Long Eaton

Long Eaton, straddling the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire border, has a history that goes back earlier than the 7th century. Lying close by the River Trent, the name came from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Aitone’ meaning town by the water. Visited by the Romans and settled by the Danes, the medieval village remained undisturbed for centuries. A national census of 1801 recorded that only 504 people lived here.

The Parish Church of St Lawrence, according to local legend, dates from the time of King Canute, though it is more likely to be Norman in origin. At one time it was only a ‘chapel of ease’ for the main parish church in Sawley, but in 1868, when the church was largely rebuilt, it became a parish church in its own right.

It was not until the Industrial Revolution and the 19th century that Long Eaton awoke from its long slumbers to become a centre for quarrying, lace making and other industries, all boosted by the coming of railways and canals. The arrival of the railway in 1847 triggered the expansion, and the hosiery and lace-making factories, escaping the restrictive practices in nearby Nottingham, brought employment for many and wealth for some. By the 1870s the population was recorded at over 3,000, doubling over the following 10 years. In 1915 construction began on the National Shell Filling Factory, just over a mile away from Long Eaton’s ancient market place. A staggering 19 million large shells were filled to aid the war effort, and it was not until there had been 19 explosions at the plant, the worst with a death toll of 140, that the operation ceased.

The lace industry, forever associated with this area, gave way to furniture, narrow fabrics and electrical wiring manufacture, which reflected the interests and activities of a stream of entrepreneurs drawn to the town. The most famous of these men was Ernest Tehra Hooley – lace maker, property dealer, builder, benefactor and company director. Hooley was responsible for the flotation of such well-known names as Dunlop, Raleigh, Humber and Bovril before he went bankrupt.

Trent Lock, an easy stroll from the town, is a centre for sailing and boating and there are plenty of other sporting facilities available.