West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
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West Bridgford is a leafy suburb of Nottingham. It lies south of the city boundary, delimited by the River Trent, and forms the largest town in the borough of Rushcliffe. Its MP is The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke, QC (Conservative Party).
History
Most of the main streets in West Bridgford are named after wealthy families that dominated the town's early history. As West Bridgford expanded in the Victorian and Edwardian periods a society called The West Bridgford Protection Society was formed that worked hard to prevent any licensed premises being opened in West Bridgford. This has meant that there have been a relatively small number of pubs in the area until recent years. West Bridgford is 95% white, and is often viewed by those from surrounding areas as posh, a view reinforced by its populace's more educated-sounding accent and public school attendance.
Population:
Geography
West Bridgford is bordered on the north side by the River Trent, spanned by two road bridges, Trent Bridge and Lady Bay Bridge, and one footbridge adjacent to The Becket's final year and sixth-form premises. Three spans of the original mediaeval bridge still remain, surrounded by a traffic island on the south side of the river.
Neighbourhoods
Nearby Places
- Nottingham to the north
- Holme Pierrepont to the north-east
- Gamston to the south-east
- Edwalton to the south
- Clifton to the south-west
- Wilford to the north-west
West Bridgford should not be confused with East Bridgford, which lies some miles away and is much smaller.
Sport
Home to Nottingham Forest Football Club, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and the Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre, West Bridgford is world renowned for its sporting heritage.
Education
Parts of Nottingham Trent University and South Nottingham College are both situated in or close to West Bridgford.
There are also two state funded secondary schools, West Bridgford Comprehensive and Rushcliffe Comprehensive. The Becket is the local Catholic school.
Entry from White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1853
Bridgeford West, so called from its situation by the bridge over the Trent.
It is a pleasant and well built village and parish on the south side of the Trent, one and a half miles south by east of Nottingham. The lordship contains 258 inhabitants and 1,190 acres [4.8 km²] of land, all belonging to John C. Musters Esq. (a minor), except one estate of 57 acres [230,000 m²] which is the property of Mr Clifford C. Caunt.
The church is dedicated to St. Giles, and is a fine, ancient structure with tower and pinnacles, which appears to great advantage, peeping above the trees which surround it. The chancel was repaired at considerable expense in 1833. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £262. The benefice is a rectory valued in the King's books at £16 4s 2d [£16.21], now at £388. J. Musters Esq. is the patron, and the Rev. Wm. Musters of Colwick is the rector, for whom the Rev. John Peatfield officiates.
The school here was built in 1802 by the Rev. Wm. Thompson, who endowed it with £902 stock for the education of ten poor children, seven from Bridgeford and three from Gamston. The master received £15 a year. Bridgeford also partakes of Dame Frances Pierrepont's charity.