Hucknall () is a market town in the
Ashfield district of
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
, England, north of
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
, southeast of
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in the Ashfield District of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of 25,265 (according to the 2001 National Census), it is a part of the wider Mansfield Urban Area. Kirkby-in-Ashfield lies on the ea ...
, from
Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
and south of
Sutton-in-Ashfield
Sutton-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 36,404 in 2021. It is the largest town in the district of Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Ashfield, four miles west of Mansfield, from the Derbyshire border and ...
.
Hucknall is on the west bank of the
Leen Valley, on land which rises from the
Trent Valley in the south and extends northwards to
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in the Ashfield District of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of 25,265 (according to the 2001 National Census), it is a part of the wider Mansfield Urban Area. Kirkby-in-Ashfield lies on the ea ...
. The
Whyburn Brook flows through the town centre.
Farleys Brook marks its southern boundary. Due to the mass amount of housing and industrial estates along the southside of the town. Hucknall is contiguous with the wider City of Nottingham with the suburbs of
Bulwell
Bulwell is a market town and former civil parish in the Nottingham district, in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. It is south-west of Hucknall and to the north-west of Nottingham. The United Kingdom Census 2011 recorded the p ...
and
Bestwood Village
Bestwood Village is a village and civil parish in the Gedling district of Nottinghamshire.
Until 1 April 2018 it was part of the civil parish of Bestwood St. Albans. The population count was 2,223 at the 2021 census. A small part of the vill ...
to the south and southeast.

The town's highest point is Long Hill, at above sea level, with views over the city and Trent Valley, which descends to 22–24 metres (72–79 ft)
AOD, flowing just beyond most of the city centre.
The town is surrounded by farmland or parkland. To the north-west lie
Misk Hills and
Annesley
Annesley is a village and civil parish in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 1,162 (including Annesley Woodhouse to the west), and this inc ...
. To the north-east of the town are the villages of
Linby
Linby is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. The nearest town is Hucknall which is immediately to the south-west. The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small stre ...
and
Papplewick
Papplewick is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England, north of Nottingham and south of Mansfield. It had a population of 756 at the 2011 census (which included a rural unparished area south of and including Burntstump Hill), ...
, and beyond these two,
Newstead Abbey
Newstead Abbey, in Nottinghamshire, England, was formerly an Augustinian priory. Converted to a domestic home following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. The Abbey is on the national ...
and its grounds, once the residence of
Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
. To the west lies
Eastwood, birthplace of
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, literary critic, travel writer, essayist, and painter. His modernist works reflect on modernity, social alienation ...
and an inspiration for many of his novels and short stories. To the east of the town is Bestwood Country Park.
The contiguous settlements of
Butler's Hill and
Westville often appear as distinct entities on maps, but are generally seen as parts of Hucknall. They belong to its historic and present-day
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
, although the town itself has no
civil parish council. The identity is reinforced by being part of the
post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in t ...
and by being shared
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of Hucknall.
Etymology
Hucknall was recorded as ''Hokeuhale'' (n.d.) and ''Hokenale'' (n.d.), suggesting "nook of land of Hōcanere" (a
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
), from Old English ''halh'' (
haugh
Haugh may refer to:
People
* Daniel Haugh (born 1995), American athlete
*David Haugh (born 1968), American sports journalist
*Gabrielle Haugh, American actress
* John Haugh (1930–1998), Irish hurler
* Kevin Haugh (1901–1969), Irish barrister ...
). This same tribe's name occurs in
Hook Norton
Hook Norton is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It lies northeast of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Chipping Norton, close to the Cotswold Hills. The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded ...
,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
. It has been suggested that the name Hucknall once referred to a larger area on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Two other settlements in the locality are called Hucknall; Hucknall-under-Huthwaite, in Nottinghamshire, (known today as
Huthwaite
Huthwaite is a village in the Ashfield district, in Nottinghamshire, England, located to the west of Mansfield, close to the Derbyshire boundary. It is in the Huthwaite and Brierley ward of Ashfield District Council. Before 1907 the village w ...
) and
Ault Hucknall
Ault Hucknall (Old English: ''Hucca's nook of land'') is a village and civil parish in the Bolsover (borough), Bolsover district of Derbyshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,053.
Local residents describe ...
in Derbyshire. It is likely that Hucknall Torkard marked the southern boundary of this larger Hucknall Area.
In the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
(1086 CE) the name appears as ''Hochenale'' (volume 1, pp. 288–290).
