Dronfield
Encyclopedia
Dronfield is a town
in North East Derbyshire
in the North Midlands region of England
. It comprises the three communities of Dronfield, Dronfield Woodhouse
and Coal Aston
. It is sited in the valley of the small River Drone
, and lies between the town of Chesterfield
and the city of Sheffield
. The Peak District National Park lies 3 miles to the west. Dronfield is known to have been in existence prior to the 1086 Domesday Book
, and has a 12th-century parish church
. In 1662 Charles II
granted the town a market, although this later ceased. The industrial history of the town includes coal mining, the wool trade, the production of soap and steel, and engineering. Today a range of manufacturing firms still operate within the town. Dronfield's population has increased dramatically in post-war years from 6,500 in 1945 to its current size of just over 21,000. The town's name is thought to mean "the open land where there are drones (male bees)". Dronfield's football ground is currently the home of the world's oldest football team.
The A61 trunk road
Dronfield–Unstone Bypass cuts through the town, although this is not directly accessible from the town centre itself. Instead a network of secondary roads serves local traffic: the B6054, B6056, B6057 and B6158. Dronfield is also served via rail through Dronfield railway station
.
Dronfield covers an area of 3457 acres (14 km²) and has as neighbours the village
s and hamlets
of 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 (4.8 km) away.
, but little is known about its early history. It is known to have been in existence before the 1086 Domesday Book
and suffered after the Norman conquest when William the Conqueror
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 contains the stump of a preaching cross which may be Anglo-Saxon
; if so, it would pre-date 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 which still operates today as the Green Dragon Inn.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, 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, was based on the lead trade. 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 1882, William Cammell's steelworks, which specialised in rolling rails, was 'removed' to Workington
in west Cumbria. Steelworkers and their families moved too. It is estimated that 1,500 townspeople made the trip to Workington. 'Dronnies', as the people of Workington called the newcomers, formed Workington AFC in 1888.
In 1993 Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
(formerly the 'Dronfield School' and previously 'Dronfield Grammar School') suffered major damage when its 'modern' 1960s system built blocks were completely gutted by fire, requiring all firefighting resources from all nearby towns and Sheffield to control the blaze. The historic Victorian quadrangle and library, as well as the sixth-form block, survived. The remains of the modern school was subsequently demolished and mobile cabins were used as classrooms until 1996 when the school was rebuilt.
which is now the town's library
, Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
which was established in 1579 through a bequest in the will of Henry Fanshawe (which was implemented by his nephew Thomas Fanshawe), and a 15th-century building with a king post
roof, long used as a barn. The 12th-century parish church
exhibits a fine 138 feet (42.1 m) spire
.
and features a number of stained glass windows. Its spire can be seen from most of Dronfield. It has its own choir and its own music group run by young members of the church.
s, both 20th-century additions (one of the stalls bears the inscription “To the glory of God and in memory of Nellie Gertrude Lucas of Red House, Dronfield, these clergy desks were given by her husband, Easter 1923”):
, was built in 1854 out of gritstone
as a tribute to Sir Robert Peel, to commemorate his repeal of the Corn Laws
in 1846. The monument is very distinctive, and is often portrayed in images of the town.
is a small river that runs through Dronfield. It then joins the Barlow Brook at Unstone, and then flows into the River Rother
at Whittington Moor
, Chesterfield.
and John Owen.
Gosforth Fields is the home of Dronfield Rugby Club.
and Sheffield
(which has in the past attempted to bring the town within its own boundaries). Today the town comprises the three once separate but now physically contiguous communities of Coal Aston
, Dronfield, and Dronfield Woodhouse
.
Dronfield Woodhouse once claimed to have the largest privately owned housing estate in Europe
("Gosforth Valley") when it was first built in the 1970s. During the same decade, on October 16, 1975, the £6.5m 5 miles (8 km) A61 Dronfield–Unstone Bypass was opened running through the western 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.
castings to the automotive industry.
Major companies with works in Dronfield include:
The Sheffield firm of Ponsford's Furniture have opened their new distribution warehouse in the town. Various smaller companies occupy units on the estate. Some modern high-tech businesses have premises in the town, such as Radius (formerly Slinn Computers) a packaging software systems supplier.
