| Toton | |
|---|---|
 Swiney Way in February 2009. | |
  Toton Location withinNottinghamshire | |
| Population | 8,238 (Ward 2011) |
| OS grid reference | SK 50166 34692 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NOTTINGHAM |
| Postcode district | NG9 |
| Dialling code | 0115 |
| Police | Nottinghamshire |
| Fire | Nottinghamshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Toton/ˈtoʊtən/ is a large suburban village in theBorough of Broxtowe inNottinghamshire, England. It forms part of the built-up area ofBeeston,[1] which in turn forms part of the widerNottingham Urban Area. The population of the electoral ward ofToton and Chilwell Meadows was 7,298 in the 2001 census;[2] it increased to 8,238 at the 2011 census.[3]
Until 1974, Toton was part ofBeeston and Stapleford Urban District, having been inStapleford Rural District until 1935. The border withDerbyshire lies immediately to the west.
Toton adjoins theChetwynd Barracks (also known as Chilwell Depot), which forms a boundary to the east; theErewash Valley railway line andToton traction maintenance depot form a boundary to the west.
Although the village of Toton has existed since at leastNorman times, little is known of its history. It is known that Toton parish at one time encompassed a much larger area than is now apparent, including much of what is nowAttenborough village; it shared a church (probably on the site of St. Mary's, Attenborough) with the neighbouringChilwell parish, an arrangement that was unusual for the times.[4]
The village itself was, for most of its history, small and dominated by agriculture. It then grew principally because of Toton Sidings (seeToton Traction Maintenance Depot), a hugemarshalling yard of theMidland Railway, where coal mined from Nottinghamshire coal fields would be sorted and distributed across Great Britain. The area's population grew substantially duringWorld War I when most of the area of level ground between Chilwell and Toton was occupied by theNational Shell Filling Factory No. 6 and the original direct route between Chilwell and Toton became a gated military road, now known asChetwynd Road; this site is now known asChetwynd Barracks.
As a result, the nature of the village changed drastically in the twentieth century. Almost all the agricultural land (mostly orchards) to the north of the A6005 was developed with housing. A few of the old orchard trees were retained in some gardens. Most of the old farmhouses were demolished and perhaps twelve buildings remain that are pre-1900. Almost no visible traces remain of Toton's agricultural past.
Toton was historically atownship in the parish ofAttenborough. It became acivil parish in 1866.[5] In 1931 the parish had a population of 644.[6] On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged intoBeeston and Stapleford urban district.[7] Beeston and Stapleford Urban District was abolished in 1974 to become part of Broxtowe. Nosuccessor parish was created and it became anunparished area.[8]
As of 2025, the borough ward is served by twoConservative party councillors: Stephanie Kerry and Halimah Khaled MBE, as well as Teresa Cullen, who is a member of theBroxtowe Alliance party.[9]
Manor Park (built on the site of the old Manor Farm) is a popular council park, with well-maintained cricket and football pitches, tennis courts and a bowling green. This joins onto Banks Road Open Area, an extended strip of land along and between the banks of theRiver Erewash and its overflow channel; it stretches up along Toton Bank. These areas are managed collectively as Toton FieldsLocal Nature Reserve.
Toton Washlands is a nature reserve, created by theEnvironment Agency to the west of Toton Sidings, that serves as flood defence for theRiver Erewash and sits to the east of theErewash Canal. Although it is within the village's boundaries, it is only possible to access the area from neighbouringLong Eaton due to the presence of the sidings.
Toton has four schools:
In 2019, Chetwynd Primary Academy achieved an outstanding Ofsted report.
Toton has its own cricket team and various football teams, includingToton Tigers,Toton Tornadoes andToton United; most teams train at the local cricket ground of Beeston and Toton Sycamore Cricket Club or Manor Farm open space. Toton also has a bowling green, at which Toton Bowls Club are based, along with tennis courts and outdoor play areas.
Toton has three churches: St. Peter's (Church of England),the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and TotonMethodist Church. Toton Methodist Church and St. Peter's are in a covenantedChurches Together relationship, working together frequently on various community activities.[10]
Toton has two scout groups:1st Toton, based at St Peters church, and2nd Toton, at Greenwood Community Centre.
Barton Buses originally served Toton, with a direct service to Nottingham (route 1). The village was also served by a direct bus to and fromStapleford. Several changes were made during the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century, resulting in significant parts of the village losing through service toNottingham andStapleford.
Key routes operated byTrent Barton include:[11]
Route 510, operated byNottsbus Connect, runs betweenBeeston and Stapleford; it connects with Toton Lane tram stop.[12]
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Line 1 of theNottingham Express Transit connectsToton Lane tram stop, located to the south of Bardills Island (A52), andHucknall, via Nottingham city centre.[13]
The tram line was intended to reach a proposed HS2 station that was to be built at Toton Sidings, just a short distance from the Toton Lane terminus. The tram was to have passed through a planned housing and hotel development and was shown on the application submission.[14]
The nearest railway stations areLong Eaton andAttenborough; both are served by routes operated byEast Midlands Railway[15] andCrossCountry.[16]
East Midlands Hub was a planned development on the site of some former railway sidings, which was expected to open around 2032. It was to be served byHigh Speed 2 services to northern cities, and south to London and Birmingham. It was also meant to serve as a regional hub and an interchange between high speed services, local rail services, the Nottingham Express Transit network and bus services.[17]
Plans for the leg of the line betweenBirmingham andLeeds have since been scrapped.[18]
Media related toToton at Wikimedia Commons