Eastfield Side

Eastfield Side, or Forest Side as it was also known, was a hamlet in the parish of Sutton-in-Ashfield. Until the mid 19th Century it was about one mile away from Sutton, but over time Sutton spread out along what was then Tenter Lane (now known as Outram Street). Now, there is no noticable space between Sutton-in-Ashfield and Eastfield Side.

The description of Eastfield from White's Directory of 1832 suggests that the hamlet was either recently constructed or enlarged around that time, as it was mainly new housing. The principal employment around Eastfield came from Quarrying, Brickmaking and Pottery. In 1881 the population of Eastfield Side was approximately 1,000, and by 1888 this had risen to 1,500.

Lane End was the closest residential area in Sutton to Mansfield. The map of 1880 shows a small cluster of houses at Lane End which were separate from the Eastfield area.

The following sketch map of the Eastfield side area shows the layout as it was in 1880. However, most of the street names were not marked on the map, so in those cases the modern names have been used. Prior to these street names coming into common usage, the whole triange shape formed by Mansfield Road, Eastfield Side and Unwin Road were known collectively as Eastfield Side.

For example, in many of the 19th Century trade directories, the Apollo Tavern was either on Eastfield Side or Forest Side. However, from 1881 it was regularly known as Mansfield Road. However, the Masons Arms was also located at Eastfield Side or Forest Side. Unwin Road was first recorded between 1904 and 1907.

Key:

Fulwood

"FULWOOD is a hamlet, 1 mile W. by S. of Sutton, and 1 mile further, in the same direction, is FULWOOD CROW TREES, belonging to the Duke of Portland, and occupied by John Clark."

[From White's Directory of Nottinghamshire, 1832]

Fulwood has always been a small hamlet. The Lord of the Manor and principal landowner was the Duke of Portland. For much of its history it has been mainly farmland, with wheat, oats, beans and turnips grown. There was also a large amount of pasture for grazing.

Fulwood is recorded as "The coppice of the Lord the King called ffulwood" in the Perambulation of the Forest, which was taken during the time of Henry VIII.

Fulwood Crowtrees was extra-parochial (not considered part of any parish) as it lay on the site of an ancient religious house. However, in 1820, John Clark of Fulwood Crow Trees was recommended as a "proper person to serve the office of Guardian of the Poor of the Parish of Sutton-in-Ashfield". This suggests that the occupants of Fulwood Crow Trees were still considered as part of Sutton-in-Ashfield, even though it was extra-parochial.

In the directory of 1832, the local pub - the Duke of Sussex - was listed at Fulwood along with six farmers: Samuel Barnes, Samuel Clay, John Hill, Wm. Nowell, Samuel Marriott & Thomas Shore.

In the 1841 census, 26 households were recorded as living either at Fullwood or Crowtrees.

By 1881, the only residents of Fulwood listed in Kelly's Directory of that year was Joseph Fletcher (Duke of Sussex) and John Marshall, a farmer. In 1888, Fulwood was described as being formerly extra-parochial, but now a separate parish, with a population of five. This was obviously an error, as they meant Fulwood Crow Trees.

The 1891 census enumerators book described Fulwood as follows:

"Fulwood, including Mapplewells, Frank's Lane, Calladine's Lane, Nowell's Lane, the house in the cutting (but not Mycroft's and Goodman's farms), Crow Trees Farm (being the parish of Fulwood)"

The book "A History of Sutton-in-Ashfield" (pub. 1907) described Fulwood as a hamlet containing around 250 people.

Page and map created 30th May 2001 by Heather Faulkes - updated 6th October 2002