Ilkeston - Play Areas
w/e 30 September 2007
All
this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
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If you delve into
the archives of this site, you will find images from most of
the major parks and recreational areas in Ilkeston including
Victoria Park, the Rutland Recreation Ground (or Rutland Sports
Park as officialdom would have it), Chaucer Old Park ('Illy 'Oleys),
Granby Park and Gallows Inn Playing Fields. As well as these
five, Erewash Borough Council's website lists eight more within
Ilkeston with several more at opposite ends of the town in Kirk
Hallam in the south and at Cotmanhay and on the Shipley View
Estate in the north. On this page we'll look at the remaining
eight green and open spaces in Ilkeston starting at Wash Meadow
and working through the town to the Walker Close Play Area off
Longfield Lane. For convenience the areas are marked and numbered
on the map opposite.
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1. Wash Meadows is the official name given to this open space
at the bottom of Rutland Street but most local people know it
better as Johnny's. Some of the footpaths through the area have
been temporarily diverted and a small section is currently fenced
off due to the construction of the new Awsworth - Ilkeston link
road. Some of the temporary fencing can be seen in the distance
here beyond the small play area with slides, rocking horses and
climbing frames.
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2. Another area with an official name, Gordon Street Play Area,
is better known as The Ashes. The houses on the right of the
picture are on Gordon Street whilst those on the left front onto
Flamstead Road. To add to the confusion I captured this image
from the end of Fairfield Road and the given location by the
Council is of the nearby Rupert Street. Whatever its name or
location it is quite a large area and contains two football pitches
and another small play area with the usual assortment of equipment.
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3. Similar equipment for children to play on can also be found
at our third location. This is the Larklands Play Area off Heathfield
Avenue. Like the previous two locations the area is bounded on
the east by the Erewash Canal.
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4. The Erewash Canal also forms the eastern boundary to this
play area at Erewash Square again with an assortment of slides
and swings. Despite the varying cloud cover, all of the images
on this page were captured within an hour of each other but this
one benefits from an almost clear sky. It also shows up the changing
colours of the trees along the canal bank as autumn starts to
make its presence felt.
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5. We now move away from the canal to a small area enclosed and
bounded by French Street (behind), Buller Street on the right,
Roberts Street beyond the trees and Shaw Street to the left after
which the play area is named. As well as the play equipment pictured
the area has been landscaped to include grassy mounds and a cobbled
bank plus a paved area all of which add to the children's enjoyment.
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6. Inglefield Road Play Area is a secluded patch behind houses
on three roads. There is a gated access allowing grass cutting
equipment to access the site from Inglefield Road and although
the grass has been cut it has been left in situ. The equipment
in the fenced play area though looks to be in good condition.
Another pedestrian access from where this picture was captured
is from Lower Whitworth Road whilst the houses to the right are
on Little Hallam Lane.
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7. One of Ilkeston's more recent housing developments has been
at Oak Apple Crescent off The Spinney and here another play area
has been incorporated into the design. It is set at the rear
of a pleasant grassed space dotted with shrubs, bushes and trees.
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8. Our final play area is sandwiched in a long and narrow piece
of land between the Merlin Way industrial site on the left and
the housing estate off Longfield Lane. Although it can be accessed
from several points it is named after Walker Close. In addition
to the usual play equipment there is also a basketball ring -
not a full court but just one ring for practice purposes.
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