Ilkeston - Factories
.... And Flats
w/e 25 February 2007
All
this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490 (unless marked).
 Booth's, Carrier's,
Andriesse, Lewis', Tatham's and Charnos along with many more
were once familiar names as major employers in the town but many
of these have now been confined to history. The Charnos factory
on Corporation Road (left) once employed a large number of ladies
engaged in their hosiery and lingerie businesses but it now stands
empty and is falling into disrepair, although the impressive
structure on the  roof
still cuts a dash across the Hallam Fields skyline. Most of their
operations have now been transferred elsewhere although they
still have a presence in the town in offices in a converted factory
(on the left of the image above) on Belper Street. Another old
factory opposite belongs to Cluny Lace and is still engaged in
lace making which it has been doing since 1845. The purposely
designed factory on Belper Street was built to hold the specialised
lace machines around the turn of the 19th/20th century and still
displays some fine detailed brickwork around its windows (right).
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Another impressive factory building is that of Baltex on Burr
Lane. The company was founded in 1831 by two brothers William
and Francis Ball and today it is renowned as a specialist in
producing pure silk fabrics and can process and knit some of
the world's most technical fibres. The factory was built about
1845 for the production of hosiery and lace in a Georgian style
with red brick and cast iron windows. A world leader in its field,
the company still operates from the factory near the centre of
town.
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Near the bottom of Heanor Road, a building of similar vintage
and appearance is now occupied by Norton Plastics. Although some
of the windows have now been bricked up and more recent extensions
added, it is still possible to appreciate the skill of the bricklayers
and the design of the architects who worked to produce another
fine structure that I suspect was originally another of the town's
lace factories.
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At Ilkeston Junction on Middleton Street is another building
of impressive proportions with a distinctive chimney. Part of
this at least is occupied by Armstrong's Mills, well known in
the area as an outlet for quality clothing open to the general
public. This view is typical of this area of the town and is
yet another reminder of Ilkeston's industrial history in the
textile, lace and hosiery trades.
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Back in the centre of town and seen here from the footbridge
over Chalons Way, this is a view of the former Rutland Garments
factory on Market Street. This was built about 1881 for C. and
F. Sudbury as a hosiery and glove works and again although it
has undergone a certain amount of modernisation, the skill and
care that went into its design and appearance is still apparent.
Now known as Rutland Mills at least part of the building is occupied
by Derbyshire County Council's Social Services Department.
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One of Ilkeston's newest housing developments, still in the course
of construction is on the former site of a number of schools
and also Ilkeston's tram garage in the early 1900s. The development
was severely criticised in a recent report and its design was
cited as one of the worst in the country. Whilst all of the factory
buildings seen above have a certain elegance, even though most
are over a hundred years old, these new flats to my eye at least
are not as aesthetically pleasing. They have been likened to
a workhouse or Victorian hospital or factory but I think that
is doing a disservice to the constructors of those buildings.
What we have learnt in the past century about fuel efficiency,
double glazing and cavity wall insulation seems to have been
at the expense of appearance. I wonder if these flats in 2107
(if they are still standing) will be looked on with the same
reverence as the town's factories are today. I very much doubt
it.
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