A Hucknall History

Archaic Area Addressing

Main Street Yards

Archaic Hucknall Huthwaite Yard names all commonly predate need for modern Huthwaite street addressing. They simply identified a cluster or row of rentable dwellings privately developed by landowners. Some reflect surname of owner landlords, others share an associated business interest, while most are recognised extending off west side the future named Main Street.

Hopkins Yard

Hopkins relates very wealthy landowners having long had double distinction not just claiming lower Yard cornering south end Main Street atop Blackwell Road, but initially recognising that ancient roadway connecting Derbyshire called Hopkins Lane.

Hopkins family surname was later responsible for constructing at least one terraced row of housing lining that later renamed Blackwell Road, while possessing several other Huthwaite plots.

This once very grand four bedroom residence is where Thomas Hopkins himself resided at 10 Main Street, up until the London Gazette announced his death dated 10 January 1951. Solicitors Bryan & Armstrong sold off his late estate by auction at the Peacock Hotel. This property had boasted rare luxury of not only a plumbed bathroom but also an indoor W.C.. It sold for £920, and has thereafter fallen into a neglected state while owned by Bettison. A brothers marriage between Roy and Jackie Liniker presents my current landlady, whose father purchased most of the corner yard cottages and outbuildings fronted by a block of adjacent housing, all suitably converted into present flats.

Dickens Yard

Adjacent property constructed roadside serving Huthwaite News fronted a few far older cottages including the Smithy workshop. Thirty years before 1881 census offered reference to Dickens Yard, that Blacksmith workshop introduced a 60 year old William Dickens establishing his old trade, married to 39 year old Sarah.

Family name Bill Dickens passed down generations, although their yard area was much more commonly called the Smithy, as shown mapped in 1884. The now private driveway then further extended west into one of three marked Brick Yards

Roof line of the newsagents rear garage made converted use of one smaller cottage, lastly homing Mrs O'Brien retiring from the next door shop afterwards run by J. Bromley. That block fronted another old yard dwelling, since rebuilt named Rose Cottage.

Peacock Yard

Another pre 1900 roadside block of shops closely fronted three Peacock Yard cottages added to farm pub outbuildings.

Original Peacock Hotel driveway shifted from right side along left side following clearance of all substandard properties. Losing 3 confined yard cottages opened up a car park. Grand view revealing end cottage plus The Orchards roof line at back, just before modernisation also removed much more prestigious properties built rear with imposing 1872 grandeur by John Thomas Boot.

Boots Yard

Pub driveway since shares modern sign posted roadway entry through to "Boots Yard and The Orchards." These area names offer historic recognition to rear yard grounds firstly developed by J T Boot with an 1872 family mansion called The Orchards.

The modernised Boots Yard has extended addressing for the Peacock Hotel on right, and one similar aged residence on left side the private driveway. Just beyond those is a totally redeveloped cul-de-sac filled by 1970s bungalows. They replaced all original Boots Yard properties, including the once grandest Huthwaite dwelling named The Orchards, plus The Sycamores. Mrs Iris Evans proudly retained the date stone set into her garden wall, remembering its pride of place above the former property doorway.

Wrights Yard

Farmer Robert Wright opened his Workpeoples Inn on opposite bottom corner Chesterfield Road about 1876. He anticipated need to serve and further help house a forthcoming influx of mining families attracted into the recently sunk New Hucknall Colliery.

Sloping farmland rising rearward sited full extent of Wright's Yard by constructing terraced roadside housing. Directly behind the pub shows the Marshall home starting their newsagents business nearest end a more commonly addressed Harper Terrace. Main Street butchers shop is where Kath Wright retired in 2003. She sold off that lastly retained private family yard in 2013.

Their Workies pub had long ago been bought out by Home Ales Brewery. Family were left angered though by a demolition order demanding clearance of all their sturdily constructed Harper Terrace row. Exploring remaining foundations noted relatively small room sizes, but visible problem came after narrowing Harper Lane next asserted Station Road. Widening that to lay a far busier Chesterfield Road also affected several other roadside premises.

Pilsworth Yard

John Pilsworth fulfilled 1862 multiple roles of Farmer, Butcher and Hosiery Agent, before John Berriff Pilsworth claimed same 1884 interests also joined by Hosier G Pilsworth. Pilsworth Yard curved a short path into Club Yard, gaining entry later cornered by a lean too shop added to Wright's butchers. Showing 1945 boot repairer J Martin is where the related Bradshaw family were homed.

