Chilwell conservation area was designated in 1978 and partly includes the site of the former Chilwell Hall, which was the County House of the village of Chilwell since the time of Henry VI. There had been many owners of the Hall, including Mr Thomas Charlton, and later, his son, Nicholas Charlton, a local commissioner.
In 1832 Reform Rioters threatened the Hall with an arson attack.
Part of the original wall of the Hall can be seen at the junction of Hallams Lane and High Road.
The Hall was demolished in the early 1930's.
An important feature of the conservation area is the grouping of small cottages around The Green, (formerly China Row), which are some of the oldest in Chilwell and, although considerably altered, is original mud and wattle daub buildings.
There are five Listed Buildings within the conservation area, including 'The Meads’ at 265 High Road. A former farmhouse, this property was built for Sir T W Hunloke around 1711. Opposite The Meads is Red Lion Cottage, a former public house that retains many original characteristics and adds to the character of this area of High Road.
The Royal Ordnance Factory was created as a result of the Shell Crisis of 1915. In August 1915, Godfrey Chetwynd the 8th Viscount Chetwynd was commissioned to design, build and oversee the running of a factory to fill large calibre shells with Amatol.
It is thought the Chilwell site was selected because a siding could be made from the existing railway line which ran close by.
The women who carried out this work became known as ‘Chilwell Canaries’ or ‘Canary Girls’ because due to their exposure to the chemical compounds, their skin turned yellow.
In 1918 a substantial part of the National Shell Filling Factory blew up when eight tons of TNT exploded.
137 people were killed but it was only possible to positively identify 32. A further 250 were injured. The unidentified bodies are buried in a mass grave in Attenborough churchyard.
It was reported that the explosion could be heard 20 miles away.
The factory was collectively awarded the Victoria Cross and became known as ‘The VC Factory’.
A pyramidal memorial was erected at the army base – but only after a lapse of 50 years and became a listed building in 1988.
Latest News in Chilwell:
| Title | Author | Date |
| Shop benefits from Grant | CM | 19 November, 2008 |
| Supermarket staff threatened during robbery | editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk | 21 September, 2008 |
| Chilwell Eco Office hosts seminar | editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk | 13 August, 2008 |
| Mother receives son's Military Cross | editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk | 25 June, 2008 |
| Chilwell Man gets ASBO | editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk | 18 June, 2008 |