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.
.
There is a rugby league
side that goes by the name of Dronfield Drifters RLFC.
Dronfield is served both by a weekly local newspaper (the Dronfield Advertiser) and by a monthly magazine (The Dronfield Eye). The Dronfield Eye (colloquially known as "The Eye") also publishes the annual Dronfield Directory, which lists details of hundreds of local groups, societies and organisations.
Dronfieldonline is a locally run website, providing information online for the Dronfield community. It contains information about the area, including schools, property, local news, events provided by and for the people of Dronfield, and links to local clubs and associations. 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 miles (23.3 km) circular walk that circumnavigates the town.
The leisure centre is next to the civic centre.
The cricket pitch on Stonelow Road is the home of the local Coal Aston Cricket Club. The ground has high-quality facilities including home and away changing rooms, a tea room, an electronic scoreboard, a seating area in front of the pavilion and an astro-turf practice net.
, Germany
- home of Mercedes-Benz
.
A park
in Dronfield Woodhouse was renamed after Sindelfingen in the early 1990s to celebrate this partnership (established in 1972).
the Blue Stoops,
the Bridge,
the Coach & Horses,
the Green Dragon,
the Three Tuns (formerly the Hallowes), a real-ale pub serving up to 12 real ales, run by the Spire Brewery,
the Hearty Oak,
the Hyde Park,
the Jolly Farmer,
the Miners Arms,
the Dronfield Arms (formerly the Sidings),
the Talbot Arms,
the Victoria,
the White Swan,
the Cross Daggers,
the Yew Tree,
the Chequers
Dronfield also has as well several social clubs: The Contact Club, Dronfield Woodhouse Sports & Social Club, Hill Top Sports & Social Club and the Pioneer Club, to name a few.
Dronfield is also home to 1890 (Dronfield) ATC Squadron.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in North East Derbyshire
North East Derbyshire
North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It borders the districts of Chesterfield, Bolsover, Amber Valley and Derbyshire Dales in Derbyshire, and Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire....
in the North Midlands region of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It comprises the three communities of Dronfield, Dronfield Woodhouse
Dronfield Woodhouse
Dronfield Woodhouse is a district of Dronfield, in northeast Derbyshire, England. Its habitation has existed as early as the 11th century and its main road features a 13th century house and a 19th century Primary School .Although Dronfield Woodhouse today constitutes the western half of the town...
and Coal Aston
Coal Aston
- Geography :Coal Aston sits on a ridge overlooking Sheffield and Dronfield. To the south there is Frith Wood, which is made up of mixed woodland rich in many species of fauna and flora and is thought to be an ancient wood...
. It is sited in the valley of the small River Drone
River Drone
The River Drone is a river which flows south from its source on the Sheffield, South Yorkshire border. It flows through Dronfield, Unstone and Unstone Green in Derbyshire before merging at Sheepbridge to the north of Chesterfield with the Barlow Brook. It then flows south east till it merges with...
, and lies between the town of Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and the city of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. The Peak District National Park lies 3 miles to the west. Dronfield is known to have been in existence prior to the 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, and has a 12th-century parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. In 1662 Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
granted the town a market, although this later ceased. The industrial history of the town includes coal mining, the wool trade, the production of soap and steel, and engineering. Today a range of manufacturing firms still operate within the town. Dronfield's population has increased dramatically in post-war years from 6,500 in 1945 to its current size of just over 21,000. The town's name is thought to mean "the open land where there are drones (male bees)". Dronfield's football ground is currently the home of the world's oldest football team.
Geography
Dronfield is sited in the valley of the River Drone in North East Derbyshire, England. It lies roughly midway between the town of Chesterfield to the south and the city of Sheffield to the north, for which it is a popular commuter town.The A61 trunk road
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
Dronfield–Unstone Bypass cuts through the town, although this is not directly accessible from the town centre itself. Instead a network of secondary roads serves local traffic: the B6054, B6056, B6057 and B6158. Dronfield is also served via rail through Dronfield railway station
Dronfield railway station
Dronfield railway station serves the town of Dronfield in Derbyshire, England , south of Sheffield, on the Midland Main Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield....
