History Guide on the 35 Bus Route A Route Rich in #35 Historical Significance The number 35 is a special bus route from a history lover’s perspective. It passes through, or near, nine of Nottingham’s fifteen Domesday communities, the site of a Roman Fort and the world’s first known railway built in 1603–4 to carry coal from Strelley to Wollaton. The route is also rich in housing Nottingham Canal at Wollaton, c. 1955 of historical significance, from almshouses and ‘Garden City’ council estates to a gated private estate. The countryside the 35 passes was once among the origins of the industrial revolution. The modern world began here. The passenger with an active imagination might just glimpse the faces of 17th century pupils Canning Circus, c.1895 walking to school in Bulwell; miners going home after their shift down Cinderhill Colliery; Roman soldiers in Broxtowe. A little further on, early Puritans on their way to Bilborough’s parish church; 16th century hewers in Strelley loading coal into horse drawn wagons on the railway. Climbing up towards Canning Circus, 18th century travellers would have passed through two Broxtowe Hall, c.1930s toll gates and run the risk of being robbed by highwaymen or chased by dragoons defending the town. For most of the 20th century, the 35’s passengers would have been workers in the factories along the length of the Derby Road. Smokers upstairs and, for a while, riding on trams and trolleybuses. At night going to a pub or catching a film at the Savoy Cinema. Now Old Bilborough village, c. 1933 the faces on the bus belong to students and nurses, patients and shoppers, workers and mums with buggies or pensioners like me with shopping trollies. The 35’s downhill dash to Nottingham skirts the city’s General Cemetery, where gravestones evoke endless stories. Listen carefully to the mobiles on the bus and you will hear the living telling theirs too. Robert Howard www.historybybus.org.uk. Bulwell to Moor Road Strelley House, Bulwell, c.1974 Broxtowe Hall, c.1835 Bulwell (1). Before boarding the Coleby Road (4). Alight here for bus at Bulwell Bus Station, be sure a walk around Broxtowe Country to have a look at Strelley House, Park (5), the former site of within yards of the Market Place and Broxtowe Colliery. Today the park dating from 1667. You can also pick is comprised of 46 hectares of up some provisions on market days: woodland and open green spaces. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and Moor Road (6). Hop off here for have a look at the (purported) site a walk around Bilborough village of the original Bulwell well inside the (7) on the south side of Strelley hardware shop near the bus station. Road. Look at St Martins Church, Headstocks (2). Sixty years ago, then head back over Wigman there were three working collieries: Road towards Strelley Village (8). Babbington, Broxtowe and Follow the Monks Way, a medieval Cinderhill. You will pass Broxtowe path, from the Broad Oak pub Hall Close (3) off Broxtowe Lane, up to the church. Take time to where Broxtowe Hall stood until walk around the churchyard, its demolition in the 1930s. The which is overlooked by the Hall, subsequent building of Broxtowe which is said to be haunted! housing estate uncovered From Strelley Village it’s just a Nottingham’s first Roman Fort. short walk to Oldmoor Wood More about this area can be found (9), wonderful any time of in Garden City, TravelRight’s guide the year, but particularly so to Aspley, Broxtowe and Cinderhill during bluebell season. www.travelright.org.uk/aspley Wigman Road Top to Wollaton Park Gates Strelley Village, c.1910 Wollaton Hall, c.1858 Rejoin the bus at Wigman Road Top enjoyable walk towards Derby (10) for a panoramic view of the city Road through Martin’s Pond nature as the 35 turns into Bracebridge reserve and Wollaton Park and Drive. As you pass Bracebridge Deer Park. Wollaton Hall (14) is Drive Shops (11) there is also one of England’s finest Elizabethan a magnificent view of Wollaton buildings, now a museum. Hall. Also see TravelRight’s guide As you leave the South Entrance to this area, A New World www. of Wollaton Park the bus can be travelright.org.uk/bilborough picked up again at Wollaton Park Wollaton Vale (12). Just south of Gates (15). Alternatively, cross the railway was the Nottingham the road for a stroll around the Canal. To the west, part of the grounds of Nottingham University. old canal has become a nature Enjoy its green spaces, walled reserve and makes for a fascinating and formal gardens and exotic historical walk. The full description plants. You can also visit Highfields of this walk, In Search of the Park (16), adjoining University Abandoned Nottingham Canal Park. A ‘Gardens Guide and Tree can be found on my blog www. Walk’ is available online at