For many people, West Bridgford is probably best known for its sporting connections. It is home to the legendary Test Match cricket ground, Trent Bridge, established in the 1830s, as well as the City Ground, home to Nottingham Forest Football Club and also the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont.

However, West Bridgford’s history goes back much further than its sporting attractions. West Bridgford is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and more than likely existed in earlier Anglo-Saxon times – as did nearby Adbolton, Gamston and Edwalton.

The name West Bridgford is simply derived as ‘the ford near the bridge’ - the bridge being the crossing of the River Trent which connects the town with the city of Nottingham. The origins of the forementioned bridge itself are still uncertain but there was certainly an arched stone bridge in the medieval period, remnants of which can still be seen almost hidden just south of the current site today.

Up until the 1880s ‘Old West Bridgford’ was a rural village with a steady population of around 300 people. Following a huge building operation in late Victorian times however the population rose sharply to over 2,500 by 1891 and then to over 7,000 by 1901. Growth has continued ever since with families attracted by the town’s reputation for good schools, leisure opportunities and transport links.