The Pinfold

Introduction and position.

Stapleford’s pinfold, used for the impounding of stray animals, was not a very prepossessing building, unlike that of its neighbour, Sandiacre. In spite of being in existence until, at least, 1924 no photographs are known to exist.

Its position was always in some doubt, although it was usually assumed that the substantial stone wall backing on to Pinfold Lane that surrounded the Nags Head and Plough car park was some remnant of the construction, although this was not really consistent with the frequent mention of its dilapidated condition.

The enclosure award map does not show the pinfold, as such, although its position can be approximately ascertained because one parcel of land awarded to Isaac Burton-No.19 in the award- is described as being bounded on one side by the pinfold.

The enclosure award held by Notts. Archives is not the original but a copy made in a bound book for John Palmer in 1844. John Palmer at that date was the Junior Surveyor of Highways for the parish. Tucked into the back of that book was a completely unrelated document, likely to have been put there by Palmer, which was a conveyance of land made when Pinfold Lane was widened in February 1870. Palmer, at that time was parish waywarden.. Accompanying this conveyance is a detailed plan which shows the pinfold in front of the parish engine house. Full measurements are given and it is possible to calculate that the distance between the pinfold and Church Street was 539 ft. precisely. Google maps show that this is just by the fire station and the pinfold would have been just opposite the building that now houses the fire appliance.

History

The Pinfold is first mentioned in the Constable's Accounts of 1651 when George Jackson was paid two shillings for wood to repair the Pinfold, one shilling and four pence to the workmen who repaired it plus the inevitable expenses of four pence for Drinke and two pence for nayles.[1] Most years the Constable incurred minor expenditure on the Pinfold but in 1665 there was a major refurbishment requiring the raising of a levy to fund the expenditure.[2]

When the Parish Council took over the non-ecclesiastical duties of the vestry in 1894 one of the first things that they did was to take charge of parish property and the pinfold was one item that was included.[3] In 1896 the Rural District Council published plans to build on the site of the pinfold. They intended to construct a room in which to store the street water van and also a building for the Parochial Committee of the RDC to meet.[4] There then followed a protracted argument as to who actually owned the pinfold. The Parish Council was adamant that it was theirs and they were supported in this by the Local Government Board. They refused to waive their interest and the project was abandoned in October 1897.[5] In January 1899 the Parish Council tried to sell the site to the owner of the adjoining property and once again the LGB were asked for their opinion. A joint meeting of the Parish Council and the Rural District Council was held and it was decided that the cost of proving the title to the ownership of the pinfold would exhaust the greater portion of the purchase money. It was resolved that the matter remain in status quo.[6]

In 1909 the Parish Council drew the attention of the District Council to the dangerous state of the wall or fence forming part of the pinfold [7] and later that year a suggestion that it be used as a site for a public urinal was not accepted.[8] Nothing happened for 13 years until in June 1922 when the Rural District Council discussed the pinfold and the right of way over a strip of land there. The matter was referred to the Chairman and Surveyor to report to the next meeting.[9] In January 1924 the Surveyor was asked to purchase corrugated iron sheets for roofing the pinfold.[10] This brought forth a response from Mr W Naylor of Pinfold Lane asking the Council to quit the pinfold and stop using it to dump road materials. The Council pointed out that they had unrestricted use of the pinfold for the last 20 years and asked him to remove the fence that he had erected.[11] In April 1924 the Lord of the Manor, Major Holden, got in on the act and told the Council that the pinfold was, in fact, his property and the Council had been using it for some years without his permission or the Trustees of his estate.[12] Nothing further is heard about the Pinfold after this date and the site must have been quietly included in the land sold to build what became the Carr Fastener factory and later the Aldi supermarket.