History
Hucknall was once a thriving market town. Its focal point is the
Church of St Mary Magdalene, next to the town's market square.
The church was built by the Anglo-Saxons and completed after the Norman Conquest, though its medieval chancel, nave, north aisle and tower were much restored and enlarged in the Victorian period.
[ In 1872 a south aisle was added and in 1887 unusually long transepts, while the rest of the building apart from the tower was thoroughly restored. The top tower stage and the south porch are 14th-century. There are 25 stained-glass windows by ]Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe (29 June 1837 – 29 April 1907) was a British Victorian era designer and manufacturer of stained glass. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lychg ...
, installed mostly in the 1880s, and a modest memorial to Lord Byron.
From 1295 until 1915, the town was known as Hucknall Torkard, taken from Torcard, the name of a dominant landowning family. Signs of the earlier name can be seen on some older buildings.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
was discovered and mined heavily throughout the Leen Valley
The Leen Valley is the wide valley formed by the River Leen within the county of Nottinghamshire.
The Leen Valley was once an important centre for hosiery and coal mining industries. Today, although light manufacturing continues, the valley is ...
, which includes Hucknall. This brought wealth to the town and three railway lines. The first was the Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...
(later LMS) line from Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
to Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
and Worksop
Worksop ( ) is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located south of Doncaster, south-east of Sheffield and north of Nottingham. Located close to Nottinghamshire's borders with South Yorkshire and Derbys ...
, which closed to passengers on 12 October 1964, though partly remained as a freight route serving collieries
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extrac ...
at Hucknall, Linby
Linby is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. The nearest town is Hucknall which is immediately to the south-west. The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small stre ...
and Annesley
Annesley is a village and civil parish in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, between Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 1,162 (including Annesley Woodhouse to the west), and this inc ...
. The Hucknall station
Hucknall station, also formerly known as Hucknall Byron station, is a railway station and tram stop in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England. It is located on the Robin Hood railway line, north of Nottingham, and is also the northern terminus of ...
on this line was known as Hucknall Byron in its latter years. In the 1990s the line was reopened to passengers in stages as the Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in England. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell (inclusive) are in the county of Derbyshire.
Passenger services are operated by East Midlands R ...
, the section through Hucknall in 1993, with a new station on the site of the old "Byron", though simply called Hucknall. The second was the Great Northern Railway Great Northern Railway or Great Northern Railroad may refer to:
Australia
* Great Northern Railway (Queensland) in Australia
* Great Northern Rail Services in Victoria, Australia
*Central Australia Railway was known as the great Northern Railway ...
(later LNER LNER or L.N.E.R. may refer to:
*London and North Eastern Railway (1923–1947), a former railway company in the United Kingdom
*London North Eastern Railway (2018–), a train operating company in the United Kingdom
* Liquid neutral earthing resi ...
) route up the Leen Valley and on to Shirebrook
Shirebrook is a town and civil parish in the Bolsover District of Derbyshire, England.OS Explorer Map 270: Sherwood Forest: (1:25 000): It had a population of 13,300 at the 2021 Census. The town is on the B6407 road and close to the A632 road ...
, serving many of the same places as the Midland south of Annesley. It closed to passengers on 14 September 1931, but remained in freight use until 25 March 1968. The station on this line was known as Hucknall Town. The third was the Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its Great Central Main Line, London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company ...
(also LNER), the last main line built from the north of England to London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, which opened on 15 March 1899. The stretch through Hucknall closed fully on 5 September 1966, but Hucknall Central station had closed earlier, on 4 March 1963.
From 1894 until 1974 Hucknall was the seat of Hucknall Urban District
Hucknall was an urban district in Nottinghamshire, England, from 1894 to 1974.
It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 based on the Hucknall Torkard urban sanitary district. It was centred on the town of Hucknall. In 1935 it gained ...
Council. With the abolition of the UDC, local government was transferred to Ashfield.
In 1956 the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Hucknall
The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Hucknall is a parish church in the Church of England in the Westville suburb of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
History
The church was built in 1956 and further extended in 1985. It is a hexagonal-shaped buil ...
was built to serve western parts of Hucknall.
Heritage
The Hucknall Tourism and Regeneration Group has a mission statement to "help Hucknall regain its position as a strong, viable town, attract visitors to the town, to help increase its economy and to raise awareness of our heritage to both visitors and residents."
