| Allenton | |
View south east from the 8 legged bridge known as the spider |
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Allenton
Allenton shown within Derbyshire |
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| Population | 13,744 (2001 Census) as part of the ward of Boulton |
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| OS grid reference | SK372320 |
| District | Derby |
| Shire county | Derbyshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DERBY |
| Postcode district | DE24 |
| Dialling code | 01332 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Derby South |
| List of places: UK • England • Derbyshire | |
Allenton is a suburb of the city of Derby, England, situated about three miles south of the city centre. It is located between the suburbs of Osmaston, Boulton, Alvaston and Shelton Lock.
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Allenton (formerly Allentown) was named after Isaac Allen who built the first houses there in 1878. One hundred and twenty thousand years ago, during a warmer part of the Ice Age, the whole area was a riverside swamp, and skeletons of a hippopotamus, elephant, brown bear, hyena and bison have been found there. The Allenton hippopotamus was found underneath the Crown Hotel (established in 1891) and its well-preserved skeleton is displayed at nearby Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
Allenton is as well known by its main landmark, the Spider Bridge. This footbridge over a roundabout is so named because it has eight 'legs' in four directions. Each direction has a set of steep steps and a stepped ramp (for easier disabled access). The Spider Bridge was erected in July 1971 and has been painted various colours over the years.
Allenton has a cosmopolitan outdoor market, although this has been in decline in recent years. The suburban shopping centre is among the largest in Derby although there are few high street chains except for Boots, Somerfield and Greggs. A functional sculpture by Michael Dan Archer was installed in the shopping centre in 2007.[1] Commissioned by Derby City Council, it forms a circular seating area on which are laser-scanned copies and models of some of the key bones of the Allenton Hippo skeleton at Derby Museum and Art Gallery[2]
Allenton has several fast food outlets including Al Pharoh, the Egyptian and Mediterranean takeaway, The Crest of the Wave, Chip Shop, Fung Wong Chinese, Balti House, Allenton Kebabs, Pizza Romance. Within the shopping area and at each end of the shops is a public house: The Mitre and The Crown Inn (see Crown Hotel above). There are schools, dentists and doctors, beauty salons, hairdressers and a flower shop. The local fire station is just a few hundred yards from the shops offering an excellent level of response. The old Derby Canal has long since been transformed into a bicycle track with tarmacadam surface. This track offers access by bicycle from Allenton into Derby city centre – it is part of the National Cycle Network. Allenton has a large number of employees in the aero-engine industry as Rolls-Royce plc has its jet engine production facility adjacent to Allenton.
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