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I was born in Nottingham in 1932. Grew up there. Left in1955. Haven’t been back since.

In my younger days the concrete steps on the south side of the river Trent ran from the Bridge itself up to and under the Victoria Suspension Bridge, where they petered out and came to a dead end, after about 50 yards. At this point the water ran directly up to a steep wall some twenty ft high, at the top of which, I was always led to believe, was the grounds of a Catholic girl’s school.

Any further footpath progress towards Wilford was therefore impossible.

But the continuation of the path could be seen some 100yards in the distance.

To join up with this was a short ferry ride. In fact an old man in a rowing boat.

As a boy I made this trip many times. I think the fare was 3 old pence.

My question is. Can anyone, apart from me, remember this?

For some reason or other (I don’t know why) I have become obsessed with knowing what is there now? In other words have the ‘Powers that be’ finally seen fit to join up the two ends of this footpath, enabling a direct walk through to Wilford? Or is it still impassable without a boat? Can any ‘Oldie’ throw any light on this?

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No ferry there in my time...but the embankment still stops in the same place..

kkgty.jpg

I think there is now a public footpath the full length the river side of the high fence cutting across peoples land who have the mooring rights.

ggrfd.jpg

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It's been possible to walk all the way from Trent Bridge to Wilford along that side of the river for as long as I've ever been aware of it (meaning since the early 1980s).

The area where you suggest there was a ferry seems to be roughly where the Rivermead flats are now. (but if you left Nottm in 1955 that won't mean anything to you). I believe that those flats were previously the site of "Pleasaunce" which was a kind of exotic social club built by Jesse Boot for his staff and friends. It was demolished in the early 60s, but maybe, when it still existed it prevented anybody from walking all the way along the riverbank at that point

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Many, many, thanks for the info, especially the pictures. That grass section is exactly the area I was refering to. If you can imagine it taken away you would be left with a wall some 15ft to 20ft high going straight down to the water level - which is exactly the way it used to be in my youth. The old man in the rowing boat must have made a living, but at 3d a trip I don't know how. The red brick building looks familiar, so unless the photo is fairly recent that would be the Girls School. I would love to know at what date (presumedly around 1960) that part of the river bank was reinstated, and by whom. Piles must have been driven down. And of course going further back, why had that piece of bank been removed anyway - it must have been there originally.Again Many thanks.

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I don't recall the south bank steps, but the river almost burst it banks around 1963ish, result was the steps being washed out on the north bank big time. The whole lot were removed, and replaced for most of not all the embankment from Trent Bridge to the Toll Bridge.

It was a mess for months,

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No ferry there in my time...but the embankment still stops in the same place..

kkgty.jpg

I think there is now a public footpath the full length the river side of the high fence cutting across peoples land who have the mooring rights.

ggrfd.jpg

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Take a look at this map from the 1930s

river.jpg

The area to the right of the words "Belle Vue" seems to be what you are talking about

On this late 1930s map there doesn't seem to be any riverbank at that point, but look at the same map in the mid 1950s and all the lines join up

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Hi. Yes you are quite right. I was born 1932. Mum and dad were keen walkers.I would almost certainly have been taken on the old row boat that year. I probably stopped going there just prior to 1950, when I was called up for National service (RAF). So it looks as though the infill was done maybe 1948/9.

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  • 8 months later...

Hi. Yes you are quite right. I was born 1932. Mum and dad were keen walkers.I would almost certainly have been taken on the old row boat that year. I probably stopped going there just prior to 1950, when I was called up for National service (RAF). So it looks as though the infill was done maybe 1948/9.

I was born in 1932 also and joined the R.A.F from Nottingham in 1950, Met a lad on the railway station on my way to join up Named Derek Bramley ( Still around Derek ? ) I did my basic training at Hereford and then Posted for the remainder of my ( Sentence ) to R.A.F. Chivenor. We now live in Devon since 1988. I remember the Boat Trips to Colwick Amusement Park, is this still going, run by Trevethics I think. My sister went to Mundella and one day I was across the River swimming ( about 14 years old ) and I saw her on the other side and swam across, the current was awful and I struggled to get across.

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Trevethick's Boats finnished years ago.

I used to work on them helping Big Geoff (Garner) & Alan Haywood, mentioned here elswhere.

That was around 1970. Trevethick was old then and I remember he had very bad eyes.

There was a little house boat thing that moored next to his rowing boats.

The launch that used to do the trips I used to go on because by law he had to

have someone able bodied with him. Though god forbid if anything would happen

I have always been a poor swimmer!

I remember spring one year helping to bring the whole shebang from Lenton.

The launch towing all the rowing boats and houseboat along the canals from his

place in Lenton along the canals and entering the Trent just off Meadow Lane.

There was also another company that did trips and hired rowing boats next to him but I

cant remember the name?

I think Health & Safety killed off those two companies?

I remember some guys messing arround pissed in one of the competitions rowing boats

one Sunday. The boat went over and at least one drowned. Police divers came on the

Police launch to find the body.

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...There was also another company that did trips and hired rowing boats next to him but I cant remember the name?...

Brookhouse...relatives, on my mother's side of the family.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Trevethick's seem to survive in some form, even if only in name.

Look at THIS from Streetview on Lenton Lane. The road is called Clayton's Drive, but the (old-looking) sign on the front definitely keeps the Trevethick name going

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Thanks, I could see that but when I zoomed in on it it took me off down that road?

I wonder if the householder is preserving it?

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I wonder if the householder is preserving it?

It's not on the front of a house........it actually refers to the business which still exists.

The drive to the left of the sign goes down to a fully-working boat yard with all the equipment and gear a boat yard uses. You can see it all on Google aerial views. Mr Trevethick - or somebody - is still doing boating things down there

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  • 5 years later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Welcome to Nottstalgia Rob G. Some good threads on NS from early times so it's always good to have them revived. I hope you carry on posting and enjoy sharing memories with us all.:)

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  • 6 years later...

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