.
Dronfield covers an area of 3457 acres (14 km²) and has as neighbours the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s and hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Unstone
Unstone
Unstone is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. It is in the North East Derbyshire district of the county. Unstone is situated approximately one mile south east of Dronfield, and is also close to the town of Chesterfield. The village has a population of over 1,000 residents...
, Holmesfield
Holmesfield
Holmesfield is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire. Steeped in history, the name "Holmesfield" means "raised pasture-land" and comes from Norse and Anglo-Saxon origin...
, Barlow
Barlow, Derbyshire
Barlow is a village and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 884. The village is about three miles north-west of Chesterfield....
, Apperknowle
Apperknowle
Apperknowle is a village in Derbyshire, England.The village is located on the Southwestern slopes of a of a flat topped ridge at about the 200 m above sea level...
, Hundall and Eckington
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
.
Situated close to the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
and many of the beauty spots of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Dronfield also has easy access to the Peak District National Park just 3 miles (4.8 km) away.
History
Dronfield is a market townMarket town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, but little is known about its early history. It is known to have been in existence before the 1086 Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and suffered after the Norman conquest when William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
sought to bring the North of England under control
Harrying of the North
The Harrying of the North was a series of campaigns waged by William the Conqueror in the winter of 1069–1070 to subjugate Northern England, and is part of the Norman conquest of England...
. 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
Coal Aston
- Geography :Coal Aston sits on a ridge overlooking Sheffield and Dronfield. To the south there is Frith Wood, which is made up of mixed woodland rich in many species of fauna and flora and is thought to be an ancient wood...
, Povey, Holmesfield
Holmesfield
Holmesfield is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire. Steeped in history, the name "Holmesfield" means "raised pasture-land" and comes from Norse and Anglo-Saxon origin...
, Apperknowle, Dore
Dore
Dore is a village in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies on a hill above the River Sheaf, and until 1934 was part of Derbyshire, but it is now a suburb of Sheffield. It is served by Dore and Totley railway station on the Hope Valley Line...
and Totley
Totley
Totley is a suburb on the extreme southwest of the City of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. Lying in the historic county boundaries of Derbyshire, Totley was amalgamated into the city of Sheffield in 1935, and is today part of the Dore and Totley electoral ward in the city, though it remains...
. Its churchyard contains the stump of a preaching cross which may be Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
; if so, it would pre-date 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
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and the subsequent suppression of the guilds and chantries in 1547, it became a local inn which still operates today as the Green Dragon Inn.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Dronfield grew around various industries, the most widespread of which was coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
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
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Dronfield, was based on the lead trade. 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
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, but in the 18th century, due to the nearness of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and Chesterfield, the market went into decline and ceased to exist.
In 1882, William Cammell's steelworks, which specialised in rolling rails, was 'removed' to Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
in west Cumbria. Steelworkers and their families moved too. It is estimated that 1,500 townspeople made the trip to Workington. 'Dronnies', as the people of Workington called the newcomers, formed Workington AFC in 1888.
In 1993 Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School is a mixed state comprehensive school for 11-18 year olds, in the town of Dronfield, Derbyshire.-History:The school was established officially in 1578, at the will of Henry Fanshawe, whose wish it was for his nephew, Thomas Fanshawe, to establish the school...
(formerly the 'Dronfield School' and previously 'Dronfield Grammar School') suffered major damage when its 'modern' 1960s system built blocks were completely gutted by fire, requiring all firefighting resources from all nearby towns and Sheffield to control the blaze. The historic Victorian quadrangle and library, as well as the sixth-form block, survived. The remains of the modern school was subsequently demolished and mobile cabins were used as classrooms until 1996 when the school was rebuilt.
