A Hucknall History
Industrial Developments
Building a Mining Community
Executives registered their 1879 named New Hucknall Colliery Company, later inferring they'd encountered a troublesome start. Chairman Emerson Bainbridge then appoints broadly experienced mineral surveyor Simeon Watson as the fully qualified manager.
Swiftly relocating the Watson family into their future Huthwaite home comes from building a relatively palatial sized dwelling. Addressing Mill House upon lofty heights of Sutton Road recognised the past windmill site, while prominently asserting status by grandly overlooking village developments.
Detailed 1900 coverage of a then Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Urban District shows the initial cramped growth among privately built Yards off a core Main Street. Piping 1886 water broadened expansion, to focus on rapidly homing mass arrival of miners.
Commercial gazetteers firstly claimed this colliery employed upwards 500 hands by 1881. However, that years census could find a good many Hucknall Huthwaite workers had relocated elsewhere. Whitwell, Derbyshire favoured around 80, mainly claiming collier occupations. But having overcome initial difficulties, inviting hundreds more realised they'd struggle finding homes. Farmers build up unprofitable plots assured of a landlords income. They accommodated majority of 1891 numbers rising towards 900. Recording highest 1250 count repeatedly from 1900 had jumped entire village population to 4,000 recognising pit community advancements.
New Hucknall Pit Housing
Bainbridge Terrace obviously reflected this collieries founding family surname. This nearby sited housing block were first buildings erected upon Cross Lane, and naming might suggest earliest of vaguely dated pit housing. Current NG17 2JH lane location long claimed address shortly after laying Common Road, from which it branched off to primarily connect a lower Mill Lane farmstead at Greenwood Falls. Secondary use may have been carting building stone from an 1884 mapped old quarry prior these first houses.
Extreme executive wealth plus company profits gain manorial influence affording immense buying powers. It helps pit manager Mr Watson building a future prosperous Huthwaite mining community. Purchasing largest plots along the main Sutton highway started major pit housing developments. Inlaid terrace stone dates emergence of this familiar scene identifying Prospect Place 1888.
Allocating site for a new 1890 Wesleyan Chapel could even be attributed him personally sharing generous interest with additional colliery donations. Community support is greatly extended however, beyond further encouragement given other Methodist factions.
Great great grandparents Jacob and Ellen Stones preferred certifying their 1889 address on The Bottoms. Historic description of natural drainage off a formerly unusable Falls area furthermore offered names for both a New and Old Fall Street. Pit house blocks next rise either side Sutton Road, beyond leaving a gap introducing entry into the collieries entire Newcastle Street development.
Newcastle Street must reflect the founders home town, where great prosperity had long been won infamously shipping out mass volumes of Tyne coals. Their Nottinghamshire output barely compares, but transferal of mining experience reached the relatively profitable deeper Huthwaite seams. Residents recalled reference to Warm Gate, maybe due numbers of well kept open coal fires.
Leaving a corner plot branching entry into initial laying of a privately developed New Street, roadway curves left reaching an abrupt stop well short of potentially reaching The Falls Top End. Councillors later considered extending a Main Street road connection. But a New Street school in need a sports field dismissed chance, to just leave footpaths also into a new 1933 named Huthwaite Park.
Completing pit street housing turns Nottingham builders attention to space left corning New Street. Opening an 1893 New Hucknall Colliery Institute would be seen as serving a close knit mining community, and not just as another pub. Reading room with library, a billiards room and especially the spacious dance hall were all welcomed village additions. Deductions made from miners wages assured rent and club membership payments encouraged favoured use of facilities, and the colliery reaped back money spent.
Boundary Terrace shared c1890 construction more remotely situated upon far east end Sutton Road. Name identifies intention to assert broader Hucknall Huthwaite extremities nearer the collieries existing Hucknall Lane wharf sales. Earliest tram tub deliveries had laid a direct footpath into the southern pit yard, long before laying an adjacent roadside sports ground. However, next came facing houses and shop fronts including one 1896 Stanton Hill Co-operative Society street deigned to home Brierley pit miners. That Sutton Colliery interest may be reason behind contentious village boundary changes readdressing this terrace in Sutton town.
Colliery Houses oddly missed detailed mapping to presume a final build. Mill Lane address originates aside the early 19thC corn windmill. Sutton Road entry extended a southward farm track that accessed lower fields beyond Mill Farm. Colliers began regularly walking lower mud track route directly leading into the pit yard. Lane ended where this block facing the colliery complex claimed closest proximity with specific intention to house significant key staff. Capturing 2003 view acknowledged they'd stood around a century. Having witnessed 1982 industrial pit yard clearance, these properties kept far end Mill Lane address, but from opposite direction. Residential developments readdressed Pit Lane off Common Road lining a Mill Lane roadway reaching NG17 2NN.
All Saints Church
The Duke and Duchess of Portland honoured Hucknall Huthwaite when her Grace ceremoniously laid November 1902 foundation stone for the future parish church. Reportage tells how Mr Simeon Watson proposed them a hearty vote of thanks giving mention to their past generosity. The Duke responds, they mustn't forget Mr Watson had made most generous efforts furthering this scheme.
Brief 1933 church history acknowledged how New Hucknall Colliery Company were among initial funders, and Mr Watson JP had laid first stone leading into the tower gifting a pulpit plus £290. These just start several significant personal and company donations. Mining generations just proudly retold this church stood as a unique monumental building from freely dug and hauled stonework.
Sport & Recreation Grounds
A sports ground covering football and cricket pitches, plus a separate recreation ground are both mapped from a 1917 edition. Year can only so far presume grounds had been opened just before the Great War took over national coal mining interests. Situating the pavilion equipped sports ground aside the New Hucknall Colliery companies Sutton Road land wharf, might realise one of the ash and cinder dumps had managed to raise and level off pitches afforded very suitable land drainage.
Colliery Recreations Grounds off Sutton Road were later gifted the Huthwaite Urban District Council for general public use. They titled and equipped the future Huthwaite Welfare Park with initial entry provided off Columbia Street. Year of transfer isn't found so far, but relocating their unused 1934 Woodland isolation hospital to provide Welfare Park facility storage offers closest indication.
24 Oct 23 by Gary Elliott Updated 24 Oct 23