Everything about Lenton Nottingham totally explained
Lenton is an area of the
City of Nottingham in the
county of
Nottinghamshire,
England. Politically, it falls within the
Nottingham South constituency. Most of the area lies within the electoral ward of "Dunkirk and Lenton", however the "Lenton Triangle" area, considered by most residents to be part of Lenton due to its similar character, falls into a neighbouring electoral ward. The name "Lenton", meanwhile, is derived from the
River Leen, which runs nearby.
Lenton is largely a residential area, and is popular with students at the nearby
University of Nottingham who choose to live off-campus. Indeed, the high proportion of students has led some local residents in recent years to campaign against what they perceive as the
studentification of the area.
History
Lenton and its mills on the Leen get a mention in the Domesday Book in the late 11th century: “In Lentune 4 sochmen and 4 bordars have two ploughs and a mill.”
Lenton grew up around a
Cluniac priory, which was founded in 1105. As the fortunes of
Lenton Priory grew (becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in the country), so did the village of Lenton; by the time of the dissolution of the monasteries under
Henry VIII, Lenton village was well enough established to continue without its priory.
From the closure of the priory in
1538 to the late 1700s, Lenton was primarily a rural village, occupied mostly by those involved in agriculture. With the construction of the
Nottingham Canal in the 1790s, however, a number of factories were built and the population grew rapidly, increasing from 893 in
1801 to 3077 in
1831. The 'New Lenton' area was formed to accommodate the expansion of both residential and industrial needs on what had previously been farmland. Much of the industry of Lenton, as with the Nottingham area as a whole, was related to
lace.
Originally a separate village, outside Nottingham's city boundaries, Lenton became part of the city in 1877, when the boundaries were enlarged.
From the mid-20th Century onwards, Lenton absorbed a large number of immigrants from Britain's former colonial empire, especially the
West Indies,
India and
Pakistan, and, increasingly,
Africa. The area still maintains a strong multi-cultural flavour.
Social issues
Lenton has also been notorious for social problems associated with crime and poor housing. Much of the property is rented to students, for instance in Kimbolton Avenue which was dubbed Britain’s most burgled street in two
national newspapers in April 2006. The
News of the World article began:
This is Kimbolton Avenue – the most burgled road in Britain. The rows of rundown red-brick Victorian houses in a road strewn with rubbish and burnt-out cars are a stark and embarrassing image of Blair’s Britain today.
However, as the
University of Nottingham student magazine Impact states, this isn't the case — on Kimbolton Avenue or any of its surrounding streets. According to the
Nottingham Evening Post, "several of the residents, including University of Nottingham students, are unhappy at being misquoted.".
The city council has responded to the social problems with some regeneration and redevelopment schemes. Individual initiatives are also working to regenerate the area. For example, the Crocus Cafe was set up in 2005: a community focused, volunteer run vegetarian cafe which has won several awards, including being recognized as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the country by the Observer Food Monthly.
The area featured in nationwide news in February 2006 when a policewoman was shot while investigating a burglary at a Lenton house.
Lenton 900
In
2005 Lenton celebrated its nine-hundredth anniversary, a date which represented 900 years since the foundation of
Lenton Priory. The centrepiece of the celebrations was a special festival held in the grounds of Lenton Priory Church on 21 May 2005.
Marcus Garvey Ballroom
The Marcus Garvey Ballroom is a local
West Indian community centre managed by West Indian Cavaliers, and located on Lenton Boulevard. Named after
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, this venue is famous for its large music hall, the Ballroom, which has a capacity of around 1000. Events include clubnights run by students from the universities, including Firefly, Detonate, Misst, and also specialises in live acts,it also houses the legendary C.P.H sound system.
The Marcus Garvey Day Care Centre also hosts day care facilities for African Caribbean elders, with a wide range of activities including bingo, raffle, needlework, dominoes, arts and crafts and a prayer meeting held on Friday mornings. Fresh meals are available for a small charge. The centre has a library, an organ, music system, TV and video facilities. The building is wheelchair accessible.
This building was formerly part of the
Raleigh bicycle company's development in Lenton, now largely demolished to make way for a new
University of Nottingham campus.
Neighbouring areas
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lenton Nottingham'.
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