Pictures of Ilkeston

About Ilkeston

There is little doubt about the long history of this very pleasant Market town, it was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086, and gained its Market Charter in 1252, when the Lord of the manor was allowed a weekly market and an annual fair. The fair, a colourful lively event continues to this day.

Ilkeston is a large town overlooking the beauty of the Erewash Valley. It may have existed from Anglo-Saxon times for it is thought the name might have come from the Anglo-Saxon Chief known as Ealac or The Elk. It seems to have been a busy place throughout the ages. Frame knitting of stockings flourished here during the 18th-century. Coal fields opened up and the canals and railways brought cheap fuel, which helped to transform small trades into major industries. The last coal field stopped production in 1966, since then the town relied on other textile industries and more recently on business, new technology and commerce.

Within this pretty hilltop town you will find the ancient church dedicated to St.Mary, it was built around 1150 and has a beautiful clock-face tower. Pride of the church is the magnificent 14th-century stone screen. There is also a remarkable effigy of a cross-legged knight, said to be Nicholas de Cantelupe who died in 1272, at that time the de Cantelupe family were Lords of the manor.

The town is well provided with shops covering merchandise of every kind, and you can seek out specialist jewellers, antiques and crafts. The market place is always busy, especially on market day when folk attend from the outlying villages. The annual fair which has been celebrated for well over 700 years is held each October.

Around half a mile to the south of the town you can find Little Hallam, where there is a beautiful 16th-century Jacobean house known as Old Hall.

Ilkeston lies half-way between Derby and Nottingham.