First Impressions
No. 02 - Part 03 - Station Road
w/e 15 August 2010
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
The area twixt the River Erewash and the Erewash Canal that is
featured in this part is occupied for the most part by industrial
and retail premises save for a few house and the terrace of a
dozen or so houses called Albert Villas. A former mobile home
site accessed from the left of the terrace closed a few years
ago.
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Opposite Albert Villas is part of Smiths of Ilkeston's motor
trading business which operates from a split site. Part of the
business is on the corner of the entrance to the Waterside Retail
Park but I can't help thinking that the planners missed a trick
here when designing Millership Way which runs behind the raetail
park. Part of the benefit of Millership Way was purported to
be a reduction of traffic through the mainly residential area
of Station Road and an access from the new road would have made
this a much more realistic proposition. As it is the increasing
popularity of the retail park and the other light industrial
activity at Ilkeston Junction makes any significant reduction
unlikely.
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The second part of Smiths of Ilkeston (top right) is to the right
of Albert Villas and at the junction with The Ropewalk (bottom
right) where there are a number of other light industrial and
business premises. Both sides of Station Road here are occupied
by businesses and a large structure on the boundary of the retail
park opposite The Ropewalk displays the names of the companies
on the site.
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Another smaller structure duplicates the information about the
companies on the Waterside Retail Park and although there appears
to be plenty of parking spaces in this view, there are times
when parking here is at a premium. The name "Waterside"
is particularly apt as the site which is roughly triangular in
shape is bounded not only by Station Road but also by the river
and canal as they converge behind the retail units.
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 And it is to the Erewash Canal
that we turn next with this view to the south from the Station
Road Bridge. If you look very closely towards the centre of the
picture you may be able to make out a swan and four cygnets on
the water (see also right) - a little glimpse of nature amid
the hustle and bustle of town life.
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To the north the canal begins to turn behind the retail park
before continuing its journey to Langley Mill but from the bridge
the lush green growth prevents any views much beyond the end
of Mill Street which can be seen here on the left.
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