Regional Winners

Jacksdale and Westwood - Regional Winner 2002

The villages of Jacksdale and Westwood, in Nottinghamshire, form a community that has managed to overcome the problems associated with an industrial heritage through its commitment to meeting the modern needs of its inhabitants.

The villages of Jacksdale and Westwood, in Nottinghamshire, form a community that has managed to overcome the problems associated with an industrial heritage through its commitment to meeting the modern needs of its inhabitants.

The community has grown from industrial beginnings in the early 19th Century, when houses were built for the workers of the Butterley Company alongside Portland Wharf. Keen to maintain a link with its industrial past, the villages have applied for funding towards a ceramic map featuring the communitys history.

Mixing past with present, Jacksdale and Westwood are also planning a cyber cafe that will enable villagers and visitors alike to find out more about the villages past on the internet.

With an economy originally based on mining, the community has worked to ensure the development of new businesses and facilities. The community has its own shopping centre that provides residents with all they need for everyday life.

However, for those that do want to venture out but lack the transportation, Jacksdale and Westwood has a special transport scheme (particularly beneficial for older residents), that runs villagers to various locations for shopping and socialising and is also used by travel clubs for excursions further afield.

Villagers can enjoy a wide variety of clubs and activities including bowling, rambling, quizzes and day-time learning courses, as well as numerous sporting clubs and groups specifically tailored for old or young. Residents also benefit from the work carried out to restore land previously used for mining, the site having been developed into an official nature reserve.

The communities of Jacksdale and Westwood have won the title of 2002 Calor Village of the Year for Central England, also winning the Older People and Environment categories for the region.

Judges Comments

"The village has had a huge amount of recovery - both economic and environmental - since the decimation of the mining industry, becoming a commuter village that is obviously a pleasure to live in."