Chaddesden - Page 1 of 4
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Chaddesden (recorded in the Domesday Book as Cedesdene) and is one of Derby's largest suburbs, it is situated about two and a half miles east of the city. Chad (as the locals know it) has changed considerable over the years and is a mixture of private housing and council housing. The development was started in the 1950's and was needed as housing for Derby’s West End after the slum clearance schemes.

Factoids

• St Philip's Church on Taddington Road was opened by HM The Queen in 1957

• The Chaddesden estate was started in the 1950's and was the largest in the country at that time

The other notable church in Chaddesden is the ancient church of St Mary the Virgin, which is just off Chaddesden Lane, this was rebuilt sometime around 1357 by the Archdeacon of Leicester, Henry Chaddesden. In the church yard is a small mound, where 6 almshouses used to stand, and were founded by Robert Wilmot.

Do to the population boom in the 1940’s around two million houses were needed by the end of the decade. Prefabs were constructed around the Gertrude Road area, steel was used for the outer walls and asbestos sheets for the roofs.

Originally designed to last for only 10 years some fifty years later there are still a few original ones standing, whilst most were only refurbished back in 2004!, which entailed building an outer shell out of brick and removing the steel framework.

Italian Prisoners of War built the foundations of these properties, as well as working on the local allotments, they also made toys that they gave to local children.

Many thanks to Arthur Pulford who has kindly supplied this postcard of Chaddesden Hall. showing a Church parade of the Derby Volunteers, his mother was a Wilmot being the eldest child of Sir Ralph Wilmot, 6th Baronet.

 

Many thanks to John Perkins for supplying these two postcards showing Chaddesden Hall, the picture above left is taken from Chaddesden Lane, the wall you see is still standing today, below left, which fronts the houses that were built in the 1930's. The picture above right shows the Hall in it's finest, and possibly one of the original entrance stone posts below right

There are a few monuments to the Wilmot family such as the Wilmot Arms Pub on the junction of Chaddesden Lane and Morley Road, and right next door is the Wilmot garage. Below right is the old village bakehouse on Morley Road

Jasmine Cottage above left, a grade II listed building on Chaddesden Lane, this old part of Chaddesden was the original village area and the land lord was the Wilmot family, who lived at Chaddesden Hall, which was demolished in the 1920`s when they sold their estate. The grounds are now Chaddesden Park which is a well used park, and contain a paddling pool and children's play area as well as area's for cricket and golf.

Chaddesden Park, above left  is the site of the annual fair and above right is the children's paddling pool, below left is the sports field / cricket ground with the pavilion in the distance, and bottom right is the children's play area .

The Gloria, built in the art deco style which later became the Esoldo and after that the lucky Seven, which eventually turned into a Bingo Hall and then finally it was demolished in 2002 for a supermarket, as shown below. Picture courtesy of John Perkins

There are numerous shopping centres in the area, and the three largest ones are on Nottingham Road, Wiltshire Road and at Sussex Circus. Near to the Nottingham Road centre we have a Aldi store, the picture on the left shows the site when the old Essoldo / Lucky Seven cinema was demolished

The Blue Boy Public house on Wiltshire road, this is one of three similar themed pubs in Derby, the others are the Blue Peter at Alvaston and the Blue Pool at Littleover

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