The Hucknall Tourism and Regeneration Group (HTRG) was inaugurated in 2002. It consists of people from all aspects of Hucknall life, who have a desire to help regenerate the town, primarily through tourism, after the devastating loss of the mining industry and large portions of the textile industry. Members of the group include residents, business owners, volunteer workers and councillors. HTRG works with other well-established organisations such as the Hucknall Round Table, the Rotary Club of Hucknall, Hucknall Heritage Society, the Eric Coates Society, St Mary Magdalene Church, Ashfield District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes the city of ...
, Hucknall Library and volunteer organisations, to prevent duplication of work and ensure the town is working together.
The group seeks opportunities to promote the town through radio interviews, newspaper coverage, street exhibitions, events, leaflets and posters. Heritage trails have been designed, one for the town centre and a 20-mile (32 km) circular trail. To complement these trails, leaflets have been produced and free guided walks/bus tours take place throughout the spring and summer months.
The town centre was pedestrianised in 2017, and an inner relief road opened from Annesley Road through to Station Street.
Transport
Railways
Railway history in Hucknall and the wider Ashfield District involved branch lines and sidings serving the area's collieries and factories. The town's five stations were as follows:
*Hucknall Town
Hucknall Town Football Club is a football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England. The club is a member of the and plays at the RM Stadium.
History
Hucknall Town were renamed from Hucknall Colliery Welfare in 1987 and for ...
was on the Nottingham to Shirebrook Branch Line and served the town. It closed in the 1930s and the line in 1968. The site is now occupied by a supermarket and its garage.
* Hucknall Central on the Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line (GCML), also known as the London Extension is a former main line railway in the United Kingdom. The line was opened in 1899, built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR), which had been renamed t ...
from Nottingham Victoria to Sheffield Victoria. The station closed in the 1960s and the site has been redeveloped. The bridge and cutting are still traceable.
*Linby
Linby is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. The nearest town is Hucknall which is immediately to the south-west. The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small stre ...
in the nearby village of Linby, was on the Nottingham Victoria to Shirebrook Branch Line. It closed in the 1930s, as did the line in 1968.
* Linby (GNR) on the Leen Valley Extension Lines. Closed 1916 and the line in 1960s. Now a footpath.
*Hucknall
Hucknall () is a market town in the Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England, north of Nottingham, southeast of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, from Mansfield and south of Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Hucknall is on the west ba ...
is on the Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in England. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell (inclusive) are in the county of Derbyshire.
Passenger services are operated by East Midlands R ...
. It is the main station.
Trams
The town is the northern terminus for the Nottingham Express Transit
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is a tram system in Nottingham, England.
The concept of a modern tramway to reduce road congestion and promote urban renewal was formally identified during the late 1980s while detailed planning was undertake ...
tram system and has a station on the Robin Hood Line
The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in England. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell (inclusive) are in the county of Derbyshire.
Passenger services are operated by East Midlands R ...
. There is also a tram stop at Butler's Hill/Broomhill. The tram line was built in 2002–2004 and currently runs from Hucknall to the Toton Lane terminus. Since 2015, trams pass through central Nottingham to Clifton and Toton Lane.
Bus
Hucknall is primarily served by Trentbarton
Trentbarton (stylised in all lowercase) is a bus operator providing both local and regional services in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, England. It is a subsidiary of the Wellglade Group.
History
In October 19 ...
. The Threes into Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
and Mansfield
Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
, Connect and which serves the West Hucknall Estates and links to the tram and other services.
The 141 hourly bus to Sutton-in-Ashfield
Sutton-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 36,404 in 2021. It is the largest town in the district of Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Ashfield, four miles west of Mansfield, from the Derbyshire border and ...
provides a link to surrounding villages such as Linby
Linby is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. The nearest town is Hucknall which is immediately to the south-west. The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small stre ...
, Blidworth
Blidworth is a village and civil parish approximately five miles east of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 4,457, this dropped to 4,295 in the 2021 census. Its history can be traced ...
and Rainworth
Rainworth is a village in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England. It is split between the local government districts of Newark and Sherwood and Mansfield.OS Explorer Map 270: Sherwood Forest: (1:25 000): To th ...
which is run by Stagecoach
A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...
.
Road
The town used to be on the A611, but this now bypasses it to the west with a single-carriageway road with roundabouts and access to junction 27 of the M1, some 3 miles (5 km) away.
