New Cross

The area of Sutton-in-Ashfield called New Cross did not come into prominence until late in the second half of the 19th century. Before that time it was mainly farmland with a muddy track, called Tenter Lane, running between the centre of Sutton and Eastfield Side. I imagine that with the growth of the Eastfield side area from the 1830's onwards, the muddy track would have been used more often as a way of reaching the town and its church. We now know the muddy track as Outram Street, one of the main commercial areas of the town for many years. It was named after a local landowner, Mr Samuel Outram, whose farmland was located here.

The area was originally known as Bull Field; possibly because in the will of Mr John Newton (who died in 1691) one of the fields was given for the maintenence of a parish bull.

The whole area to either side of Outram Street was almost totally empty of buildings until 1869 when the Dew Drop Inn was built by William Downing Adlington of Skegby. It was renamed as the "New Cross Inn" sometime between 1877 and 1881.

New Cross Inn

In 1870 a Mr Boot built the first two cottages in Outram Street, which were occupied by himself and a Mr J. Cornish. By the time the ordinance survey map of 1877 was drawn, there were a small number of buildings at the Portland Square end of the track. There was also building started along the north side of Bowne Street and the south side of Outram Street. The road later known as Stoney Street had also been laid out at this point, and a few houses had been built. 

Building had also started on what was to become New Cross Street, and there was a small number of houses around Slater Street, John Street and Dalestorth Street, which was less than half of its current length at that time.

In May 1880 the Midland Hosiery Company opened their BullField Works on Penn Street. This was later to be greatly enlarged by I & R Morley when they took over the factory in 1887.

St Michael & All Angels Church and the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Downing Street

In 1887, St Michael's Church was opened on Outram Street. A chancel, organ chamber and vestry were built on a piece of land bought from Mr Walter Straw for £2,000.

In 1895, the Primitive Methodists built a chapel on the corner of Downing Street and Morley Street.

In Wright's Commercial Directory of 1888, we start to see the first businesses listed as being on Outram Street: Herbert Crompton had a Haberdashery business, Richard Askew a Butchers Shop, Miss Annie Chapman was a Dressmaker while George Elliott was a Joiner and Builder, among many others.

The map shown below reflects the New Cross area as it stood around 1900. The red areas show the buildings in the area by 1877. The blue areas show how much housing had been built by 1900.

Many of the streets in the New Cross area were named after local people who owned land in the vicinity:

Downing Street named in memory of William Downing Adlington 
Bowne Street named for Mr James Bownes, a Mansfield resident who owned land in the area
Beighton Street named after Mr Thomas Beighton, a native of Huthwaite 
Howard Street was "dedicated" in honour of Arthur Howard Bonser J.P. 
John Street (with Brigg's Street, Eastfield Side) were named after Mr John Briggs, Hosiery Manufacturer
Slater Street named in memory of Rev B. B. Slater, Vicar of St Bartholomews Church, Sheffield, who was a local landowner.
Penn Street takes its name from Penn Close, the field on which the houses were constructed.
Chatsworth Street named to honour the Duke of Devonshire's family

Page and map created 19th February 2003 by Heather Faulkes