Chesterfield
The market town of Chesterfield lies in the county of Derbyshire. It is located in the East Midlands area of England on the River Rother and Hipper. It is thought that the town itself stands on the site of an Iron Age fortification and probably a Roman site.
Chesterfield is listed in the Domesday Book where it was referred to as Cestrefeld which means open field. For most of its early years the town was best known for its market which served a wide surrounding area and as such made Chesterfield a relatively important place. The town was given a Royal Charter to holds its market in the early 13th century - the market still runs regularly on various days during the week in the town.
The town, like many other places, saw a boost in its economy with the arrival of the railway in the 1830s. Chesterfield in fact benefited more than most towns in this situation as a significant seam of coal was discovered by the railway engineer George Stephenson as the railway was being constructed. This enabled Stephenson to open up a business in this area in the town and coal mining played a major part in the economy of the town for many years until the last mines closed in the early 2000s. Stephenson actually spent much of his life in the town and he is buried in the town’s Trinity Church.
Many people know Chesterfield as the town with the crooked church spire. The church of Saint Mary and All Saints has a spire that both twists and leans at an angle. It is not known why the spire does this although it is thought that it may be due to unseasoned wood being used when it was originally built. At the moment the spire leans almost 9ft and is still moving over time. The town’s football team have been nicknamed The Spireites from this famous spire.
Visitors to the town who like to walk or hike may like to take on the Five Pits Trail which takes in five of the town’s local coal mines. A walk around the old town (The Shambles) with its medieval streets is also worth doing. Here you can have a drink and relax in The Royal Oak which is considered to be one of the oldest pubs in the country. Many visitors also enjoy a trip to the town’s Queen’s Park which has a boating lake and pleasant gardens. Those wishing to learn more about Chesterfield and its history should take a trip to the Museum and Art Gallery in the town centre.
Links: