A Walk around West Street, Swadlincote, with Graham Nutt and Clyde Dissington
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The audio clips were recorded by Dave Kitto in July 2005. To listen to them you will need Windows Media Player 9 or 10, or similar software such as Winamp or Real Player. Audio clips are accompanied by the  icon
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The town of Swadlincote in South Derbyshire has seen many changes in the last 200 years. From the late 1700s local entrepreneurs exploited the beds of clay and seams of coal around which the town has grown and prospered. At one time, Swadlincote could be described as national industrial landmark riddled with the kilns, chimneys and yard buildings associated with Pipe Yards, Brick Yards and Potteries. Many of these enterprises have run their course and in more recent years the buildings remain only as photographs and memories.
Community spirit ran high in the 1950s and the town bustled with life. Life long residents will describe a boastful array of high quality department stores in the town centre, with beautifully decorated shop windows. At one time folk would travel from far and wide to experience a night out in Swad, especially to dance to well known bands at The Rink or see films at the Empire and Majestic.
Join Graham Nutt and Clyde Dissington, from The Magic Attic Archives, whose humorous memories and wealth of historical knowledge paint a vivid and personal picture of Swadlincote in this fascinating walk around West Street
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The busy junction of Darklands Road and West Street, once the site of the old toll road, a blacksmiths and a World War II munitions factory.
Starting at the farthest end of West Street from Swadlincote town centre, we see Civic Way, its roundabout and supermarket. At one time Darklands Road (seen leading north out of the picture) came right the way up to West Street and was the main access point for the old A50 (A511) main Leicester / Burton road. There was in fact a toll gate where this photo is taken, capitalising on the passing traffic.
A blacksmith had a smithy at this Toll gate, well placed to carry out repairs to wheels, shoes for horses, and sharpening miners’ picks and tools |
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Where the leisure centre stands was once the fire station. From this location horses used to transport fire fighting equipment had to contend with a hill climb, in every direction!
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Opposite the leisure centre was a factory (O’Brian’s) which was used for producing munitions in during the war.
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| Facing south from here was the site of Waterloo Pottery, started in 1815 / 16. One of the proprietors was a Mr. Robinson who we think lived at the Waterloo Inn. |
 Looking back along West St at the junction of West St, Alexandra Road and Grove St.
Two houses were demolished on the end of this terrace, to accommodate the tram lines on the bend. The trams of the Burton and Ashby Light Railway started operating in Swadlincote in1906 and the network gradually extended between Burton and Ashby. From the Delph in the town centre the trams came along West Street and at this corner turned left, up Alexandra Road to the terminus at Gresley railway station. The depot and power station was on Midland Road and this still stands today.
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Waterloo House, West Street |
In the 1860s a man called Christopher Hall, who was the surgeon for the town, lived in one of the houses in this row, but later moved and built Linden House in Church St.
To the right is the site of Grove House which is mentioned on the deeds to Sharpe’s from 1833. Farmer, William Sharpe, came to Swadlincote from Shepshed in 18 13 / 15 set up Sharpe’s Pottery in 1821 with his son Thomas. They acquired the property from a bankrupt Charles Fletcher Bullivant. A man of affluent circumstances, who is later recorded in the Newhall parish records (1820s / 30s) as a rat catcher! The site was known as the cow pasture.
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The site of Grove House and the farm where Graham and Clyde believe William Sharpe moved to in the late 1800s. Could it be possible that Sharpe discovered a source of clay through farming and had intended on a side income from a small pottery works? Sharpe’s was just one of the many pottery works were rising up all Swadlincote, Church Gresley and Woodville at this time. |
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