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 Dronfield ManorDronfield Manor
Dronfield Manor is an early 18th century manor house situated at Dronfield, Derbyshire, which is occupied by the town library. It is a Grade II listed building.The manor of Dronfield was owned by the Crown until granted by King John to William Briewer....
which is now the town's library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School is a mixed state comprehensive school for 11-18 year olds, in the town of Dronfield, Derbyshire.-History:The school was established officially in 1578, at the will of Henry Fanshawe, whose wish it was for his nephew, Thomas Fanshawe, to establish the school...
which was established in 1579 through a bequest in the will of Henry Fanshawe (which was implemented by his nephew Thomas Fanshawe), and a 15th-century building with a king post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
roof, long used as a barn. The 12th-century parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
exhibits a fine 138 feet (42.1 m) spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
.
St. John the Baptist Parish Church
Built in the 12th century, the parish church of St. John the Baptist is built following the style of early Gothic architectureGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and features a number of stained glass windows. Its spire can be seen from most of Dronfield. It has its own choir and its own music group run by young members of the church.
Misericords
St John the Baptist has two misericordMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s, both 20th-century additions (one of the stalls bears the inscription “To the glory of God and in memory of Nellie Gertrude Lucas of Red House, Dronfield, these clergy desks were given by her husband, Easter 1923”):
- Angel in attitude of prayer
- Angel with arms folded across breasts
Peel Monument
The "Peel Monument", situated on the town's High StreetHigh Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
, was built in 1854 out of gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
as a tribute to Sir Robert Peel, to commemorate his repeal of the Corn Laws
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
in 1846. The monument is very distinctive, and is often portrayed in images of the town.
The Cottage
Near to the Peel Monument on High Street is a 16th-century house known as 'The Cottage'. It is believed that it was once owned by Lord Byron (1788–1824), though there is no proof that he was a Dronfield resident.Cliffe Park
Located off Callywhite Lane, Cliffe Park has a number of amenities for local residents including a children's adventure play area, tennis courts and a bowling green.The River Drone
The River DroneRiver Drone
The River Drone is a river which flows south from its source on the Sheffield, South Yorkshire border. It flows through Dronfield, Unstone and Unstone Green in Derbyshire before merging at Sheepbridge to the north of Chesterfield with the Barlow Brook. It then flows south east till it merges with...
is a small river that runs through Dronfield. It then joins the Barlow Brook at Unstone, and then flows into the River Rother
River Rother, South Yorkshire
The River Rother is a river in the northern midlands of England, after which the town of Rotherham and the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency are named. It rises near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, and flows through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal...
at Whittington Moor
Old Whittington
Old Whittington is a village in Derbyshire and north of Chesterfield and is/ south-east of Sheffield. The village lies on the River Rother....
, Chesterfield.
Gosforth Fields Sports Complex
In January 2010, a new £2.5 million sports complex opened on the old Gosforth School site. Run by three local teams, AFC Dronfield, Dronfield Town & Dronfield RFU, the complex included a state-of-the-art 3G pitch, 10 full-size pitches, superb changing facilities and a social area. It is being hailed as the best facilities in the north for amateur level sports. It was officially opened by Sir Trevor BrookingTrevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
and John Owen.
Gosforth Fields is the home of Dronfield Rugby Club.
Demographics
Dronfield's population has increased dramatically in post-war years from 6,500 in 1945 to its current size of just over 21,000. This mainly reflects its position as a dormitory community for workers from nearby ChesterfieldChesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
(which has in the past attempted to bring the town within its own boundaries). Today the town comprises the three once separate but now physically contiguous communities of Coal Aston
Coal Aston
- Geography :Coal Aston sits on a ridge overlooking Sheffield and Dronfield. To the south there is Frith Wood, which is made up of mixed woodland rich in many species of fauna and flora and is thought to be an ancient wood...
, Dronfield, and Dronfield Woodhouse
Dronfield Woodhouse
Dronfield Woodhouse is a district of Dronfield, in northeast Derbyshire, England. Its habitation has existed as early as the 11th century and its main road features a 13th century house and a 19th century Primary School .Although Dronfield Woodhouse today constitutes the western half of the town...
.
Dronfield Woodhouse once claimed to have the largest privately owned housing estate in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
("Gosforth Valley") when it was first built in the 1970s. During the same decade, on October 16, 1975, the £6.5m 5 miles (8 km) A61 Dronfield–Unstone Bypass was opened running through the western side of the town, to allow easier access for travel between the larger populated areas of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
to the north and Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
to the south.
