WHERE YOU CAN ALMOST EXPECT TO FIND A HORSE AND CART!

Fifty years is a long time. For some, it is a life-time. But there is no doubt that a place can change tremendously in that time.

Not so Stanton-by-Dale, for Stanton-by-Dale 50 years ago was not much removed from the village to-day.

The biggest single change is exactly opposite to national trend. Population explosion has not yet reached Stanton-by-Dale. In 1919 there were about 600 people living in Stanton-by-Dale. Today there are somewhere in the region of 400, a 33½ per cent decrease.

To find out just what it was like half a century ago, the Stapleford and Sandiacre News spoke to two of the village’s elder residents, Mr. P. Morrell (73) and Mrs. L. Wheatcroft, both of whom remember the village and its bygone activities.

Not Altered Much

Mr. Morrell’s first comment when asked if the village had changed was: “Well it’s not altered at all, really. There are just a few new houses, that’s all.”

One of the centres of activity in the village 50 years ago was the Oddfellows Lodge. This was a sick club formed in the village to look after men who were off work ill. The Oddfellows Lodge was situated in the building which is now the Village Hall.

Every Whit Tuesday the men of the lodge would parade to church for a service, marching to the accompaniment of the Dale Band.

The Cricket Club was of course in existence, and had probably just celebrated its 50th anniversary as it celebrated its centenary last year.

Village Square

A similar attraction to the Whit Tuesday parade was the annual village flower show held in the grounds of Stanton Hall.

At that time, the hall was occupied by Mr C. R. Crompton, who was the village squire. In fact, it was Mr Crompton who gave the Cricket Club their pitch, which they still use today.

As has already been stated, Stanton-by-Dale in those days had a population of somewhere around 600, but a high proportion of this figure was children.

Mrs Wheatley remembers a “lot of children” living in “Twelve Houses” which were situated in what is now called New Stanton by the locals.

Some of the families living in the houses had as many as 12 children.

The high proportion of children is well illustrated when one considers the village school 50 years ago. In those days it had something in the region of 100 pupils.

To-day the same school takes about 40 children from the village.

Because of the village’s close connection with Stanton Ironworks, 50 years ago, nearly all the men from Stanton-by-Dale worked there. There were just a few who were employed on local farms.

Tradition

To-day an important part of Stanton-by-Dale’s community life is the women’s Institute. But 50 years ago, it was the Men’s institute which was the centre of village life.

In the evening, the men would go to institute, which is now a private house, occupied by the Rev. C. J. Lee and his family, for a game of snooker, billiards or cards, and to talk about village life.

Something which has died out in the little-changed village, is the tradition that each house should have a cow and a pig. The pigs, often kept in pig sties in the garden, were fattened and killed for bacon, while the cows gave milk.

The church awas an important part of the village life. The Rector was the Rev. H. E. Kewley, and the average attendance at the church each Sunday was about 50.

There was and still is the Wesleyan Chapel in the village, which also attracted its fair share of the population on a Sunday.

The administration of the village was looked after by the Parish Council, as it is to-day.

Looking back over the 50 years, one thing which Mr. Morrell regrets has gone from the village scene, is the village policeman, who was one of the central figures in the village, probably as important as the village cross, which even to-day seems to stand as a sentinel watching over village life.

Although the village’s two pubs the Chequers and the Stanhope Arms still remain, another important building has gone, the Smithy. This was situated on Stanhope-street.

To-day Stanton-by-Dale has a problem with heavy traffic using the village as a through-road. But 50 years ago there was a much different situation, for there were only about three cars in the whole village. The average man’s journey was undertaken either on foot or on bicycle.

For long excursions to Nottingham or further afield, the common route was to walk to Stanton Gate Station, from where the journey was completed by train.

Many people from the village walked to Ilkeston every week to do their shopping. Bread was delivered to the village and everyday needs could be obtained at the general store, which was the No. 4 branch of the Stapleford and Sandiacre Co-operative Society. There was also a sweet shop in the village.

Comparing 1919 with 1969, Mr. Morrell and Mrs. Wheatley say both agree that there has been very little change in Stanton-by-Dale. The village has been affected by progress, but it is one of the few places around here where, as one walks along the village streets, one can almost EXPECT to see a horse and cart coming in the other direction.

📚 Sources

• Type: newspaper
  Title: Stapleford & Sandiacre News
  Date: 1969-01-24
  Notes: Feature article on Stanton-by-Dale, reflecting on changes over the previous 50 years.