Pynder (Pinder) fee is and this may need some translation from the old English

Bartholomew Stile. "Bartelot Stye aght (ought) to be xl fute brod be ye zerd (yard) and of yat longes to ye Pynder fee of

Not. feldes ye halfe. And ye other halfe to ye Pynder of Snenton."

Another piece from 1850

Ordered and agreed that Mr. Alderman Hollins do at this

Corporation's Expence Plant a Row of Trees : from Bartholomew

Style to the Top of the Hill going down to Saint Annes Well on the

part of Ground called the pinders Fee.

31/10/1850

[DAVIDW 1,683]

Thinking about it overnight ( I am that sad ) ..........it seems that if there was a stile at the top of the hill and it was described as a steep , rough uneven pathway up to wheat fields , then it obviously wasn't a road suitable for any horse drawn transport , so it was part of a route , basically just for walkers going towards Lambley or Gedling .

So the naming was probably from something as simple as some enterprising bloke having a few donkeys and for a small fee , transporting those weary ones on foot , that were unable to get up the hill , either because they were loaded up with goods or were too infirm for the climb ?