Education
The National Academy was founded in 1788 by Frederick Ward and originally located at the southern end of Annesley Road. It relocated in the 1970s to a new build still on Annesley Road but at the north end of the town, near the roundabout of the B6011 road
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme
In Great Britain, there is a numbering scheme used to Categorization, classify and identify all roads. Eac ...
. The National School has a large science block with 10 labs and an astro-turf playing area, both opened in 2004 by Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
. The school has an eco-friendly building.
The Holgate Academy is on Hillcrest Drive in Beauvale, to the west of the bypass.
Holy Cross Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Leen Mills Lane, next to Leen Mills Primary School. It is a feeder primary school to Christ The King Academy in Arnold. It was voted third best school in Nottinghamshire in 2014 and in 2015.
Hucknall Sixth Form Centre is on Portland Road, near the Byron Bingo Club, and now houses the sixth form
In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...
provision for The National Academy The Holgate Academy and Queen Elizabeth's Academy
Queen Elizabeth's Academy (formerly The Queen Elizabeth's Endowed School) is a co-educational Church of England secondary school and sixth form located in Mansfield in the English county of Nottinghamshire.
History
The school was first establi ...
. The building was previously home to New College Nottingham
Nottingham College is one of the largest further education and higher education colleges in the United Kingdom. Based in the city of Nottingham in England, it provides education and training from pre-entry through to university-degree level at i ...
.
Trading
Hucknall's Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
superstore opened in 2003, creating a number of jobs for the town. In 2008, the store was extended to convert it to Tesco Extra. A Tesco Express store was opened in early January 2009 in Annesley Road.
Other shop branches in Hucknall include Card Warehouse, Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
* Argus (Greek myth), several characters in Greek mythology
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer in the United Kingdom
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
...
, B&M Bargains, Home Bargains
T.J. Morris Limited (trading as Home Bargains) is a British variety store and garden centre chain founded in 1976 by Tom Morris in Liverpool, England, as Home and Bargain.
History
The retailer was founded by owner Tom Morris in 1976 as a sing ...
, Bird's Bakery, Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
, Peacocks
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred to ...
, Specsavers
Specsavers Optical Group Limited is a Guernsey-based multinational optical retail chain, which operates mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Nordic countries. The chain offers optometry and optician services for ey ...
, Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, Aldi
Aldi (German pronunciation: ), stylised as ALDI, is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 12,000 stores in 18 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and ...
, Co-Operative Food
Co-op is a UK supermarket chain and the brand used for the food retail business of The Co-operative Group, one of the world's largest consumer co-operatives. As the UK's fifth largest food retailer, Co-op operates nearly 2,400 food stores. It ...
, and Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...
. Independent local retailers include Branson's DIY store and Aquatic centre, Lawrence Severn and Son Ltd, butchers, and SP Electronics computer services.
Lloyds have branch banks in the High Street; NatWest
National Westminster Bank, trading as NatWest, is a major Retail banking, retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the Corporate merger, merger of National Provincial Bank and We ...
, HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
customers now have limited service via the Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
.
Hucknall has a Friday Market in the newly pedestrianised High Street. Ashfield District Council has additionally more recently agreed to run a Saturday market.
When Costa Coffee
Costa Limited, trading as Costa Coffee, is a coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, England, that operates in the United Kingdom and 37 other countries.
Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa (co ...
opened a branch in Hucknall High Street in 2014, its local job advertisement attracted over 1,300 applicants. A new branch of McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
opened in November 2019, at a cost of £1,000,000, after the firm had appealed against a planning committee ban on grounds of noise, anti-social behaviour, smells and litter.
Industry
Mining
Hucknall was a colliery town from 1861 to 1986. The sinking of the mines caused Hucknall to grow into a market town in under a century. The Hucknall Colliery Company, formed in 1861, sank two shafts, Hucknall No. 1 colliery (Top Pit) in 1861 off Watnall Road (closed 1943), and Hucknall No. 2 colliery (Bottom Pit) in 1866 off Portland Road (closed 1986).
Rolls-Royce
Hucknall Airfield
Hucknall Aerodrome was a former general aviation and RAF aerodrome located north north-west of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, and west of Hucknall town. The aerodrome had been operated by the Merlin Flying Club since 1971 and then by ...
, built in 1916, became RAF Hucknall
Hucknall Aerodrome was a former general aviation and RAF aerodrome located north north-west of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, and west of Hucknall town. The aerodrome had been operated by the Merlin Flying Club since 1971 and then by ...
