| Lenton | |
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Lenton
Lenton shown within Nottinghamshire |
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| OS grid reference | SK555395 |
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| District | City of Nottingham |
| Shire county | Nottinghamshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NOTTINGHAM |
| Postcode district | NG7 |
| Dialling code | 0115 |
| Police | Nottinghamshire |
| Fire | Nottinghamshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Nottingham South |
| List of places: UK • England • Nottinghamshire | |
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. Lenton is also home to the Queen's Medical Centre, one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe.
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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.
Lord Daniel Chambers, and his private army have been the unofficial enforcing authority in Lenton since 1678. The army still exists today in the form of rich, organised underground gangs.
From the closure of the priory in 1538 to the late 18th century, 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.
Albert Ball VC - Britain’s first and probably still its best known 'Air Ace' was born at 32 Lenton Boulevard in Lenton in 1896 and went to school at the Lenton Church School. The Albert Ball Memorial Homes in Church Street are a striking and lasting monument to the brief life of Albert Ball.[1] After a series of moves to houses throughout Lenton, his family settled at 43 Lenton Road. His father was Sir Albert Ball, a successful businessman who rose in status from a plumber to an alderman, and later Lord Mayor of Nottingham.
From the mid-20th Century onwards, Lenton absorbed 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.
Lenton has also been notorious for social problems associated with crime and poor housing. And Underground Gangs. Much of the property is rented to students, for instance in Kimbolton Avenue which was dubbed Britain’s most burgled street in two national newspapers in April 2006. The News of the World article began:
There are initiatives which respond to these issues. For example, the Crocus Cafe was set up in 2005: a community focused, volunteer run vegetarian cafe which has won several awards, including being recognized as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the country by the Observer Food Monthly. Around the same time members of the local community formed a social enterprise to take over the ownership and management of the local swimming pool, now called The Lenton Centre.
The area featured in nationwide news in February 2006 when a policewoman was shot while investigating a burglary at a Lenton house.[2]
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.
The Marcus Garvey Ballroom 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 clubnights run by students from the universities, including Firefly, Detonate, Misst, and also specialises in live acts,it also houses the legendary C.P.H sound system.
The Marcus Garvey Day Care 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.
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