A short history of Lady Bay and Burrow Hill Farm
by Stephen Howard

I was born in Highbury Vale hospital in 1957 but my mum and dad had a flat at 69 Trent Boulevard. They later moved to another flat at 59 Trent Boulevard and then bought a house on Melbourne Road in 1961, so I grew up in Lady Bay. Lady Bay is that area of West Bridgford on the left side of the Grantham canal and Radcliffe Road as you head out to Radcliffe on Trent defined by Trent Boulevard, Holme Road and Rutland Road and the criss cross of Roads in between and the Trent Fields up to the River Trent. House building started in the late 1880’s and we know there was a farm called “Burrow Hill” before that and the fields close to the river are part of a flood plain and in a nutshell that is it, but let’s see if we can add a little more to the story. A story of a road, a canal, Burrow Hill Farm, Henry Hinton and his family and the eventual building of the area we now call Lady Bay.

I’ve used the British newspaper archive to find articles mentioning the area and with other resources (census, maps), joined the dots, so to speak, to corroborate my findings. The British newspaper archive is a fantastic resource but is obviously incomplete. Sometimes when you are searching a particular subject there may not be results you’d expect. “Did it really happen” I think. However, more often than not, particular publications are lost or not yet digitised. Some stories are shared so sometimes you can find a local story in a neighbouring County’s newspaper. It is often a matter of luck but never the less it throws up some historical gems.

The roots of the name “Lady Bay” are not clear but Pat Rodriguez (a former resident of Lady Bay) wrote a small history of Lady Bay which you can see here in which she suggests the following:
“Why is it called Lady Bay?
There are several theories as to the origin of the name Lady Bay. The earliest goes back to AD 910 when Aethelflaeda, the Lady of the Mercians, ordered a ‘Burgh’ or fortress to be built on the south side of the Trent. ‘Lady Bay’ may have been a corruption of ‘The Lady’s Burgh’. Another possibility refers to a chapel which stood on Trent Bridge in the 13th century, dedicated to St Mary, which might have given the name ‘Lady’s Bay’ to a bend in the river. Yet again in 1815, a historian of Nottingham advanced the theory that a plot of land, now known as the Hook, was the pasture of ‘My Lady’s Bay Mare’ or simply a mare called ‘Lady Bay’“

Robert Mellors on the nottshistory website offers good evidence of the ancient roots of Lay Bay relating a report from 1613 “We present Fostard, of Bridgford, for inclosinge the Middletorne waie, that they can not goe according as our libartie goeth in Bridgford field nere to our Lady Baie.” and setting out some boundaries of the area.

I think they are all plausible and we might never know for sure but as we can see the area was called Lady Bay before the Grantham Canal was opened in 1797 so I think we might first consider what the geographical boundaries are. Generally, most of us define Lady Bay as that triangle shape bordered by The River Trent and the Grantham canal / A52 (Radcliffe Road) but with historical hindsight we might now think of it being the area bordered by The River Trent and the Grantham Road (A52 Radcliffe Road). So, the furthest point west would be at Trent Bridge giving some credence to the chapel which stood on Trent Bridge in the 13th century. Again, maybe we will never know but it is worth considering.

Here are some maps to illustrate that point.

It is also worth remembering that to the East of Lady Bay is Adbolton. Steeped in history, Adbolton was listed in the Doomsday Book (Domesday book) of 1086 and the Hall and farm would have been the nearest and largest neighbour to Burrow Hill Farm. I will add a few stories of Adbolton as they seem appropriate.

1771 – 1790

The first reference to “Lady Bay” I have found comes from an article in the Derby Mercury from Friday 15th November 1771 telling the tale of James Shipley, who was attacked and robbed at gun point on the “Grantham turnpike Road near Lady Bay”. Another article from the Derby Mercury Friday 3rd January 1772 tells of Joseph Watts of Ratcliff who on his return home from Nottingham market was robbed and then the assailants “then retreated towards a barn in the inclosures called Lady Bay”. The barn must have been part of Burrow Hill farm. In the Derby Mercury Friday 1st September 1780 a story tells of Samuel Barrat being attacked “near Lady Bay”. The Grantham Road is obviously an old road stretching back centuries and, like many other roads leaving a town, a place for common thief’s to set a trap. In 1790 plans were made to widen the Grantham road.

A few notes on language.
In the eighteenth century the ſ symbol was an “s” sound.
The strange word “ſe’ nnight” means “seven nights / a week” so “Saturday ſe’ nnight” means something like “Saturday week”.
A “footpad” is a robber or thief specialising in pedestrian victims.