. From 1927, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
began using the airfield for flight tests. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the aerodrome at Hucknall launched the first flight of a P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...
fitted with a Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
Merlin Engine. The Merlin, replacing the earlier Allison V-1710
The Allison V-1710 aircraft engine designed and produced by the Allison Engine Company was the most common United States, US-developed V12 engine, V-12 Internal combustion engine cooling, liquid-cooled engine in service during World War II. Ve ...
engine, allowed the Mustang air frame to reach its full potential and achieve spectacular high-altitude performance.
In the early 1950s, the Rolls-Royce site at Hucknall developed the world's first vertical-takeoff jet aircraft – actually a test rig, officially called the Thrust Measuring Rig, but soon nicknamed the '' Flying Bedstead'' because of its shape. The first untethered flight, piloted by Capt. Ron Shepherd, took place on 3 August 1954 before a distinguished audience. The rig rose slowly into the air and hovered steadily. It moved forward, made a circuit of the area, then demonstrated sideways and backwards movements, before making a successful landing. The flight was followed over the next four months by a number of free flights up to a height of 50 ft. There were pubs in Hucknall called ''The Flying Bedstead'' and ''The Harrier''. Rolls-Royce's flight test centre closed in 1971, but engines were tested there until late 2008. Some components are still manufactured at the site.
In December 1940, during World War II, a German prisoner-of-war, Franz von Werra
Franz Xaver Freiherr von Werra (13 July 1914 – 25 October 1941) was a German World War II fighter pilot and flying ace who was shot down over Britain and captured. He was the only Axis prisoner of war to escape from Canadian custody and re ...
, attempted to escape by posing as a Dutch pilot and flying off in a Hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
fighter. He was arrested at gunpoint as he sat in the cockpit trying to learn the controls, and returned to his camp in Swanwick, Derbyshire
Swanwick () is a village in Derbyshire, England, also a parish within the Amber Valley district, with a population of 5,316 at the 2001 census, falling to 5,084 at the 2011 Census. It has a number of shops, pubs and other businesses, a Church o ...
. Franz von Werra was eventually the only German PoW to succeed in returning to Germany, when he escaped from Canada to the United States, then to Mexico and into South America, over a period from January to April 1941. His exploits feature in the film '' The One That Got Away''.
Textiles
Framework knitting
A stocking frame was a mechanical knitting machine used in the textiles industry. It was invented by William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham in 1589. Its use, known traditionally as framework knitting, was the first major stage in the mechanis ...
was once the predominant industry in Hucknall.
Garden products
Among the bigger firms in Hucknall is Doff Portland, one of the UK's largest independent maker of insecticide
Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...
s, weedkillers, pesticides, fertilisers
A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrition, plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from Liming (soil), liming materials or other non- ...
and garden products, sold through garden centres, DIY retailers and retail multiples, and one of Europe's largest producer of premium slug
Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less Terrestrial mollusc, terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced ...
killer pellets. It also offers contract formulating and packing services.
Notable people
*Robin Bailey
William Henry Mettam "Robin" Bailey (5 October 1919 – 14 January 1999) was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
Often cast in upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Mr Justice Graves in Thames Television
Th ...
(1919–1999), actor
*Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
(1788–1824), poet, philosopher and revolutionary, was buried in the parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
.[St Mary Magdelene parish church]
accessed 25 September 2008.
*Eric Coates
Eric Francis Harrison Coates (27 August 1886 – 21 December 1957) was an English composer of light music and, early in his career, a leading violist.
Coates was born into a musical family, but, despite his wishes and obvious talent, his parents ...
(1886–1957) composed work that includes the theme music for '' The Dam Busters'' movie and the "Sleepy Lagoon" introduction to the radio series ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...
''.
*Zechariah Green
Zachariah Green (1817 (baptised 15 May) – 1897 (buried 22 January)) was a renowned philanthropist and healer.
Early life
He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England.
Career
Zachariah Green's charitable work earned him a widespread repu ...
(1817–1897), philanthropist, is buried in the local parish church. There is a monument to his memory in Titchfield Park.
*Thomas Cecil Howitt
Thomas Cecil Howitt, OBE (6 June 1889 – 3 September 1968) was a British provincial architect of the 20th Century. Howitt is chiefly remembered for designing prominent public buildings, such as the Council House and Processional Way in N ...
(1889–1968), architect, was the designer of Nottingham Council House
Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides over the Old Market Square, Nottingham, Old Market Square which is also referred to as the ...
