A former Saxon village, Alvaston probably owes its name to to Allwald. It became part of Derby in the late twentieth century. The smaller, neighbouring village of Boulton has been swallowed up by Alvaston, and Boulton is rarely referred to by name. Rapid expansion came in the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1904 the electric tram replaced the horse-bus service and, with the advent of the motor car, London Road became the A6.

The River Derwent flows north of Alvaston, and runs alongside Alvaston Park, which features a playground, lake and skate park. St Michael and All Angels is at the heart of the old village of Alvaston. The current building dates from 1857.

Factoids

• Years ago the area was once a swampland
• Alvaston had its own cinema, the Rex, which opened in 1925 and closed in 1966.
• St Mary's Church, is thought to be of Norman origin.

Main shopping centre at the top of Raynesway and onto Shardlow Road, the shops above are separated by mature pine trees in the central reservation

The Blue Peter Pub shown above was part of a unique chain of pubs built in the late 1920s and early '30s along with two other pubs in Derby, The Blue Boy, (Chaddesden) & the Blue Pool, (Littleover) which eventually became part of Derby's Offilers Brewery. All three were designed by George Morley Eaton P.P.R.I.B.A.  in art deco style, resembling ocean liners.

Above is the Cruck cottage on Church Street, the thatched roof has been sheeted over to prevent arson attacks, opposite on the right are the adjoining farm buildings

The Round House pub on the corner of Brighton Road and the main London Road (A6). This was once the Alvaston Hotel being built around 1891, it became the Roundhouse in 1995

Wickes diy store next to St Osmunds Church, below is the new Wilmorton primary school, built at the front of Alvaston Park

Above is the island at the top of Raynesway, which was built between 1937 & 1940 and named as town planning road no 4 which was the final pre war link in the Derby Inner ring road, it was opened by and named after alderman William Robert Raynes, the city's first labour mayor.

The alterations on Raynesway which was started in 2003 to accommodate the new Alvaston bypass junction, the pictures below left were taken in 2003 and the pictures below right were taken in 2005 from similar points

A view from the river bank looking over the fields to the new Alvaston bypass construction, taken in 2003

These pictures were taken in 1976 and show the stricken lorry which shed it's load over the carriageway

Somewhere around 1990 the decision was made to reduce the hump of the bridge on Raynesway to enable a safer viewpoint when entering and exiting the incineration plant