The Idlewells, Sutton in Ashfield

[Notts_Landing 6]

I recently have been reading about the Idlewells Shopping Centre and read briefly that the site on which it was built was old slum housing and that there are stories of a witch living there named Louisa. What are these stories and the history of the slums before Idlewells was built? Anyone have any info on this?

[Oztalgian 3,271]

 

15 hours ago, Notts_Landing said:

I recently have been reading about the Idlewells Shopping Centre and read briefly that the site on which it was built was old slum housing and that there are stories of a witch living there named Louisa. What are these stories and the history of the slums before Idlewells was built? Anyone have any info on this?

 

The River Idle rises south west of the town of Sutton in Ashfield. Most of the modern course of the river lies in culverts under the current streets.

It joins the River Maun near the current rote of the A38. The pond on Sutton Lawns is fed by the River Idle.

I don't know for sure but it could be that the Idlewells shopping centre which is built on an area of slum housing called Idlewells. Wells on the River Idle?

The housing was built for labour for the many mills in the area.

Louisa Gregory the witch of Idlewells who is said to haunt the shopping centre was a corpse collector and local legend had it that if she knocked on your door death was never far behind

The Library in Sutton will have much more information

If you use Facebook there is a site Sutton Living Memory Group that has pictures and info about the area.

 

This is Swan Street in Idlewells circa 1934

[roger.hill 0]

saw Don Estelle from it aint half hot mum busking there once long after the TV series had ended