.
*Paris Lees
Paris Lees is an English author, journalist, presenter and campaigner. She topped ''The Independent on Sunday''s 2013 Pink List, came second in the 2014 Rainbow List, and was awarded the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT in the 2012 National ...
(born 1986), journalist, presenter and transgender rights
The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...
campaigner
*Countess Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (''née'' Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), also known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-pur ...
(1815–1852), daughter of the poet Byron, is buried in the parish church. She is credited with being the first computer programmer, having assisted in realising the potential of Babbage
Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
Babbage is considered ...
's analytical engine.
Sport
* Steve Blatherwick (born 1973) played as a professional for football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
clubs that included Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
and Chesterfield.
*Ben Caunt
Ben Caunt (22 March 1815 – 10 September 1861) was a 19th-century English bare-knuckle boxer who became the heavyweight boxing champion known as the "Torkard Giant" and "Big Ben".
Early life
Caunt was born on 22 March 1815 in Hucknall Torkard ...
(1815–1861), a bare-knuckle fighter known as "The Torkard Giant", became Champion of England.[ He possibly gave his name to the Parliament bell ]Big Ben
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, it ...
.
* Jack Hall (1883–1938), professional footballer who played as an inside-forward or centre-forward for Stoke
Stoke may refer to:
Places Canada
* Stoke, Quebec
New Zealand
* Stoke, New Zealand
United Kingdom Berkshire
* Stoke Row
Bristol
* Stoke Bishop
* Stoke Gifford
* Bradley Stoke
* Little Stoke
* Harry Stoke
* Stoke Lodge
Bucking ...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
, Leicester Fosse
Leicester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the city of Leicester, East Midlands, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English f ...
, and Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
* Andy Turner (born 1980), sprint hurdler, gold medallist at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth that was held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 201 ...
and the 2010 European Athletics Championships
The 2010 European Athletics Championships were the 20th edition of the European Athletics Championships, organised under the supervision of the European Athletic Association. They were held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, C ...
and bronze medallist at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.
The United States topped the medal standings in the ...
* Arthur Watson (1870-1937) a footballer most notable for winning the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
with Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...
in 1894
Events January
* January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire.
* January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United States.
* Ja ...
.
* Enoch "Knocker" West (1886–1965), a footballer with Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...
, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, was accused of fixing a match and in 1915 banned from the game for 30 years. He protested his innocence for the rest of his life.
* Sam Weller Widdowson (1851–1927), a footballer who played for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
and England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
was said to have devised shin pads in 1874. He also played cricket for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
.
* Joe Worrall (born 1997), an English professional footballer who played for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
as a defender.
Brass band
The Hucknall and Linby Mining Community Brass Band formed in late 2008 after players from the Newstead Abbey Brass Band sought autonomy. It is conducted by Paul Whyley. At the time, the town lacked a band after Hucknall and Linby Miners' Welfare Band moved out to become Newstead Brass. It plays a parish-church concert every Christmas, and around the local area throughout the year.
Cinema
The Byron Cinema, an Art Deco building designed by the local architect Alfred J Thraves, opened on 2 November 1936. It originally boasted a sweeping, curved façade of Thraves' favoured sandstock bricks and Portland stone, with a vertical tower to the right of centre, faced in cream terracotta tiles. Much was also made in the cinema's publicity of a canopy "provided to protect our patrons during bad weather."
The ''Hucknall Dispatch'' newspaper was enthusiastic about the 1,189-seater facility: "The consensus of opinion was that it's a delightful house of rest and amusement, the seating being conducive to the utmost comfort, whilst the projection was without fault for the first time, so perfect has the art become in these days." Manager R. L. Kemp told the paper, "The Byron projection room fills us with great pride and the management cordially invite any of our patrons who so desire to view the projection room. 'Wide Range' is the latest improvement developed by Western Electric engineers. It will be remembered that Western Electric were the pioneers of talking pictures and Wide Range is their latest scientific achievement."