Economics
The town has a range of businesses, mainly located on the Callywhite Lane Industrial Estate at the eastern end of the town off the main Sheffield to Chesterfield road. The main businesses in the town were originally associated with engineering trades, but over recent years have diversified. The principal business is the William Lees Iron Foundry, which dates back to the 1800s and was responsible for major growth in the town at that time. The foundry mainly supplies malleable ironMalleable iron
Malleable iron is cast as White iron, the structure being a metastable carbide in a pearlitic matrix. Through an annealing heat treatment the brittle as cast structure is transformed. Carbon agglomerates into small roughly speherical aggregates of graphite leaving a matrix of ferrite or pearlite...
castings to the automotive industry.
Major companies with works in Dronfield include:
- Henry BootCharles BootCharles Boot of Sheffield, England was the creator and builder of Pinewood Studios on the estate of Heatherden Hall at Iver Heath in the parish of Iver in Buckinghamshire, England.- Basic biography :...
Plc. - Builders, area offices - Banner Plant - Plant Hire Yard & HQ, a division of Henry Boot Plc.
- Padley & Venables Ltd - Manufacturers of rock cutting tools and bits.
- Hodkin & Jones - Decorative plaster mouldings HQ & factory.
- Land Instruments InternationalLand Instruments InternationalLand Instruments is a manufacturer of industrial infrared temperature measurement devices and gas analysers for monitoring combustion efficiency, pollutant emissions, dust, particulates and fire detection with headquarters in the United Kingdom and has offices and distributors worldwide.Land has...
- Manufacturers of infrared temperature measurement and combustion efficiency and environmental monitoring equipment. Land was taken over in 2006 by AMETEKAMETEKAMETEK, Inc is a manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with headquarters in the United States and over 80 manufacturing sites worldwide....
Inc. - Gunstones Bakery (Northern FoodsNorthern FoodsNorthern Foods Ltd is a British food manufacturer headquartered in Leeds, England. It was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. The company was scheduled to merge with Greencore Group in 2011 to form Essenta Foods, the group being...
) - Suppliers of baked products to M&S, etc. The firm was founded in Sheffield in 1862, moving to Dronfield in 1950, and taken over by Northern Foods in 1970.
The Sheffield firm of Ponsford's Furniture have opened their new distribution warehouse in the town. Various smaller companies occupy units on the estate. Some modern high-tech businesses have premises in the town, such as Radius (formerly Slinn Computers) a packaging software systems supplier.
Present day
Town-centre shoppers are well served by car parking facilities, 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.
Sheffield F.C.
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...
.
There is a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
side that goes by the name of Dronfield Drifters RLFC.
Dronfield is served both by a weekly local newspaper (the Dronfield Advertiser) and by a monthly magazine (The Dronfield Eye). The Dronfield Eye (colloquially known as "The Eye") also publishes the annual Dronfield Directory, which lists details of hundreds of local groups, societies and organisations.
Dronfieldonline is a locally run website, providing information online for the Dronfield community. It contains information about the area, including schools, property, local news, events provided by and for the people of Dronfield, and links to local clubs and associations. 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 miles (23.3 km) circular walk that circumnavigates the town.
The leisure centre is next to the civic centre.
The cricket pitch on Stonelow Road is the home of the local Coal Aston Cricket Club. The ground has high-quality facilities including home and away changing rooms, a tea room, an electronic scoreboard, a seating area in front of the pavilion and an astro-turf practice net.
Twinning
SindelfingenSindelfingen
Sindelfingen is a German town near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe that is the site of a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.-History:* 1155 First documented mention of Sindelfingen...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- home of Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
.
A park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in Dronfield Woodhouse was renamed after Sindelfingen in the early 1990s to celebrate this partnership (established in 1972).
