Where has Chesterfield gone?

[Pastitman]

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))

[Pastitman]

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what happens when you try to modernize a town and destroyed its heritage, look what's been lost and ask yourself has it been replaced by anything better?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. 

[Old Cruser]

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!!

[Slacker]

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

[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!!

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.   

[Slacker]

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.

[Old Cruser]

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?

[Slacker]

Co-op and Chesterfield Hotel still have buildings intact

[Pastitman]

Co-op and Chesterfield Hotel still have buildings intact

Don, t  think  it  will  be  long  before  the  hotel  is  flat.

[Pastitman]

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?

[Big Dave 2]

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.

[Pastitman]

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.

[Pastitman]

  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)

[Pete]

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.

[Pastitman]

[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.
[/quote]

Great  photo  Pete,  thanks,  pub  on  the  right,  just  one  room  if  I  remember  correctly,  not  a  big  room  but  cosy.