On 13 October 1967, the Byron closed as a single-screen cinema and the building was split. The stalls area was turned into a bingo club that featured in the Shane Meadows film "Once Upon A Time In The Midlands", wherein Kathy Burke
Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke (born 13 June 1964) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared in sketch shows such as '' French and Saunders'' (1988–1999), played a recurring role as Magda on the BBC sitcom '' Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992� ...
and Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz (born 21 February 1962) is an English television presenter, broadcaster, and journalist. She has hosted numerous versions of her own chat shows and appeared on various television shows, including ''Vanessa'' (1994–1998, 202 ...
came to blows in the foyer. The upstairs balcony became a 404-seat cinema, which re-opened on 31 December 1967 with the James Bond epic " You Only Live Twice". It finally closed its doors in June 2006 and was bought in October 2018 by an Irish commercial property firm, Melcorpo, for a price believed to be £360,000. The new owners reopened to the public as The Arc Cinema Hucknall. After initially planning to open its doors in October 2019, Melcorpo had to scrap the plans due to delays. Construction and refurbishment were still underway in January 2020. It was scheduled to open in March 2020 as a four-screen, two-floor multiplex
Multiplex may refer to:
Science and technology
* Multiplex communication, combining many signals into one transmission circuit or channel
** Multiplex (television), a group of digital television or radio channels that are combined for broadcast
* ...
cinema.
Sport
The town's senior football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team is Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England. The club is a member of the and plays at the RM Stadium.
History
Hucknall Town were renamed from Hucknall Colliery W ...
Founded in 1945 as a colliery team (Hucknall Colliery Welfare FC), it changed its name in 1987 after closure of the pit. It rose steadily through the non-league pyramid, winning the Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...
title in 2003/2004, with promotion to Conference North
The National League North, officially known as Vanarama National League North for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Association football league in England. National League North is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 o ...
, just two leagues below the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
). It reached the final of the FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...
in 2005. However, financial difficulties in 2009 led to demotion to the Central Midlands Football League
The Central Midlands Alliance is an English football league covering the northeast-central part of England. Formed in 1971 as the South Derbyshire League, changing name initially to the Derbyshire League before changing to the Central Midlands L ...
for the 2013/2014 season.. The club now plays in the
The works football team of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
was formed in 1935 and has undergone many name changes. In 2009 it formed again as Hucknall Rolls Leisure F.C., and by 2013 it was competing in the Nottinghamshire Senior League
The Nottinghamshire Senior League is an English football league. The competition is a feeder to the Northern Counties East League and the United Counties League. The league has five divisions – the Premier Division (which stands at level 11 o ...
.
Hucknall Cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
Club, founded in 1890, had the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XIs in various sections of the South Notts Cricket League in the 2005 season.
Hucknall Sports Youth Club, formed in 1977 as Riden Sports, is one of the largest such clubs in Nottinghamshire. Its Founder President, Derek Day, won the Nottinghamshire FA Community award in 2012 for his contribution to junior football over more than 30 years.
Hucknall junior parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
started on 27 March 2016 at Titchfield Park, as the first in the ADC area of Nottinghamshire, with 69 runners on the inaugural run.
Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East Midlands
BBC East Midlands is the BBC English Region covering Derbyshire (except High Peak, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and the northern areas of the Derbyshire Dales), Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire (except Bassetlaw), Rutland, South Kest ...
and ITV Central
ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central, ITV1 for Central England and commonly referred to as simply Central, is the Independent Television franchisee in the English Midlands. It was created following ...
. Television signals are received from the Waltham TV transmitter, and the Nottingham relay transmitter.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Nottinghamshire.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on London Road in Nottingham city centre.
According to RAJAR, the station has ...
on 103.8 FM, Smooth East Midlands
Smooth East Midlands is an Independent Regional Radio station for the East Midlands, 107.4 MHz, 97.2 MHz, 106.8 MHz 106.0 MHz which replaced Saga 106.6 FM at 6 am on Monday 26 March 2007. It is owned by Communicorp UK and oper ...
on 106.6 FM, Capital East Midlands
Capital East Midlands was a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Capital radio network, broadcasting to the East Midlands from studios in Nottingham.
It launched on 3 January 2011 following the merger of Tr ...
on 96.2 FM, and Greatest Hits Radio Midlands
Greatest Hits Radio Midlands is a regional radio station serving the East & West Midlands as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network.
Localised variants
The station has seven variants: on 106.6 FM.
The ''Hucknall Dispatch'' is the town's local weekly newspaper.
See also
* Listed buildings in Hucknall
References
External links
HucknallDispatch.co.uk local newspaper
Ashfield District Council
Hucknall Huthwaite Online
BBC Guide to Hucknall
{{authority control
Towns in Nottinghamshire
Market towns in Nottinghamshire
Unparished areas in Nottinghamshire
Ashfield District