Other facilities
Dronfield has many pubs, including:the Blue Stoops,
the Bridge,
the Coach & Horses,
the Green Dragon,
the Three Tuns (formerly the Hallowes), a real-ale pub serving up to 12 real ales, run by the Spire Brewery,
the Hearty Oak,
the Hyde Park,
the Jolly Farmer,
the Miners Arms,
the Dronfield Arms (formerly the Sidings),
the Talbot Arms,
the Victoria,
the White Swan,
the Cross Daggers,
the Yew Tree,
the Chequers
Dronfield also has as well several social clubs: The Contact Club, Dronfield Woodhouse Sports & Social Club, Hill Top Sports & Social Club and the Pioneer Club, to name a few.
Dronfield is also home to 1890 (Dronfield) ATC Squadron.
Education
- The Dronfield Henry Fanshawe SchoolDronfield Henry Fanshawe SchoolThe Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School is a mixed state comprehensive school for 11-18 year olds, in the town of Dronfield, Derbyshire.-History:The school was established officially in 1578, at the will of Henry Fanshawe, whose wish it was for his nephew, Thomas Fanshawe, to establish the school...
on Green Lane takes its intake is from all of the 8 schools within Dronfield and the surrounding area, occasionally including pupils from Sheffield. - William Levick Primary School had a school roll of 209 pupils as of 2009.
Notable people
Either born or have lived in Dronfield- Rick AllenRick Allen (drummer)Richard John Cyril "Rick" Allen is the drummer for the English hard rock band Def Leppard. He is famous for overcoming the complete amputation of his left arm and continuing to play with the band, which subsequently went on to its greatest popular success worldwide...
, drummer with Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell... - Dave BerryDave Berry (musician)Not to be confused with English 1960s singer Mike Berry.Dave Berry is a British pop singer and former teen idol of the 1960s...
, musician - Bruce ChatwinBruce ChatwinCharles Bruce Chatwin was an English novelist and travel writer. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel On the Black Hill...
, novelist and travel writer - Gary CahillGary CahillGary James Cahill is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Bolton Wanderers and the England national football team.-Club career:...
, Bolton Wanderers defender - Roy GoodallRoy GoodallFrederick Roy Goodall was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town for 16 years and played 25 games for England, 12 as captain....
, former England football captain - Vinnie JonesVinnie JonesVincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
, actor and former footballer - Howard KendallHoward KendallHoward Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
, ex-Sheffield United and Everton manager - Mel SterlandMel SterlandMelvyn "Mel" Sterland is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United and in the Scottish Football League Premier Division for Rangers, and was capped once for England.-Playing career:Sterland's career is distinctly in two...
, ex-Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United and Glasgow Rangers footballer - Kevin PressmanKevin PressmanKevin Paul Pressman is an English former football goalkeeper, currently coaching at Bradford City. Pressman made 588 appearances in English and Northern Irish league football for 5 different clubs over 3 decades....
, ex-Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, attended Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School - Kevin GageKevin GageKevin Gage is an American actor notable for his role in the crime film Heat, portraying the ominous thrill-killing loose cannon, Waingro.-Personal life:Gage was married to actress Kelly Preston from 1985 to 1987....
, ex-Sheffield United, Wimbledon and Aston Villa footballer - now landlord of the Green Dragon pub on High Street - Tony CurrieTony CurrieAnthony William Currie commonly known as Tony Currie is an English former footballer who had significant spells for Sheffield United, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers as well as representing England....
, ex-Sheffield United, Leeds United and England footballer - Paul TomlinsonPaul TomlinsonPaul A. Tomlinson is a retired English football player who played as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United, Birmingham City on loan and Bradford City....
, ex-Sheffield United and Bradford City footballer, now owns the Hyde Park Inn - Peter SpringettPeter SpringettPeter Springett was a professional footballer in the 1960s and 70s.-Career:He played in goal for Queen's Park Rangers and later Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Scarborough...
, played in goal for Queens Park Rangers and later Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Scarborough
External links
- Dronfield Town Council
- Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School Site
- Short synopsis of Dronfield
- Dronfield Rotary Club
- The Peel Centre
- St John the Baptist Church, Dronfield
- Sport Dronfield at Gosforth Fields
- Dronfield Rugby Union Club
- Stan's Guide to the pubs in Dronfield
- Dronfield directory
- Dronfield Community Website
- The Dronfield Round Walk
- Hill Top Sports & Social Club
- Dronfield Civic Society
- Dronfield Camera Club