Which road? Crown Island


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Judging by the "sweep" of the road my initial informed guess is that this is the junction of Wilkinson Street and the ring road - before the houses were built.

Cheers,

Bamber

I can see what you mean, with the bridge over the Midland by Gerrard's soap factory etc....but 'fraid not!

Although, it's not a million miles away...

Cheers

Robt P.

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Talking about the bridge over the line on Wilkinson Street. Does anyone know why they built it so unfeasibly wide? They couldn't have known that it would leave space for a tram line 70 years on.

To my eye it looks like a road project that was abandoned for some reason. Maybe the War.

Cheers,

Bamber

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Looking up Western Boulevard from what is now the crown island?

  If it is,doesn't it look strange without the houses? Wonder when they were built? :Shock:

Exactly right Angi! !congrats!

I'd guess the massive housing schemes were just about to begin, and would continue until the outbreak of WWII, some 7 years later.

The opening of Western Boulevard could have been seen as the main supply artery for the building work.

I have an old (1921) OS map which shows some interesting features.

A road ran, further inbound to the city, on the same line as Western Boulevard.

It passed beneath the Radford-Trowell Jct railway line - Western Boulevard goes over - and took today's route by the Aspley Lane crossing.

So it could be that Western Boulevard, from Wollaton Road to Aspley Lane, was the last link in Ring Road chain?

Also, and quite amazingly, there were no dwellings at all to the west of the Ring Road line - except for Aspley Hall which was at the junction of Aspley Lane and the undeveloped Melbourne Road (Ann, please note...) and Broxtowe Hall, which was at the Broxtowe Lane junction with Bells Lane - then no more than a bridle path.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Talking about the bridge over the line on Wilkinson Street. Does anyone know why they built it so unfeasibly wide? They couldn't have known that it would leave space for a tram line 70 years on.

To my eye it looks like a road project that was abandoned for some reason. Maybe the War.

Cheers,

Bamber

Since the days that I cycled to school up Wilkinson Street in the mid 50's, I've always had the same query over the exceptional road width!

According to my ancient map it was in place, and marked with heavy black lines - indicating some width - by 1921.....but devoid of any housing, except for a few properties which stood well back into the Bobbers Mill area.

Could be that it was deemed to be a major feeder road from the City into the developing Ring Road, hence the width?

I'll put the matter on to my Local Studies, Angel Row list - might have an answer by August time..... :crazy:

Cheers

Robt P.

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Talking of Aspley Hall and the Lane, the entrance was lined by the seven sisters which I believe only one remains. I have only ever seen the hall once and then we came upon it quite by accident. I don't think many people who moved to Aspley and the surrounding areas ever knew it existed. I think they would be too relieved to be moved from the slums that abounded at the time. I know my parents and grand-parents were.

It was a formidable building with a glass dome if I remember correctly.

A ;)

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  • 9 years later...

It looks like the wall is being built on the site of the old canal

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Yeah that's a brilliant photograph !Thanks Cliff.

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Where would Radford Woodhouse be on this photo?

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It really is a brilliant photo. Just look at all those people and vehicles where Raleigh was. At that time my Dad lived to the left on Toston Drive on the 'Crane Estate' (I think it was called)

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Looking at the photo , and thanks for pointing out where RW was, is this a barge on the canal just behind the road?

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It really is a brilliant photo. Just look at all those people and vehicles where Raleigh was.

Several of those vehicles look like horse-drawn caravans, and some of the others look a bit 'constructional', so I wonder if it was a parking area for fairground people.

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  • 2 years later...

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