About four miles to the south-east of Derby city centre lies Boulton, a suburb within the city of Derby in the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. Closely tied to the neighbouring area of Alvaston, Boulton falls under the DE24 0 postcode sector and the Alvaston South ward, which is represented on Derby City Council by three councillors. The area is served by Arriva Derby bus routes 1A and 1C, which run clockwise and anti-clockwise on the Derby to Alvaston circular. The land here was recorded as belonging to Ralph fitzHubert as far back as 1086, making Boulton one of the older settlements in the Derby area.
From Farmland to Suburb
For much of its history, Boulton consisted almost entirely of fields and agricultural land. By 1881, the civil parish had a recorded population of just 204 people. On 25 March 1884, the parish was abolished and merged to form Alvaston and Boulton, with part of the territory also passing to Elvaston. Boulton now sits within the unparished area of Derby, in the Derby district. On its southern and eastern edges lies Boulton Moor, an area of scrubland and agricultural fields bordered by Allenton, Chellaston, Thulston, and Aston on Trent. A new housing estate has been built on Boulton Moor, which now carries its own distinct postal dependent locality. Part of that land falls outside the city boundary and into the civil parish of Elvaston in South Derbyshire. A Site of Special Scientific Interest, known as Boulton Moor SSSI, sits within the agricultural land bordering the residential area.
Churches and Listed Buildings
Boulton St. Mary’s, the Anglican church dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, was built around 1150 by the Sacheverell family, then owners of the Manor of Boulton. After a lengthy period of dispute, the church became a chapel of ease to St. Peter’s in Derby in 1281, a change driven by the influence of the abbot of Darley Abbey. Today the church falls within the Diocese of Derby and still retains parts of its original Norman fabric despite alterations over the centuries. The lychgate on Boulton Lane serves as a war memorial to parishioners who died in the Great War of 1914 to 1919. Also on Boulton Lane is Nunsfield House, a Grade II listed building constructed in 1828 by Charles Holbrook. Ownership eventually passed to Derbyshire County Council and then, in 1996, to Derby City Council. The house is used for community purposes and gained a community hall called the Jubilee Room in 1935. For around 50 years, a cramped outbuilding on the site functioned as the local library, which proved popular despite its size. A modern library with computer access is now available in the main Alvaston shopping centre. Boulton also has a Baptist church.