1791 – 1797

In the 1790’s the businessmen of Grantham made plans to build a canal to connect with the River Trent and it is possible that they first thought of Newark as their destination but soon Nottingham was settled upon and by the end of that decade it was built and opened in 1797. A bridge was built to connect the Grantham road with what we now know as the Holme road / Trent Boulevard junction. It was called Lady Bay Bridge. The original Lady Bay Bridge is long gone but when the nearby railway bridge was converted to road traffic in the early 1980’s it inherited the name causing some confusion with those who don’t know the history of the original bridge. The building of the canal would in later years give the Lady Bay area a more defined border. There is an extensive history of the Grantham canal here:

1810

In 1810 Henry Hinton was born in Loughborough. He moved to Nottingham and in later life would play a significant role at Burrow Hill Farm.

1815

The first clear mention of Burrow Hill Farm at Lady Bay is in the Nottingham Gazette of Friday March 17th 1815. Auctioneer Mr Morley is selling off farm stock that belonged to Sampson Kirby and son.

1824

In 1824 the Lady Bay Bar, a toll gate, was opened and another robbery was reported when Mr Mavor “when near Lady Bay Bridge, about two miles from Nottingham, on the Grantham Road, he was attacked”.

1828

There is a changeover at Adbolton Farm as a “Sale by auction” takes place in 1828.

1833

Another mention of Burrow Hill Farm is from 1833 when John Pearson, the owner of Burrow Hill Farm was selling “Live and Dead Farming Stock and Household Furniture” by auction. There are listed a significant number of items leading one to conclude that he was selling up. The farm next to Burrow Hill farm was Adbolton farm. Adbolton is listed in the Doomsday book (or Domesday book) of 1086, one of the smaller settlements of one smallholder and six villagers so it is possible that the fields of Lady Bay were walked upon by these early settlers.

1837

In the Nottingham Review Friday 12th May 1837 in a discussion about the Poor Law Amendment Bill cases of hardship where recounted and a bleak story of “a woman was delivered by herself, on Lady Bay Bridge, in depth of winter, surrounded by drifted snow, and the bleak wind whistling around the tender babe”.

1838

In 1838 a Tithe map and schedule of West Bridgford was produced. It reported that Burrow Hill Farm was being run by Christopher Jowett. The map shows the field boundary’s but not any names, which fields often have.

1841

In 1841 Henry Hinton (30), a labourer, was living now on Barker Gate in Nottingham with his wife Amy (35) and his sons and daughters Henry (13), Harriet (7), William (2) and John (5 months).

1843 -49

In 1843 there is mention of the “Lady Bay Toll Bar” and also as a meeting place for high ranking officials.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert pass over Lady Bay Bridge.

By 1844 there was a police station on Lady Bay Bridge which was probably a one man operation and the Nottingham Review Friday 2nd August reports “Policeman Hatfield was on duty at the Lady Bay Bridge station”.

A tornado hits West Bridgford in 1846.

At some period in the 1840’s Henry Hinton’s wife Amy probably died as in 1846 Henry Hinton gets married to Sarah who was born in Nottingham. It is also likely that Henry had secured the tenancy or bought Burrow Hill Farm sometime in that decade too.

The 1848 directory published by Stevenson and Co., Middle Pavement, Nottingham listed 30 residents of West Bridgford and Henry Hinton (farmer) is among them. It may be a little misleading to say 30 residents as it really means 30 families. In the same year the Nottingham Review Friday 17th November reports that “Gilbert Handley, labourer, of Nottingham, was charged by Mr. Henry Hinton, of West Bridgford, with stealing between four and five pecks of potatoes from a field at West Bridgford”. The case was dealt with in January 1849.

1850 – 59

In 1850 the Nottinghamshire Guardian reports that Edward Fox and Joseph Hancock were charged with wilful damage of the Barker Gate property of Henry Hinton. There was also a report of a mysterious death of a policeman discovered in a cart on Lady Bay Bridge.

In 1851 J. M. Pott (who is leaving the farm) sold by auction all his farm stock from Burrow Hill, West Bridgford. Although we know that Henry Hinton was the owner/tenant/farmer at Burrow Hill in the late 1840’s it’s possible that J Pott kept it running on a daily basis in a crossover period before Henry and his family moved from Barker Gate to the farm.

In 1851 although Henry Hinton (41) was working the farm at Burrow Hill he and his family were recorded on the census as living at 25 Barker Gate in Nottingham. His occupation was listed as “Farmer Of 191 Acres Employing 2 In And 6 Out Door Labourers”. This will be the Burrow Hill Farm in Lady Bay. His wife Sarah (40) and sons and daughters Henry (22), Harriet (17), William (11), John (10) were with him and they had a servant Charles Chaplin (17) (No, not that one) also born in Nottingham.

