First Impressions
No. 01 - Part 05 - Rutland Street
w/e 10 January 2010
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
The previous four parts of this route into Ilkeston
followed Millership Way, the new link road from the Awsworth
bypass. This fifth part is along Rutland Street and actually
follows the same route we took in Part 30 of the Town Walk and
it is worth comparing these images with those taken five years
ago. Click here to compare.
 We
begin at the new island where the two roads meet and the most
obvious change is the disappearance of the town's iconic former
Gasworks building. The  demolition
began in November 2005 but progress was slow and even late into
2009 a huge pile of bricks still stood high on the site. Looking
through the gate now (left) there is still a pile of soil and
rubble so it could be some time before any new development takes
place. Former narrow streets like Lower Bloomsgrove Road (right)
at the end of the Gasworks site, have been blocked off now, being
unsuitable for today's traffic.
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The left hand side of Rutland Street has also undergone a dramatic
change in recent years, the whole length now being occupied by
the Tesco store and car park. Previously there was a Council
Depot, a bus garage and several small businesses here and even
earlier the railway branch line into the Town Station ran along
here.
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On the opposite north side of Rutland Street there are still
small business ventures interspersed with the housing.
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A fine row of terraced housing near the end of the street must
surely have had some value taken off their selling price as the
outlook from them now is only onto the great white wall of the
supermarket.
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At the end of the terrace is Lower Granby Street and on the opposite
corner is the Arena Christian Centre. The white building behind
is now occupied by the Orchard Kitchens business but has an interesting
history as it was formerly the Hippodrome Theatre. (See Town Walk Part 31 for more details).
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We will conclude this route into town at the island at the northern
end of Chalons Way as two more routes will meet here but across
the island to the left is the bottom of Bath Street which leads
up into the town centre. It has to be said that the final part
of this route is not the prettiest way into Ilkeston but it is
a busy route with shoppers travelling to the Tesco store and
other vehicles accessing the other businesses. The covering of
snow and the blue skies certainly enhanced the visual aspect
in these images though.
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