The Holmes area of Wheatley was and still is a major junction - Broxholme Lane, Beckett Road, Wheatley Lane, Queens Road, Kings Road and Dockin Hill Road all come together here. Nowadays the Wheatley Hall Road dual carriageway passes alongside, and a new road and junction are being built on the other side - this will lead to the new Waterfront development.
There's plenty of reference to a Holmes Market, for which I can't find any details, but a quick search online reveals there were joiners and stonemasons based in this quarter in the 1860s. There's the shop parade there today which includes a motor shop and a mini supermarket.
This industrial yard is where businessman and philanthropist William Nuttall's sweet factory was based. He died in 1934 and his name is also associated with the spinster cottages on Bennetthorpe. His confectionary company gave the world the Liquorice Lump and Mintoes:
This is the site where the minty, sticky chew originates. In recent times the estate housed car repair shops, a pickle factory, carpet and furniture warehouses and a dance studio and gym. There are several large factory rooms and the hoist arms, balcony and bridge fits in with manufacture of food stuff.
Now the place rots, and parts have been damaged by fires in July 2013 and January 2014. There's evidence of dwelling and one of the small garages may be being used for drug taking. Structural weakness and warnings of asbestos means it's not a recommended visit.
Rear, from Queens Road
A look at the main building with hoist arm, balcony and bridge
Rear courtyard
One of many messy offices
Fire damaged rooms
One of the upstairs rooms
In the dark recesses
The basement was used as a band rehearsal space. This is fluffy mold.
Some musical equipment remains
The right hand building most recently housed car workshops and a dance studio/gym
The upper floor has been fire damaged
I worked for a builders firm called Pearson & Snow in the 70's I spent the summer of 1974 working here building a factory extension on the upper floor. I still can't stand the smell of mintoes, I'll never eat another one as long as i live!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your memories! I see it's now an Aldi.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad worked for Nuttalls as a lorry driver in the 1950s, he went as far as Exeter delivering mintoes to places on the way. That was a 3 day trip in those days and as a young kid I hated him being away that long. They had a Christmas party for the staff and it was the only time
ReplyDeleteI was born a stone's throw from the Nuttals Mintoe factory .. I remember the smell dearly
ReplyDeleteI cab't edit what I have just posted about Nuttalls but that we me, born in Beckett Road! Mum always referred to the Dockin Hill Road/Beckett Road, Broxholme Lane as Holmes Market. I now know why.
DeleteThere was a grocer's shop up over the road from us run by Mr Rudd and his daughter Sheena I recall. He weighed out tea or sugar and wrapped them into packets using brown or sometimes blue paper. I think it was the building next to the school ... but I was only 5 at the time!!
My friend worked there.u sed to love going to meet her after work.the smell of the mintoes was lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteI worked there in 1964/65. I used to love the smell of mint, still do and anything with the flavour of mint. Nuttalls was owned by Guinness at that time together with Riley’s toffees.
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