Lambley

The village of Lambley, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, is situated in the south-east of the borough, close to the Cocker Beck, a tributary of the river Trent. The villagers were predominantly engaged in agriculture until the development of framework knitting in the 18th century. Today agriculture, horticulture and market gardening are the prime occupations.

The church in Lambley, originating in the 12th century, was described by Pevsner as “one of the few entirely Perpendicular village churches in Nottinghamshire”. A legacy left by Lord Ralph Cromwell financed the rebuilding of the church, rededicated in 1480 as the church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Ralph Cromwell (1393-1456) was born in Lambley and became a great statesman of the period, having fought with King Henry V at Agincourt and becoming Lord Treasurer to Henry VI. Cromwell’s badge of office, a bulging purse, can be seen on the stone panels on both sides of the window in the east wall. The influence of framework knitting can still be seen in some of the cottages on Main Street and Green Lane, where long windows allowed as much light as possible onto the knitting machines. An account from 1844 reports that there were 381 stocking frames in the village. In the 1920s there was some development of smallholdings, and in the post-war period additional housing has been built.

A bus service links the village to Nottingham. Lambley is also known for its dumbles, a local term for small, steep-sided valleys. These are thought to have been created when the meltwater streams from glaciers crossed the area ten thousand years ago, carving out twisting gullies. Today these areas are valuable for wildlife and visitors can walk along the Dumbles and through picturesque meadows. Lambley is surrounded by countryside with nature trails and has historical buildings of interest.

[A heritage trail around Lambley can be downloaded at www.lambleyheritage.co.uk .

Gedling Country Park is within walking distance of the village, using footpaths which in part run alongside Top Dumble.