Lenton, Nottingham

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Map sources for Lenton, Nottingham at grid reference SK555395

Lenton is an area of the City of Nottingham in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. Politically, it falls within the Nottingham South constituency. Most of the area lies within the electoral ward of "Dunkirk and Lenton", however the "Lenton Triangle" area, considered by most residents to be part of Lenton due to its similar character, falls into a neighbouring electoral ward. The name "Lenton", meanwhile, is derived from the River Leen, which runs nearby.

Lenton is largely a residential area, and is popular with students at the nearby University of Nottingham who choose to live off-campus. Indeed, the high proportion of students has led some local residents in recent years to campaign against what they perceive as the studentification of the area.

1 History
2 Lenton 900
3 Marcus Garvey Centre
4 Neighbouring Areas
5 External links

[edit] History

Lenton and its mills on the Leen get a mention in the Domesday Book in the late 11th century: “In Lentune 4 sochmen and 4 bordars have two ploughs and a mill.”

Lenton grew up around a Cluniac priory, which was founded in 1105. As the fortunes of Lenton Priory grew (becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in the country), so did the village of Lenton; by the time of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, Lenton village was well enough established to continue without its priory.

From the closure of the priory in 1538 to the late 1700s, Lenton was primarily a rural village, occupied mostly by those involved in agriculture. With the construction of the Nottingham Canal in the 1790s, however, a number of factories were built and the population grew rapidly, increasing from 893 in 1801 to 3077 in 1831. The 'New Lenton' area was formed to accommodate the expansion of both residential and industrial needs on what had previously been farmland. Much of the industry of Lenton, as with the Nottingham area as a whole, was related to lace.

Originally a separate village, outside Nottingham's city boundaries, Lenton became part of the city in 1877, when the boundaries were enlarged.

From the mid-20th Century onwards, Lenton absorbed a large number of immigrants from Britain's former colonial empire, especially the West Indies, India and Pakistan, and, increasingly, Africa. The area still maintains a strong multi-cultural flavour.

Unfortunately, Lenton has also been notorious for social problems associated with crime and poor housing. Much of the property is rented to students. The city council has responded with some regeneration and redevelopment schemes.

The area featured in nationwide news in February 2006 when a policewoman was shot while investigating a burglary at a Lenton house.

[edit] Lenton 900

In 2005 Lenton celebrated its nine-hundredth anniversary, a date which represented 900 years since the foundation of Lenton Priory. The centrepiece of the celebrations was a special festival held in the grounds of Lenton Priory Church on 21 May 2005.

[edit] Marcus Garvey Centre

The Marcus Garvey centre is a local West Indian community centre managed by West Indian Cavaliers, and located on Lenton Boulevard. Named after Marcus Mosiah Garvey, this venue is famous for its large music hall, the Ballroom, which has a capacity of around 1000. Events include ethnic drumming, singing and dancing classes; weddings; and local clubnights run by students from the universities, including Firefly and Detonate.

The Marcus Garvey centre also hosts day care facilities for African Caribbean elders, with a wide range of activities including bingo, raffle, needlework, dominoes, arts and crafts and a prayer meeting held on Friday Mornings. Fresh meals are available for a small charge. The centre has a library, an organ, music system, TV and video facilities. The building is wheelchair accessible.

This building was formerly part of the Raleigh bicycle company's development in Lenton, now largely demolished to make way for a new University of Nottingham campus.