A serious crime of the manslaughter of Thomas Shepherd by William and John Bilby was reported in the Nottinghamshire Guardian Thursday 13th March 1851 refering to Lady Bay Bridge as to where the incident took place.

Another case of potato stealing by James Flynn from Burrow Hill Farm was reported in the Nottinghamshire Guardian Thursday 13th November 1851. He was sentenced to six months hard labour in January 1852.

In 1854 Henry Hinton described as “the largest occupier in the parish” was called upon in a rates dispute by another farmer in the area, Mr. John Barwick. Henry Hinton’ standing was good and he was sworn into the Nottinghamshire Midsummer Sessions Grand Jury in 1857. Alongside him was his neighbour and farmer at Adbolton Farm Mr. Charles Brown. Henry was also in a position to become a subscriber to the General Hospital in Nottingham of an annual two guineas towards beds.

A robbery in 1859 happened at the “Lady Bay Toll Bar”.

1861

By 1861 Henry’s eldest son Henry Hinton Jnr had married and started a family. Both families were living at Burrow Hill Farm, Grantham Road in separate buildings as were another family in between them who were maybe the farm labourers the Hinton’s employed. Henry Snr was 51 and Henry Jnr was 32. There were no numbers to any properties in West Bridgford. The number on the far left is a schedule number. Under where it says “Burrow Hill Farm” there are listed three families. First Henry Snr and his wife, son John and a niece Ann, then a family of farm labourers and then the family of Henry Jnr, his wife Eliza, son John, daughter Susan and servant Susan Daykin.

Here is a recap of the two Hinton families in full:

Henry Hinton Snr b1810
Sarah Hinton b1811 (second wife)
Henry Hinton Jnr b1829
Harriet Hinton b1834
William Hinton b1840
John Hinton b1841 (died 1868)
Amy Hinton b1805 (first wife, deceased circa 1840’s)

Henry Hinton Jnr b1829
Eliza Hinton (wife) b1831
Susan Hinton b1854
John Hinton b1858
Edward b1864
Henry b1867
George Hinton b1870

1862

In 1862 Henry Hinton Snr was elected to the “Basford board of Guardians”. The Basford Poor Law Union encompassed many parishes and chapelries.
In the same year Henry Hinton Jnr was charged with refusing to pay the toll at Lady Bay Bar. The family had been exempt since its introduction but were now expected to pay.
Another robbery takes place near Lady Bay Bridge.

1863

In 1863 a party of dignitaries travelled along the Grantham road to Lady Bay Bridge and took the old road (Holme Road) to Adbolton and Holme Pierrepont.

1867 – 69

Two incidents close by were sure to have attracted the attention of the Hilton’s. A strange creature thought to be a white bear was seen making it’s way through Colwick, West Bridgford and onto Wilford evading capture. Also a strange case of poaching next door at Adbolton.

In 1867 Henry Hinton Snr contributed to “The Soup Kitchen” with “one load of turnips”.

In this map from 1885 we can see Burrow Hill Farm marked quite clearly. It is situated where Lady Bay Road and Holme Road meet today. There is a pond in the farm courtyard.

In 1868 a tragedy struck at Burrow Hill Farm. Henry Hinton Snr’s son John died in a drowning accident, in the pool you can see in the map above. John Hinton was deaf and dumb and had been subject to fits and this was a contributory factor in his death. He was 28 years old.

Floods in 1869 caused widespread flooding including from “Old England House” to “Lady Bay Bridge”.

Old England House is marked on this map from 1889

1870

In 1870 the Nottingham section of the “Workman’s International Exhibition” was organised. A reader wrote to the “Nottingham Journal” Wednesday 27th July to complain about their coverage of the event and one example that was mentioned was that of a student named James T. Hart of Upper Talbot Street who produced a sketch of “Lady Bay Bridge”. This wasn’t a reflection on his art but that of the journalist who covered it.

This picture from the bridgfordhistory website is, I presume, the sketch in question.

1871

In 1871 Henry Hinton Snr (61), his wife Susan (60) and two nieces, Mary Ann Cartlidge from Yorkshire & Ann Ordish were still at Burrow Hill Farm.

