Tourist Information on Beeston

Lying 3 miles south-west of Nottingham, Beeston grew from a village to town in the 19th century when it became a silk-weaving centre.

The decline of the silk industry led to the establishment of light industries in the former mills. Telephone manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries have become particularly important.

Beeston was the home of Jesse Boot, who started work in his mother's herb shop and went on to found the high street phenomenon, "Boots the Chemist". Today Boots has its headquarters on a campus to the south-east of Beeston.

The growth of the suburbs around Nottingham in the 20th century now means that Beeston is continuous with the former villages of Chilwell to the west and Wollaton to the north-east. The weir on the River Trent at Beeston is particularly pretty.