Having discovered that the part of Gedling south & east of Mapperley Golf Course that I am currently mapping is called Phoenix Farm Estate (not true, see below), I’ve wanted to know where that farm is, and have finally found it, with bonus extras.

Thanks to a post in nottstalgia.com I located Phoenix Farm on Arnold Road opposite the junction with Jessops Lane.

The farm supplies a surprising connection for Gedling with JRR Tolkein and his most famous writing (“Lord of the Rings”) - see the BBC website, although the link to Andrew H Morton’s talk is defunct. The farm was bought by his Aunt Jane Neave in 1911; it was called Lamb’s Farm in a Tolkein drawing (below) (named after the previous farmer) although was called “Church Farm” at sale. The farm was close to Gedling Church (a long-range view is here), but Aunt Jane swiftly changed the name to Phoenix Farm. It is said to have been demolished in 1954. I still do not know why Phoenix Farm Estate was named after the farm.

Contrition

I often think that ‘Contrition’ should be my middle name.

Having discovered a local government map of Nottingham Electoral Wards it has come home to me that, whilst the Estate is probably correctly called Phoenix Farm Estate, that is more likely to be due to it also being the name of the Electoral Ward that it constitutes. There’s not a lot wrong with this, since the Porchester Gardens neighbourhood is largely built upon the Electoral Ward of the same name. However, there is another problem:

The Phoenix Farm Estate electoral ward begins at the other side to the Sherwood Academy School from which I’ve currently been working (I’ve currently been working in St James Ward, not Phoenix). Ah well.