Chesterfield Online Forum
General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: Pastitman on April 30, 2015, 01:39:42 PM
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Where has Chesterfield gone?, Most of the south of town, Horns bridge area, south town centre / Vicar lane, Beetwell Street, lower Saltergate and everything that the bypass needed, all gone and replaced with what can be seen in any other of todays towns. Is there enough made of what remains, we have a unique church, is it advertised enough?, a varied industrial and railway history, forgotten? The Shambles, not as it should be, one of the largest open air markets, slowly fading away, a canal that could be alive again, George Stephensons connection with the area, could more be made of it?, etc, etc. Good to see that there are members on here that love their town and promote it, as we have a lot to be proud of but ........
When speaking to outsiders, they say, Oh! Chesterfield? is that the place with the bent steeple? Surely we could do better. We do need the visitors, tourism, business and income, don,t we?
Moan over, back to my cave. (got some more election rubbish to read))
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This is what happens when you try to modernize a town and destroyed its heritage, look what's been lost and ask yourself has it been replaced by anything better?
True, nicheuk, in my opinion nothing has been replaced that is better, can,t at this moment think of a single improvement. There are usually ways around problems if bothered to look. Fully aware that we have to move with the times but so much has been lost, only photographs remain to remind us of what was. The authorities seem to have no understanding of preserving the towns history.
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Where has Chesterfield gone?, Most of the south of town, Horns bridge area, south town centre / Vicar lane, Beetwell Street, lower Saltergate and everything that the bypass needed, all gone and replaced with what can be seen in any other of todays towns. Is there enough made of what remains, we have a unique church, is it advertised enough?, a varied industrial and railway history, forgotten? The Shambles, not as it should be, one of the largest open air markets, slowly fading away, a canal that could be alive again, George Stephensons connection with the area, could more be made of it?, etc, etc. Good to see that there are members on here that love their town and promote it, as we have a lot to be proud of but ........
When speaking to outsiders, they say, Oh! Chesterfield? is that the place with the bent steeple? Surely we could do better. We do need the visitors, tourism, business and income, don,t we?
Moan over, back to my cave. (got some more election rubbish to read))
I reckon you have hit the nail on the head. pastitman, unfortunately the importance of our Towns history has been ignored in the name of 'modernization' where other places have built on this to attract visitors.
I know we can't compete with York - but that has been built up to extend the knowledge of York's history.
I would have loved to have seen the old Chesterfield Hotel made into more of a tourist attraction with Stevenson and the history behind our railway station.
We have a lovely Park and I reckon more could be done with it than sticking a Fair ground or circus on once in awhile.
There is a list of possibilities if only someone would lend some time and thought into it!!
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I thought the biggest loss was around the 1960s when historic buildings got replaced with square boxes. Most developments since then have kept the character
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, unfortunately the importance of our Towns history has been ignored in the name of 'modernization' where other places have built on this to attract visitors.
I know we can't compete with York - but that has been built up to extend the knowledge of York's history.
I would have loved to have seen the old Chesterfield Hotel made into more of a tourist attraction with Stevenson and the history behind our railway station.
We have a lovely Park and I reckon more could be done with it than sticking a Fair ground or circus on once in awhile.
There is a list of possibilities if only someone would lend some time and thought into it!!
True OC, there are so many things that could be worked on but who would that someone be? Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that the powers that be, haven,t the ideas, so just don,t care. Such a pity, such a waste.
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Who allowed that to happen, the planning department!
Think is was a general thing throughout the country when tower blocks were seen as the solution to slum clearance. The decade that fashion remembers but architects would like to forget.
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True OC, there are so many things that could be worked on but who would that someone be? Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that the powers that be, haven,t the ideas, so just don,t care. Such a pity, such a waste.
We have plenty of history lovers pastitman, a request for volunteers to help with ideas would be a start. There are people around who know far more about Chesterfield than the council staff generally because they have an avid interest in our town.
It would be a start?
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Co-op and Chesterfield Hotel still have buildings intact
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Co-op and Chesterfield Hotel still have buildings intact
Don, t think it will be long before the hotel is flat.
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Think is was a general thing throughout the country when tower blocks were seen as the solution to slum clearance. The decade that fashion remembers but architects would like to forget.
Slum clearance ok, but to demolish and do nothing, what is now "the donut" for example, there were many interesting buildings in that area that could have been saved and worked around. The Alms house , the Peacock, etc, could still be in place as Saltergate is no wider now than before "improvements" were made. Agree that architects would like to forget the concrete jungles that was fashion but still say that whoever planned our town put no thought whatsoever into preserving what we had and the practice goes on today. The baths on Markham road, not many survive now, so why get rid, to build what is there now?
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Isn't it what's below the Donut that makes it difficult to redevelop? To me, as an outside, Chesterfield appears to have escaped the worst of the 60-70's 'nuclear bunker' style of architecture - Casa Hotel excepted.
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Isn't it what's below the Donut that makes it difficult to redevelop? To me, as an outside, Chesterfield appears to have escaped the worst of the 60-70's 'nuclear bunker' style of architecture - Casa Hotel excepted.
Not aware of any problems under the Donut, Big Dave, I lived in that area in the 1950s and there were houses, shops, pubs, offices, light industrial yards, garages, council yard, Quakers chapel and graveyard etc., but would welcome info., regarding that. Initially the telephone exchange was to be sited there, then bus station and recently a shopping complex?, nothing happened, still a car park.
We would have had a "bunker" style development in the 60s if (was it Hammersons? / council ) had their way, it would have obliterated the town centre. Public opinion changed that, which resulted in a rethink and the Pavements as it is now, was created, keeping the main frontages.
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The biggest loss to Chesterfield was the demolition of the T.P .Woods side of the Market Place in the 1960s so that Littlewoods (Primark shop) could build a out of scale store their ,which resulted that one side of the square retained its character while the other lost most of its character buildings. Don't get me wrong Chesterfield has been luckily its retained what's it got but so much more could have be saved that would have made the town really interesting.
Couldn,t agree more, nicheuk, ( and don,t forget the King & Miller up T. P. Woods alley)
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Nice one Pastitman - not many folks know much about the King & Miller. This is a photo of the King and Miller yard around the turn of the century.
Looking south to the market place.
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[quote author=Pete link=topic=5813.msg39385#msg39385 date=1430579710 This is a photo of the King and Miller yard around the turn of the century.
Looking south to the market place.
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Great photo Pete, thanks, pub on the right, just one room if I remember correctly, not a big room but cosy.
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I think the King and Miller pub had two rooms, I have seen inside photos of the pub in T.P. Woods Alamac. The bar was horse shoe shaped and one room had panelling looked really nice. Part of the facade is still there as the Halifax bank the rest as usual was cleared away.
Thanks nicheuk, stand corrected, main room and bar as you went through the door. Second room may be the cosy one I remember, could have been the panelled one, sorry, don,t recall.
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Why not post some pictures on here niche?
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Why not post some pictures on here niche?
If it's possible nichey young man I would love to see some of the old photo as well as Pete. :-*