His son Henry Hinton Jnr (42) and his wife Eliza (40), sons John (13), Edward (7), Henry (4) and George (1), daughter Susan (17) had moved to Bentinck Street in Sneinton, Nottingham. At the time of the census they had a visitor Maria Fisher (63) who might have been Eliza’s mother. Henry Jnr

Another of Henry Snr’s sons William Hinton was living in Barker Gate, Nottingham. Maybe it was the old “Hinton” home from the 1840’s. William had a wife Jane (34), sons William H. H. (9), Arthur (6), John H. (2), daughter Mary J. (7) and a servant Sarah Daykin (19). William had become a dairyman too.

Henry and Susan were happy to take visitors and during the summer last they welcomed 700 teachers and pupils onto their farm for afternoon in the countryside.

In 1871 the tolls were being discussed for bidders.

1872

Another person tries to avoid the toll at Lady Bay.

1873 – 74

In 1873 two groups of Corporation jurors (The Colts and The Hodges, I think) where on a days travelling around the parishes of West Bridgford. A description of Henry Hinton is made by one of the group “Passing through Burrow Hill farmyard, the portly form of the jolly old farmer who usually welcomed the jury there with a smile and offer of some genuine ale, was wanting, and, to the bewonderment of some of the Hodges about, it was jocosely intimated that a fine of ten pounds would be inflicted”.

The Tolls were up for consideration again in 1874 and Henry was once again on the receiving end of a theft. This three ducks.

1879

In 1879 the railway bridge over the River Trent was opened as the new London line was operational.

1880 – 81

In 1880 Henry Jnr was appointed as an overseer of the poor in Nottingham and District.

Henry Hinton Jnr (52) had moved back to Burrow Hill Farm and he and his son John were dairymen.

In 1881 the whereabouts of Henry Hilton Snr and his wife Sarah aren’t known. At the end of the year Henry Jnr was charged with being drunk in charge of a Horse and Cart. An unusual event also took place at the end of that year when two rivals decided to “have the matter out” with a boxing match. It took place in a field about a mile past Lady Bay Bridge. Labourers from the nearby farms came to watch.

1886 – 88

In 1886 the railway line that ran alongside the Grantham canal for a few hundred yards was the scene of a most gruesome death to a six year old child who had wondered onto the track.

In 1887 the police are still stationed at Lady Bay Bridge as more thieves are stopped by Sgt Walker after six live fowls were stolen from Samuel Allcocks farm at Holme Pierrepont. The following year Sgt Walker happened upon the drowned body of Samuel Walters near Lady Bay Bridge.

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1890 – 98

THE END OF BURROW HILL FARM AND THE REIGN OF THE HINTON FAMILY.

In the late 1880’s plans had been made to build around and near the old Burrow Hill Farm and surrounding land. The farm building was now known as Burrow Hill Cottage. In 1890 solicitors explain to a “reader” the real costs of such a project.

1891

In 1891 Henry Jnr (61) and his wife Eliza had retired to Burton Street in Nottingham.

Henry Jnr’s son John was living with his wife Elizabeth Ellen Hinton on Charnwood Road in West Bridgford. On the census he named his house “Burrow Hill” in memory of the old farm. By 1901 they had both moved to Worcestershire.

George Hinton b1870 (son of Henry Jnr) aged 21 was living in Old Village, West Bridgford as a Dairyman next door to his brother Henry Hinton b1867 (son of Henry Jnr), a Horse carter aged 24 and his wife Annie (21).

There was another Henry Hinton who was the publican at the Devonshire Arms on Station Street in Nottingham who was born in Nottingham and died in 1906 but this seems to be another family altogether although they may be linked back in time.

Burrow Hill Farm in 1891 was now most likely in disrepair and uninhabited but possibly still under the tenancy of the Hintons. Nearby at Lady Bay Bridge life went on. Another cow had escaped and was being sort after.

In 1893 the property was put up for sale along with the adjoining land. It was described in detail and went under the name of “Burrow Hill Cottage“. “Holme Pierrepont Lane” is what we know today as Holme Road.

Whether this was the last act of Henry Hinton Jnr we might never know but within a month he died at the age of 65.

His wife Eliza moved to Muskham Street in the Meadows where she died in 1898 aged 68.

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1893 – 99

THE BUILDING OF LADY BAY.

Change was already afoot in Lady Bay. A new Road, Trent Boulevard had been laid and business’s where already taking off. There is a mention of in Richard Senior, a Draper in 1893.

Land was advertised for building.

A bakery advertises for an apprentice.

The sewage system is discussed in detail

The Lady Bay Mission Church opened in 1898 and life was buzzing. There was also talk of building a new Lady Bay bridge.

1900

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

MUCH MORE COMING …..