Everything about Dronfield totally explained
Dronfield is a
town in
North East Derbyshire,
England
Geography
Situated between
Sheffield and
Chesterfield on the River Drone, Dronfield lies on the B6057 (Chesterfield Road and Sheffield Road). It is served by the A61 called the Unstone Dronfield Bypass. It covers an area of 3,457 acres and is served by
Dronfield railway station. Nearby are the
villages and
hamlets of
Coal Aston,
Unstone, Holmesfield,
Barlow, Apperknowle,Hundall and
Eckington.
Situated close to the
Pennines and many of the beauty spots of Derbyshire, Dronfield also has easy access to the
Peak District National Park just 3 miles away.
It is a popular
commuter town for nearby
Sheffield.
History
Dronfield is a
market town, but little is known about its history except that it was in existence before the
1086 Domesday Book and suffered after the Norman conquest when William I sought to bring the North of England under control. Its name is thought to mean the open land where there are drones (male bees).
The Church of St John the Baptist is known to have been built by 1135 when Oscot was rector with the parish of Dronfield covering Little Barlow,
Coal Aston,
Povey,
Holmesfield, Apperknowle,
Dore and
Totley. Its churchyard is thought to contain an Anglican preaching cross which would have predated the main church.
The Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established in 1349 in the hall of the chantry priests. However, due to the dissolution of the monasteries and the subsequent suppression of the guilds and chantries in 1547, it became a local inn and today is called the Green Dragon Inn.
Dronfield grew around various industries, the most widespread of which was
coal mining with pits at Stubley being mentioned in the 16th century and a map of Hill Top in the 17th century shows some workings. Further mines were opened at Coal Aston in 1785 and Carr Lane in Dronfield Woodhouse in 1795.
The town also benefited from trade with the
lead mining and grindstone industries in the Peak District. The wealth of the Rotheram family, who became the Lords of the manor of Dronfield, were successful lead merchants. Notable buildings in the town include several 16th and 17th century houses.
During the 16th century, Dronfield with its sheep farmers had a significant number of families working in the wool trade, engaged in spinning and weaving and also the production and selling of cloth. Soaper Lane was the centre of the soap-making and tanning industry in town, being next to the river, with a Dye works also situated there.
In 1662 Dronfield was granted a market by Charles II, but in the 18th century, due to the nearness of Sheffield and Chesterfield, the market went into decline and ceased to exist.
In 1993 The Dronfield school site was completely gutted by fire, requiring all firefighting resources from all nearby towns and Sheffield to control the blaze. The school had to be demolished with the school using mobile cabins as classrooms until 1996 when the rebuilt school was reopened.
Landmarks
Despite its recent growth, Dronfield's centre has managed to keep its ancient character with a number of historic buildings still intact. These include the town's
library (formerly a
manor house), a
school (now The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School) which was established in
1579 through a request in the Will of Henry Fanshawe which was implemented by his nephew Thomas Fanshawe, and a 15th century building long used as a
barn with a king post roof. Its 12th century
St. John the Baptist parish church exhibits a fine 138 foot
spire.
St. John the Baptist Parish church
Built in the
12th century, St. John the Baptist's is built following the style of early
Gothic architecture, features a number of stained glass windows and is located on Church Street. Its spire can be seen from most of Dronfield.
Peel Monument
The
Peel Monument, situated on the town's
High Street, was built in
1854 out of
gritstone as a tribute to
Sir Robert Peel to commemorate his repeal of the
Corn Laws in
1846. This monument serves as pivotal in Dronfield's image.
The Cottage
Near to the Peel Monument on High Street, is a 16th century house known as 'The Cottage'. It is believed that's was once owned by
Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), though there's no proof that he was a Dronfield resident.
The River Drone
The River Drone is a small river that runs through Dronfield. It then joins the Barlow Brook, after which it's called the River Witting.
Demographics
Dronfield's population has increased dramatically in post war years from 6,500 in 1945 to its current size of just under 23,000 mainly as a dormitory community for workers from the nearby city of
Sheffield, which has in the past attempted to bring the town within its own boundaries. Today it comprises three increasingly
suburban communities,
Coal Aston, Dronfield, and
Dronfield Woodhouse.
Dronfield Woodhouse once boasted a status of being the largest
privately owned housing estate in
Europe when it was first built in the
1970s. During the same decade, on October 16th 1975, the
A61 £6.5m five-mile Dronfield-Unstone Bypass was opened running through the westerly side of the town to allow easier access for travel between the larger populated areas of
Sheffield to the north, and
Chesterfield to the south. It ran straight through the Gosforth estate.
Economics
Present Day
Town centre shopping is well served by car parking, the main shops, civic amenities and sports centre with swimming pool lying conveniently in the upper town around the Civic Centre.
The town's football ground, located next to the
Coach and Horses
pub, is now home to the world's oldest
football team,
Sheffield F.C..
The town's weekly
local newspaper publishing is called the Dronfield Advertiser.
Newly added to the town's publications is The Dronfield Eye (known colloquially as "The eye"), which is a monthly magazine, as is Dronfield Profile.
www.dronfieldonline.co.uk is a locally run website, providing information online for the Dronfield Community. It has a wealth of information about the area including links to local clubs and associations, information on schools, property,local news and events provided by and for the people of Dronfield. The site also has a full business directory and fully supports local business and enterprise.
Notable events are the annual Dronfield gala and the Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston well dressings which are held in July.
The
Dronfield 2000 Rotary Walk is a 14.5 mile circular walk that circumnavigates the town.
The
leisure centre is next to the Civic Centre. The
Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School on
Green Lane' has notably been included in the top 500 schools in Rivendell. This takes from all of the 8 schools within Dronfield and surrounding areas, although pupils wanting places from Sheffield are occasionally accepted..
Twinning
Trivia
Dronfield is the home town of the famous horse impersonator Ryan Holdsworth. Holdsworth's fame began in 1978 when he appeared on "Parkinson" performing his infamous Red Rum routine.
Vinnie Jones was also a notable resident, living very close to the well know "Hyde Park" Pub.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Dronfield'.
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