www. parkviews.blogspot.co.uk travelright.org.uk/gardens Bramcote Lane (13) leads to Wollaton Dovecote (former home to 4000 pigeons) and village and marks the beginning of an Uni North Entrance to Lenton Boulevard Lenton Lodge, c.1905 A Norman font at Lenton St Anthony Back to the bus, and had you here. After the Priory’s dissolution stayed on board for this section, in 1538 some its stones were you will have seen the Abel Collins used to build Wollaton Hall. Almshouses (17), tracing their Back along the river and take the origins back to 1704. In contrast, back streets to Lenton Recreation Adams Hill is the site of some of Ground (22). Opened in 1888, it is Nottingham’s most expensive Nottingham’s oldest municipal park. homes. Behind is a golf course. To have a look round, alight On to Lenton Boulevard (23), at Uni North Entrance (18). where the street names, Cycle Road, Triumph Rd and Dunlop Three stops along, alight at Hillside Avenue remind us of the Raleigh (19) for a walk around Lenton. Here, Cycle factory, one of Nottingham’s Lenton Lodge (20) once marked major employers of days gone the edge of the Wollaton Hall by. The old Head Office building, Estate. Nottingham Canal passed now better known as the Marcus under Derby Road (the bridge still Garvey Centre, is still standing, exists) and the River Leen diverts with its many fine friezes. A website into the course of the old canal. about Raleigh featuring interviews Across the road and Hill Side road with workers can be found at takes you along the Leen to the site www.iworkedatraleigh.com of Lenton Priory (21), whose last Where Lenton Blvd meets Derby Rd Prior was executed for treason. The is the Savoy Cinema (24) opened graves of 27 nuns can be found in 1935 and featured in the film Savoy Cinema to City Angel Row General Cemetery, c. 1841 Canning Circus, c.1895 ‘Saturday Night & Sunday Morning’, garrisoned in the town. Garrison based on Alan Sillitoe’s novel of the Lane, by Park Stores, is a reminder same name about working class of this. Adjacent to it, the Park life in Nottingham. Behind are the Estate (28) is well worth walking Lenton Flats, built in the 1960s around. Just beyond, looking and now being demolished. Join south, there is a panoramic view the bus here for a lift up the hill. towards the countryside. Canning Circus (25) is where If you’re walking directly into town seven roads meet. On the north from Canning Circus you’ll find side is the entrance to the city’s The Park Tunnel (29), a unique General Cemetery (26) through architectural feature connecting the middle of almshouses Derby Rd (by Budgens) to the erected by George Canning. Park. Also Nottingham Roman The Cemetery offers a downhill Catholic Cathedral (30) on your walk into the City, coming out right (note that the 35 only across from the main Nottingham stops here when leaving city.) Trent University Campus (27) The final stop, for the purposes of and Shakespeare Street. this guide, is Nottingham Central Alternatively, go southwards, Library (31), Angel Row. Head to the crossing over Derby Road. This first floor, Nottingham Local Studies road was once notorious for Library, where librarians with a highwaymen and Nottingham wealth of knowledge will be happy so riotous that dragoons were to help you to keep exploring. 2 8 6 B 2 8 6 B H U C K N A L L R O A D 2 8 6 B R a v T e E n s E w R o T r S t h N I R A d M C om S m e e l rc le ia r l ’s Rd H U C W K N A o L L o R d O d 1 A D R D r i S Bestwood d v t & Arnold History Guide BULWELL A o e lb a P n Rd o e a s ad d gl R uth s So t e d o W an w l L il h R s City Centre d w p o m e KIMBERLEY L H on the #35 Bus L R a a ym y ed b e D o rive d ur NUTHALL ne Dr R ive A l n l d i o H ve t U r en h C R c N K d s N e r A r o L C L R d t O r t A o f de D i s n n i g n a i G h a C m P a D k R r D L R L NO a AR d n Ave d e nia n a R PHOENIX PARK rit ARBORETUM B d l e i 0 Heathfield Rd f 1 2 s 6 A RD A 6 H n 1 LD UC 0 NO KN A a AR LL 27 RO AD Key W Shak M B a esp a ve ear g r e St n le y a T t y S S ll R rd K o S a d rf R te t A a 26 W W HW David Lane T e U s O S VICTORIA u CINDERHILL o 25 h CENTRESherwood d BASFORD & Arnold e #35 Bus Route o BELLS LANE N o n L a i u n c W L t o Walking or Cycling Route l BROXTOWE h n s S l a t Basford T l l D l V h Walking Route only 29 A e E e COUNTRY PARK ne R R O N a R B L O R we d N Y 30 A Major Road o R o E n xt O p L g ro A e L e B 28 D A l Vw R a M ow Minor Road 5 C H d l Long Row U Nk a R O CH R T i 3 S T d 31 T l IN Motorway e G t n H M A S n M u R a T O s Rail Line N ½ MILE 4 A r e D R io A m D n a e F J Park / Countryside O n R W a D BROXTOWE L R a Industrial Estate THE PARKO e CITY CENTRE A y n e D a N y w O L Toucan Crossing T STRELLEY o T r a e IN t at G a x G H i h A r W ASPLEY t M Monks Way (remains of) o r CASTLEo