Beeston Rylands is situated to the South of the town of Beeston separated by the railway line to the North, the river Trent to the South and Attenborough nature reserve to the West. It was originally a small settlement of a few houses and two pubs centred around Beeston Lock. In the early part of the 20th century the area experienced significant development primarily to accommodate the factory workers from Boots and Ericssons. There was a further development of around 900 houses in the 1930’s, then called Cliftonside which is now the area surrounding Beech Avenue.

Constructed in 1792 as a vital piece of infrastructure Beeston Canal is now an attractive tree line canal with open views to Clifton Hall beyond. Whilst the canal is a pleasant place to walk, it is also provides mooring for narrow boats and other moored crafts, some of which are just passing through and others are more permanent homes.

The Canalside Heritage centre housed in historic weir cottages also offers a beautiful place to visit. It was established by passionate local people as a heritage, education and arts centre for all but is also ideal for a stroll to enjoy and explore this historic site with refreshments at the tearoom. Once prone to flooding the area has had huge development and improvement of the flood defences with no significant flooding in recent years.

It is an exciting time for those in pursuit of sporting activity with work underway to restore the Plessey sports ground to its former glory. The 9-acre site was once the hub for sports in the area hosting football, tennis, Hockey, netball and cricket. Beeston Football Club and the Trent Vale squash club are hopefully the first of many to return.

There are a range of small independent shops such as Rylands Topshop and News and Essentials providing groceries but if your require a little more Beeston has much to offer. Beeston’s main shopping area is situated along the High Road, much of which has now been pedestrianised.

There are national retailers such as Sainsburys, Tesco and Boots but the town is best known for its selection of high quality independent stores like Fred Hallam’s (greengrocer and fishmonger), Birds the Bakers and Iguazu Fair Trade (furniture and gifts). Travelling further along the High Road towards Broadgate Park, there are specialist East Asian and Mediterranean food shops. The main shopping centre, “The Square” has seen significant development with the implementation of the tram and now has a contemporary feel, hosting seasonal craft fairs and markets throughout the year.