Wilford Toll Bridge area

[angie 2]

Hi, In the 60s can you remember the tolebridge over the Trent from Wilford to the beginning of the meadows with a tiny kios where the money was collected by car uses the kios later ended up as a place where you could buy cobs and drinks when it returned to a walk and cycle path, and more recently the bridge will be used in the Tram network.

Near this area of the River Trent was Clifton Pit, closed down in the 60s. I.v seen photos of the great flood around this area small boats and other makeshift transportation was used to get around and a devastating effect on properties with cellars.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

Welcome to Nottstalgia angie. Here's a few photos to jog your memory.

..the tollbridge over the Trent from Wilford to the beginning of the meadows with a tiny kiosk where the money was collected by car users

... and more recently the bridge will be used in the Tram network.

Near this area of the River Trent was Clifton Pit, closed down in the 60s. I.v seen photos of the great flood around this area small boats and other makeshift transportation was used to get around and a devastating effect on properties with cellars.

[malcsmith 2]

Just off the roundabout was timber merchants Nixon Knowles, Started work there straight from school in 1972 and spent the next 40 years in the timber trade.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

That photo was of the 1947 flood.

What year was car traffic stopped on the Toll Bridge?? I remember the bollards being across the road when I lived near there to stop all road traffic.

My mate had to ride down to Trent Bridge on his motor bike to get home in Wilford.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

What year was car traffic stopped on the Toll Bridge??

According to Picture the Past, 1965.

[malcsmith 2]

Cars were using the bridge until at least the mid 1970's

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

My time frame is up to 1965ish and I can recall the bollards across the road back then, after that time my parents moved to the London Road end of Kirke-White Street...I do recall the NEP stating the council had banned road traffic over the bridge due to the bridge aging and not being safe to support heavy loads.

My mate would drop by our house down Briar street on his motor bike and have to go back via Trent Bridge, he could have walked the bike over, but being lazy....LOL

Again time frame, started my apprenticeship with Clifton Colliery in 1964 and I'm almost certain the bollards were across the bridge road at that time.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Wiki says 1974....

[Trickymicky 57]

1974 is about right. I started work in september 1972 and we used it for about a year before it closed.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

According to Picture the Past, 1965.

Realised I misread the original question. Picture the Past says that photo is from 1965, not when traffic stopped.

More info and another photo. http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM007037&prevUrl=

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I wonder if there was a period during the early/mid 60's that road traffic was stopped for urgent structural repairs??

[mgread1200 141]

Used to like a pint at The Ferry Inn! Also remember walking back to Clifton that way on the night The Dungeon was raided having missed the last bus, no one there to collect the toll at that time of night so I still owe them. I think that Wilford and at least that part of the Meadows must have been in the same Diocese as my brothers wife lived on Cremourne Cresent in the meadows and they were married at Wilford church.

[... 1,411]

I remember the field on the left and iremongers pond at bottom of that field,can also remember a grey horse in that field called ping pong.then down the path past Rowland green school,to go tadpoleing at Robin hood's stream that ran from the trent through wilford just before rivermead flats going towards suspension bridge.can anyone remember the big pipes that brought water into the trent they had cast iron openers that lifted,

[... 1,411]

Last word should have read lifted #13.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I think the pipes with the cast iron openers were the showers drains from Clifton Colliery, they were set into the high concrete wall that supported the main road above, all near the power staion inflow grates.

I'd bet that pond, Iremonger's, was owned or once owned by the family of that name, one of which was a face overman at Clifton Colliery, Ron Iremonger.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

There used to be a railway line next to the Meadows end of the toll bridge. It was from the GCR goods depot and went to Clifton Pit and also Wilford Power Station.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

And here it is. This part of the line - with the Toll Bridge in the background - had gone before I ever appeared, but I remember travelling along Queen's Drive on buses and seeing the goods yard which was still operating.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

It wasn't there when I first lived in the area either, that road was a busy road up to Clifton bridge. The line was redundant as the power station grew in size, nearly all of our coal went next door to supply the power station boilers.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Where that guard is standing was a large traffic island too.

[Smiffy49 590]

Both sets of my Grandparents lived near this spot next to the 40 Trolley Bus stop.

Somewhere I have photograph taken by may Father in 1940 from the top room of one of their houses.

The picture has the Toll Bridge & GCR bridge in the background.

Another interesting feature appearing in the photograph is a series of chimney pots placed at intervals at the side of the road.

My Dad tells me they were lit to create a smoke screen during bombing raids.

When I figure out how to upload pictures I will post it.

Smiffy

[denshaw 2,871]

I crossed that bridge on my way to Roland Green school in the sixties.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

I have a nice map in my collection of "wilford toll bridge" dated 1882.

[Smiffy49 590]

Hope this works ! Here is the photograph my Dad took in 1940 from his bedroom window.

Smiffy

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

What was the building on the right, which I don't think I've ever seen before in any photos?

[Smiffy49 590]

A laundry, I think it was damaged in an air raid? This later became Walsall Conduits.

The chimney pots on the left are for creating a smoke screen during air raids.

One bomb dropped close by, killing a Mrs Proctor who worked at a nearby fun fair. She was apparently thrown over the top of the hose this photograph was taken from.

Smiffy