I visited Nottingham’s steepest street which locals know as ‘Death Hill’

It’s well-known that there are some parts of Nottingham to avoid if you’re unable to walk up or down steep roads. 

Many of these are located in the Gedling, Carlton and Mapperley areas of the city. 

By rule of thumb, the further east you go, the more your knees will suffer when going for a stroll. 

However, even those who have summited Everest may struggle to take on Freda Avenue, which is nestled between Mapperley and Gedling. 

Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but Freda Avenue has earned a reputation for being Nottingham’s steepest street - and it’s hard to argue otherwise. 

Having seen various bits and pieces on social media proclaiming the road’s steepness, I thought I’d give my calf muscles a workout and pay Freda Avenue a visit for myself. 

A visit to Nottingham’s steepest street

The road’s extraordinary gradient first struck me when I was travelling down Westdale Lane East, which joins on to the southern end of Freda Avenue. 

First-time passers-by would be forgiven for thinking that was a sheer drop located halfway down the road. 

After getting off the bus I walked towards Freda Avenue, and it immediately became apparent why it had earned the nickname ‘Death Hill’ among locals. 

The first thing that came to my mind was the Oblivion ride at Alton Towers, which plunges thrill-seekers into darkness by throwing them down a vertical drop. 

The weird thing about Freda Avenue is that it boasts two levels of steepness. 

Once you’ve got about halfway you’ll then reach another small incline, which is even steeper than the first!

Thankfully I’d arrived at the top of the road, but I decided to test my legs by having a walk down. 

Near the top is a warning sign which tells drivers in no uncertain terms ‘Low gear now’. 

To be honest, if you’re going down there in anything other than second gear you probably need to re-do your test. 

The top half of Freda Avenue is covered in potholes, which certainly doesn’t help drivers on what is already a challenging road to navigate. 

Such is the road’s gradient, I found myself adopting a Liam Gallagher-style walk when walking down in an attempt to avoid going head over heels. 

After getting about halfway down I turned around and realised the mammoth trek back towards the top which lay ahead of me, so opted to call it a day. 

Freda Avenue’s unique challenges to drivers were made abundantly clear by an unfortunate delivery driver. 

The delivery man’s rusty 2001-plate Transit van made a noise no vehicle should ever make while attempting to reach the summit. 

I could only imagine the challenges that Freda Avenue presents during winter. 

After taking a couple of breathers, I finally made it back to the top and vowed to never take on the hill ever again. 

So, unless you’re after a gruelling workout, I’d advise avoiding Freda Avenue if you’re on foot. 

Either that or you want to test your clutch control.