Jacksdale & Westwood - Part 04 - ... And Out Again
w/e 17 October 2010
All this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
Jacksdale & Westwood title panel

At last, our visit to Jacksdale and Westwood took place under clear blue skies that certainly show the former mining villages in a much better light. We pick up our circular route in this part on Palmerston Street in Westwood but we'll end back in the centre of Jacksdale.

The Corner Pin

Near the end of the previous part, we had passed a pub that had closed and was being converted to housing and another, the Royal Oak that was still open. Now as we continue up Palmerston Street, there is another pub called The Corner Pin. When mining was the major occupation in these parts, all three pubs would have been sure of a regular clientele but in these recessionary times many hostelries have found it difficult to continue so to see two pubs in close proximity still open in such a small community is probably a rarity.
Westwood School

The community is also served by the Westwood Infants School and Nursery a little further up the street on the opposite side. Shielded by high fences and trees, the school is housed in old buildings with some modern extensions. I'm never quite sure whether the high fences are to keep the children in or intruders out.
Recreation Ground

Next to the school is the large open area of the recreation ground complete with a football pitch and a play area with slides and climbing frames for children.
Bungalows

The recreation ground is overlooked by a development of council bungalows for the elderly behind which much of the space between the two villages was filled in the latter half of the twentieth century with housing giving rise to the notion that Westwood has a propensity of new housing whilst Jacksdale features much older properties.
Jubilee Garden

Road SignsPalmerston StreetAt Palmerston Street's junction with Wagstaff Lane a small area on the grass verge has been used to create a garden to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. A strategically placed bench provides a good place to enjoy the vista down Palmerston Street (right) whilst a sign opposite (left) for "Westwood" indicates that we are leaving the village and returning to Jacksdale.
Wagstaff Lane

Once again the boundary between the two villages is somewhat indistinct but as we descend the hill along Wagstaff Lane we will be led directly to the centre of Jacksdale. From this high point of the circuit there are some decent views of the surrounding countryside.
War Memorial

At the end of Wagstaff Lane stands Jacksdale's War Memorial that was originally erected in 1921 as a tribute to the men who had fallen during the First World War. Since then more names from other conflicts have been added and the monument has had a rather chequered history.
The New Soldier

In 1959 the marble figure that topped the monument fell and was smashed to pieces and dirt and grime from the industry in the area also had a major impact on the appearance of the War Memorial. More recently in 1996 it underwent major restoration and in 2009 a new soldier was erected replacing the marble figure that fell in 1959. The War Memorial was the centre of attention in June 2010 as the first anniversary of "Soldier Day" was celebrated and plans are already underway for next June. For much more information about its history see the "Jacksdale Memorial" page on the Jacksdale and Westwood website.

This completes the circuit of the two villages but in the next and final part we will take the Pye Hill Road out Jacksdale towards Ironville to complete our exploration.
Back to Part 03
Forward to Part 05

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