page_title: Westcotes
section_title: Twentieth century
hierarchical_section_title: Westcotes / History / Twentieth century
caption_attribution_description: English: Westcotes Gardens Circa 1910
context_page_description: Westcotes is an area to the west of the city of Leicester. It is also a ward of the City of Leicester whose population at the 2011 census was 11,644. It is also known as the West End of Leicester. The area is quite small in comparison with other areas of the city, but it is well known as it has many shops, bars and restaurants and is a popular choice for students and young professionals.
  The West End of Leicester, England is an inner city area just west of the city centre, on the opposite side of the River Soar. The main roads in the area are Braunstone Gate, Hinckley Road and Narborough Road.
  The proximity to De Montfort University makes it a popular student area. Further to the south is the Braunstone estate, and to the west is the Dane Hills area.
  The area was developed quite late, because the land remained part of two privately held estates until the 1870s. and therefore is somewhat less dense than other inner city areas like Highfields and Belgrave.
context_section_description: The West End area, together with the Walnut Street district on the other side of the River Soar, was an important residential area in the early twentieth century. With textile, clothing and shoe-making employers such as Liberty Shoes and N. Corah and Sons nearby, and with the manufacturing centres of Woodgate and Frog Island in adjacent districts, the West End was home to many of the employees of Leicester's dominant industries. As a consequence, these areas had a vibrant community based around factory life, and around other social institution such as sports clubs and churches.
  Following the end of World War II, there were changes in the make up of the population in the West End. The 1951 Census recorded 1,029 people born in the USSR, mainly Ukrainians, in the City. The older terraced houses in the West End provided rented accommodation.
  Due to the nature of the migration, the Ukrainian men were separated from the women and twice as many males than women arrived in Leicester. As a consequence many single men married local girls and a close-knit community was formed. Orthodox Ukrainians held services at the Church of the Martyrs on Westcotes Drive. This helped maintain Ukrainian culture in the area. This group amassed enough capital and later bought its own church on the corner of Hinckley road and Fosse Road South which they bought from the Methodists.
  The condition of housing much of central Leicester was, by post-war standards, very poor. From 1970 to 1971 a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was made under the Housing Act 1957 to allow "outworn terraces" to be cleared. This allowed road works for an improved western approach to the city along the A47 and King Richards Road. 1,084 houses were cleared in total under the CPO.
  Westcotes Gardens
  According to Leicester City Council's Local Heritage Asset Register, the land for Westcotes Gardens was gifted to the City by Westcotes Estates Ltd. as part of their development of surrounding residential streets. The Register indicates that the Gardens were laid out and opened circa 1905.
  The attached historic picture of Westcotes Gardens shows in the background the terrace of houses forming nos. 36-46 (evens), 132 Beaconsfield Rd (originally Bismark Street) and 171 Upperton Road. According to the Asset Register, this terrace was designed by local firm Pick Everard circa 1906. The picture shows what appears to be a detached stable block to the rear of 171 Upperton Road which no longer exists. It seems likely that the block was demolished to make way for 167-169 Upperton Road. The picture also appears to show a detached (possibly agricultural?) building to the north of Westcotes Gardens, now occupied by the 1920s houses and their gardens of Upperton Road and Ashleigh Road.
  For comparison, also attached is a picture taken from an equivalent position in Westcotes Gardens in March 2020.
caption: Westcotes Gardens, Leicester, c. 1910
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