Photographs | Lenton Times Articles | Memories
Aerial photographs of the Wollaton Park Estate probably taken in the late 1920s / early 1930s.
A map of the Wollaton Park Housing Estate as it looked in the early 1930s.
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Charnock Avenue |
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This is a picture postcard produced by J. Spree who produced a lot of images of the Lenton area in the 1920s and 1930s. Although we have no precise date when it was published the fact that the privet hedges are still in a vestigial state suggests it was not long after the houses were first built in the late 1920s. The youth, no doubt wearing his school clothes, has donned a pair of roller skates especially for the photographer s benefit. |
A 2009 shot of much the same scene as shown in the previous photograph, although the right-hand side also includes some of the houses that were built by private builders in the 1930s. The road ends in a cul-de-sac for motorists although pedestrians and those on bikes can still use the joint footpath that comes out by the side of Lenton Lodge. |
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Dorket Drive |
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The picture postcard of Dorket Drive was published soon after the Wollaton Park estate was completed. Middleton Boulevard must pass across in the distance and you can just see in the far distance one of the two-storey buildings that make up Farndon Green. |
For this 2014 view of part of Dorket Drive we are standing in much the same position as the earlier photographer in the previous shot. The copse of trees on the far left is visible but it is no longer possible to see as far as Farndon Green. |
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Farndon Green |
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This undated photograph produced by Rex postcard publishers focuses on No.2 Farndon Green (the sub-post office) with Toston Drive going off to the left and the bay window of No.1 Farndon Green just visible on the left of the picture |
No.4 Farndon Green is situated at the junction of Selston Drive and Broughton Drive. The current occupants trade under the title of the Dairy Box but like many suburban shops sell all manner of goods not just dairy products. |
This picture postcard produced by John Henry Spree in the late 1920s/early 1930s, shows two of the shops (No. 5 and No. 6.) on Farndon Green. Going off to the left is Scalford Drive while in the centre of the photograph is Toston Drive and we are looking back towards Middleton Boulevard and can see the houses on the far side of the Boulevard. The shop on the right has since been converted a private house and there is now a front garden where there used to be an asphalted forecourt. |
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It is quite difficult to create the same shot as in the Spree postcard shown in the previous image as the vegetation on the island has grown so much in the intervening years. So this is our best attempt, taken by Paul Bexon on Christmas Day 2020. |
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Orston Drive |
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In 1966 the Nottingham Guardian produced a feature article focussing on several of the residents who lived on Orston Drive. This is the newspaper photograph taken of Orston Drive that was used with the article. The cameraman was looking northwards along Orston Drive towards Orston Spinney. |
The individuals in this photograph have gathered in front of No.34 Orston Drive to have their photograph taken on V.E. Day 1945. The photographer is standing on Orston Drive Spinney - the railings having been taken down as part of the war effort and the chairs are set up on the road itself. |
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Lenton
Times Articles
Issue No.1 - October 1988
What The Council Did After They Bought Wollaton Park
The Crane Houses Of Wollaton Park
St. Mary's Church - Les Berry's History
The Farndon Green shops in the 1940s
Dorothy D. Thomas (née Bish) with some additional information added by the Lenton Times team.
No.1 Farndon Green housed a greengrocer's shop run by James and Gertrude Steeples and their son Maurice.
Cyril and Rita Gunn had the post office at No.2. Farndon Green. Newspapers and magazines were off to the left as you entered the shop. Then came a counter with its display of cigarettes (Woodbines - five for 6d.) sweets, and all sorts of different goodies. Then came the post office part of the shop with a grill that would be pulled down when not in use. Stamps for letters used to cost 2d. and then they went up to 2½d. which left my mother totally outraged for months afterwards. The Gunns' used to have different greetings cards kept in boxes whose prices ranged from 2d. or 3d. to very special ones for 6d. You just worked your way through the boxes until you found one at a price that suited your requirements. The Gunns also ran a small reading library where people paid to take a book away and then got some of their money back when they returned it. In the window space they also kept a large stock of bottles of pop with flavours such as dandelion & burdock, ice cream soda, lemonade and orangeade. It was a shop not to be forgotten!
No.3 Farndon Green housed a Co-op butcher's shop. I can remember the sawdust on the floor and a huge freezer where the sides of beef etc. were kept stored. Behind the counter there was a big wooden bench that was used to chop up joints or whatever else you wanted. On big rails at the back of the shop used to hang the likes of sausages, black puddings and polonies. Bill and his wife, Kath, used to run the shop and later on they both gave up butchery and went to work in the Co-op offices.
The Stones had No.4 Farndon Green. Maud Stones was a widow who ran a bakery there with her daughter Daphne. Their bread and cakes were really lovely.
No. 5 Farndon Green was the home to the Broomhead sisters. Eleanor Broomhead went off to work as a café manageress while her sister Fanny sold knitting wools and a range of clothes from No.5. I recall Miss Broomhead always being kind and helpful.
Alice Whetton and her daughter Hilda kept No.6 Farndon Green as a general grocery shop. John and Alice Whetton moved into the property in 1928 but John had died in 1934 leaving Alice to bring up two daughters and four sons, one of whom was handicapped. They were a lovely family.
Let us know your memories of the Wollaton Park Estate
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