Rare glimpse of yard rooftops in centre background over a packed Market Place audience, is where Nellie Marson was addressed at number 16. Same 1932 year Elijah Stones died in Pilsworth's Yard aged 77 years, and one house owner focused Huthwaite Councillor debates regarding the 1930s Slum Act. They'd issued notice condemning older cottage owned by Mr A Taylor, with powers to charge cost of forcefully demolishing it themselves. His unapproved improvements wishing to convert the property into a wash house were dismissed as less important than opening up healthy air for neighbouring cottages. More stringent Slum Acts eventually cleared away all decrepit old yards, replacing Pilsworth with Swanson Avenue extending through all following areas.

Club Yard

The club owning land and renting out properties naming Club Yard finds a charmingly titled Good Intent Friendly Society. A footpath entry beside former chapel come Gem Picture Palace site added wider roadway access via Pilsworth Yard to connect Back Lane.

This Friendly Society seems also held club interests in Sutton, until dissolved by an Insurance Act to find 1913 auctioned sale in Huthwaite at the Peacock Hotel for three plots, two relating this Huthwaite Yard.

Six society owned houses had been let by John Copestake plus others at a rental of £51 2s 8d per annum. They were purchased by Mr. G W Briggs of Sutton, for £309. Another piece of land at about 128 sq. yards was bought by Mr. G. Bostock for £15.

Bower family album presents Miss Eliza Ann Hallam, as a wed Mrs Carrington residing at 37 Club Yard. Press reports uncover others.
1917 No 37 The Kilcline family notify death of son Private John Cline
1932 at No 28 a case of child cruelty jails Baden Powell Hayes
1932 at No 51 Mrs. H. Stopps dies at the age of 61.
1933 and the Gascoigne family lose eldest miner son Samuel.

A 1935 demolition order issued by Huthwaite Urban Councillors on Nos. 22, 24, 26 and 28 was successfully appealed against at the Mansfield Court. Westminster Bank acted as executors of a deceased Mr H W Cook. Significant alterations were demanded, though high cost at near £50 per dwelling seemed an acceptable future investment for those Bank trustees.

Modern housing replaced former premises between Main Street entrances, but part of that old yard walkway was kept for sharing rear access between Swanson Avenue council built housing.

Swan Yard

A fuller titled White Swan beerhouse was earliest pub sign likely emerging from the 18th century among poor Hucknall Huthwaite farmlands. Grounds best supported a significant number of buildings, developing and naming Huthwaite's largest Swan Yard.

Entry into Swan Yard connecting through to Back Lane shared pub access off Main Street, replaced by semi detached houses.

The Nottinghamshire Home Brewery took over the pub before owners of Swan Yard were given fair warning and estimates in 1932 by the Huthwaite Council surveyor, to meet all necessary improvements. Unfortunately without disclosing any details.

Hezekiah Holland presents one notable keeper while cottages homed his brother Jeremiah plus their retired father inside Yard.

WWI claimed life of George Fox. A father of four with a widowed Sarah Elizabeth at number 20. Swan Yard parents at number 10 mourned their WWII son Private Leonard Robinson. Reportage finds more residents with John Dobbs at number 24 in 1926.   George Moakes left his widow at number 8 in 1935, to similarly date Thomas Sissons after 44 years living in Swan Yard.

Sampsons Yard

A broadly recognised surname cannot yet assert which individual founded this Sampson's Yard in Hucknall Huthwaite. Titled 1951 pathway maps a few properties midway up to Back Lane, through narrow entry retained between c1900 roadside terraced rows. A redundant passage was blocked off by a lean-too car port, to be filled by a garage lastly transformed with additional flat above.

Sampson Yard isn't found attracting any Council attention, so reported deaths of residents offers only clue dating origins. A former Blackwell Road School teacher Miss Clarke was the married Mrs Hannah Maskell who died 1932 aged 67. Along with two sisters Mrs A Drabble and Mrs T G Evans, all had been born in Hucknall Huthwaite on Sampson's Yard. Likewise for Mr Luke Allsop born c1864. That local sportsmen was youngest of 12 children, outliving them all by reaching 70 years of age. He'd stayed in the yard 34 years before setting up his marital home nearby on Main Street.   A 76 year old Mrs Sarah Ann Goddard calculates her 1859 yard birthday, where Mrs Elethea Roberts from Pinxton passed away at number 63 that same November 1935. Chris Shaw confirms 1906 year of birth for his grandmother here, raised by Mr Arthur and Mrs Emma Fox naming their daughter Miss Mary Ellen Fox.

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