Sneinton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Map sources for Sneinton at grid reference SK585401
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Sneinton (pronounced Snenton) is a south-eastern suburb of Nottingham, England. The area is bounded by Carlton to the north, Colwick to the south, Meadow Lane to the southwest and Bakersfield to the east. Sneinton Dale is the main connecting road through the district. The area is famous for the windmill which still stands at Sneinton Hermitage.
The original district of Sneinton was built around the brickworks, founded in the nineteenth century, at the eastern end of Sneinton Dale and most of the existing terraced houses date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The brickworks themselves, however, have long since been demolished to make way for modern housing.
In 1801 the population of Sneinton stood at just 588. Sneinton was then no more than a village about a mile outside of Nottingham town centre, and stood high on a ridge overlooking the valley of the River Trent. Within just 50 years, however, the population had grown to 8,440 (1851 estimate). With the population continuing to rise, Sneinton was officially incorporated into the borough of Nottingham in 1877. By 1901, the population stood at 23,093.
Sneinton was the birthplace of the mathematician George Green (born 1793) who lived in the village windmill; also of William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, and who was born in 1829 in the house which is now The William Booth Birthplace Museum. Another famous son of Sneinton was the bare knuckle boxing champion, Bendigo. A public house in the area still proudly bears a statue of the figure above its door, though is now named "The Hermitage".
During World War Two, Sneinton was targeted in air raids. The industrial units on Meadow Lane suffered direct hits.
Sneinton Market is an open air market in the British tradition; it is situated at the western end of Sneinton, where the district meets the city proper. The windmill still stands and has become Green's Windmill and Science Centre. Opposite the windmill there used to stand the (now demolished) Nottinghamshire County Lunatic Asylum.
Once notorious for social problems such as crime and vandalism, Sneinton has enjoyed a renaissance, with many of the old Victorian properties being bought and developed by young professionals. However, crime remains a minor problem in the area with an amount of drug-related crime, car and home burglary, and physical violence. Although a few in Nottingham consider Sneinton to be one of the more dangerous and crime-ridden areas in Nottingham, House prices in the area have enjoyed a healthy rise in recent years. Housing is still considerably cheaper in Sneinton than in Nottingham city center and some other suburbs of the city.
From the mid-20th Century onwards Sneinton absorbed a large influx of immigrants, mainly from the West Indies, India and Pakistan, Poland, and Africa. The area still retains its multi-cultural flavour, and has a diverse range of restaurants and stores.
The area has a number of community resources such as the Greenway Centre on Trent Lane [1], "TRACS" on Sneinton Hermitage, Oliver Hinde and the Sure Start Centre and many more. Most of these organisations run courses and activities for adults in the day, while evening sessions are often reserved for young people.
[edit] External links
- Explore the Region - Sneinton
- Sneinton.com - Sneinton Community Website
- Sneinton Market Official Website
The WEA currently run several adult courses in the Sneinton area though the community ICT project www.community-ict.org.uk
