The Long Eaton & Sawley Archive  
Home > Welcome > Footpaths

The Parish Award of 1765 defines the various divisions of land and also the carriage roads, bridle roads, driftways and footpaths of that time. Many of the footpaths that existed in Long Eaton and Sawley were defined in the Parish Award. Some have now fallen into disuse whilst others have been diverted or turned into streets and roads. As the River Trent forms much of the southern boundary, several footpaths led to the various crossing points - fords and ferries.

The Award first mentions a footpath which led from the south end of the town, through various allotments towards Thrumpton Ferry. From this same path a second headed west towards Sawley, through a stile or gate. Other footpaths mentioned in the Award are difficult to locate without a map.

When the building of Trent College began in 1866, a footpath led from the Parish Church in the direction of Regent Street to a footbridge over the canal. From there it went along the bottom of the cemetery, across the park and along the bottom of the college, alongside Brown Brook (Golden Brook) to Wilsthorpe Road. It was thought to be unnecessary so it was closed in the face of strong opposition. Two public meetings (28th May and 7th June 1866) were called to support the protest. In spite of this the footpath was closed.

The Parish Award also defined a footpath leading from Main Street to Sawley Road (Tamworth Road). It was demolished in 1911-12 to make way for West Gate. This same footpath continued in the opposite direction across Main Street to Tythe Barn Lane (Station Street) and continued on to Nottingham Road. It's development happened in stages and is described in more detail on "The History Of Street Names" page.

"Lovers Walk" has now entirely disappeared. It began at the bottom end of Regent Street, passed across Oxford Street and "Haycroft Close" (a field enclosed by Oxford Street, Derby Road and Fletcher Street) to where the old Silverline Bingo Hall (ex-Scala Cinema) now stands. From there it crossed Derby Road towards Cranmer Street, then across fields near the River Erewash to a stile at Dockholme Lock.

"Church Nook" is the pathway which runs alongside St Laurence's Church. It originally continued across the old gas works site to join Toton Lane (Nottingham Road) where the railway crossing was before the present bridge was built. Another branch of this path connected with Waverley Street, led along Cross Street to Peel Street and then to the side of the railway line to the footbridge over the north end of the station that stood there at the time. The last section was diverted in 1928 after which it continued along Cross Street, passed along the side of the Trinity Church to join the footbridge. It then continued over Station Road, past Claye's Row to Meadow Lane.

In 1887, it was documented that "A footpath six feet wide from the Gibb Street end of the Twitchell to Chapel Street is an ancient footpath". This was probably a branch of the old Twitchell footpath by way of Chapel Street and South Street, which ran to the Thrumpton and Trent Lock footpaths. Chapel Street was declared a highway in 1876. White's Lane (once called Brook Lane, now Oakleys Road) was an occupation road to the Oaklea Mills across the corner of the field, through a passage, then across Co-operative Street and the Oaklea Meadow to the high line passing the Sheet Stores and Trent Lock. The first part was diverted along Oakleys Road to Oaklea Meadow in 1881. From the point where this footpath left White's Lane, another footpath led to the right over a stile and along to the side of the Brown Brook (Golden Brook) then past South Street to Orchard Street in front of North's Cottages. Later this footpath was diverted to the newly made Craig Street.

A footpath which was diverted to Barton Road when the high level railway was made, left Meadow Lane at a point where Holyoak Drive now stands, it led across the field at the back of the farm to the railway crossing which led to Barton Ferry. Another one left Meadow Lane on the opposite side and went diagonally across a sports field over the Erewash Railway curve and the Nottingham Railway into Trent Lane. This has long been closed. Another footpath which had to be diverted in 1878 to comply with street lines is the one which left Sawley Road (Tamworth road) at Nelson Street, for Cobden Street, Lower Brook Street, Stanley Street and Claye Street.

Information taken from the book "Sketches Of Long Eaton & District" by Arthur Hooper (librarian 1905-1938).

Home > Welcome > Footpaths

Search our site: