CRAMMED with Victorian and Edwardian houses, West Bridgford is known for its narrow roads and tall buildings, or, as the Victorians liked to call them, villas.

The suburb was first called Bread and Lard Island around 100 years ago, as it was seen as an elegant place and when people managed to buy a house there, they couldn't afford to eat – and so survived on the basics.

The Victorians built prolifically in West Bridgford. It's hard to imagine that it was originally a tiny village with a population of just 200 people, surrounded by trees and orchards.

Part of the old village exists today. There are cottages off Stratford Road which were originally part of the estates belonging to wealthy landowner John Musters, of Colwick Hall.

It was a rural village until 1881, when it saw rapid growth and, within ten years, the population increased tenfold.

West Bridgford was modelled by the Victorians as a middle-class area. It was carefully planned and good schools, churches and shops soon followed.

While Nottingham was growing rapidly, development in West Bridgford was restricted, as much of the land was owned by the Musters family.

After much pressure, the Musters sold their land, but they applied strict planning regulations to the area then known as the West Bridgford Estate.

The middle-class model is evident in the handsome architecture and spacious layout of the buildings. Careful planning means comfortable family homes are within striking distances of churches and good schools.

John Musters had clear ideas on what he wanted the town to look like. Conditions of sale stipulated that on main roads, houses should be 25ft from the road. The houses had to be of a certain rateable value and each house was to have at least one "water closet".

No back-to-back houses were allowed and there were few terraced properties.

Houses crept gradually to Melton Road. In 1881, the population of West Bridgford was nearly 200. In 1891, it was 2,000 and in 1901 it was 7,000. In 2001, it was 43,000.

From the early 1900s, the style of suburban homes was dominated by the Arts and Crafts movement. Pebbledashed walls, mock timber gables and additional decoration were popular on properties of this time.

There are many gorgeous Edwardian properties around Bridgford – as a wander down streets around Musters Road, such as Dovedale Road and Loughborough Road, will demonstrate.

Speaking of streets, there are only two "streets" in name in West Bridgford. When the town was planned in the Victorian period, the roads were originally named as streets: for example, Musters Street and South Street. However, the planners eventually decided that the term street was too urban, so today, the town has Musters Road and South Road.

Smaller houses and terraces were permitted on side streets to house the servants of the wealthy Nottingham merchants who bought up property in West Bridgford.

A striking example of a fine West Bridgford property is Melton House, a stunning seven-bedroom detached home in Edwalton's conservation area. It boasts a long, tree-lined driveway, a Victorian conservatory and an abundance of original features. On the market for offers in excess of £1m, it will eventually be a family home as well as a valuable piece of Nottinghamshire history to the fortunate owners.