Chesterfield, Derbyshire
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chesterfield is a
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
and
industrial town An industrial city or industrial town is a town or city in which the municipal economy, at least historically, is centered around industry, with important factories or other production facilities in the town. It has been part of most countries' ...
in the county of
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, England. It is north of
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
and south of
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
at the confluence of the Rivers Rother and Hipper. In 2011, the built-up-area subdivision had a population of 88,483, making it the second-largest settlement in Derbyshire, after Derby. The wider Borough of Chesterfield had a population of 103,569 in the 2021 Census. In 2021, the town itself had a population of 76,402. It has been traced to a transitory
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
dated to approximately AD 80-100. The name of the later
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
village comes from the
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
''ceaster'' (Roman fort) and ''feld'' (pasture). It has a sizeable street market three days a week. The town sits on an old
coalfield A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological. A coalfield often groups the seams of ...
, but little visual evidence of
mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
remains since the closure of the final town centre mine nicknamed “The Green Room”. The main landmark is the crooked spire of the Church of St Mary and All Saints.


History

Chesterfield was in the Hundred of Scarsdale. The town received its market charter in 1204 from King John, which constituted the town as a free borough, granting the burgesses of Chesterfield the privileges of those of
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
and
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
. In 1266, the Battle of Chesterfield saw a band of rebel barons defeated by a royalist army.
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
granted a charter in either 1594 or 1598, creating a corporation of a mayor, six aldermen, six brethren, and twelve capital burgesses. This remained its charter until the borough was reshaped under the
Municipal Corporations Act 1835 The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4. c. 76), sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales. The le ...
. It originally consisted only of the
township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
of Chesterfield but absorbed some surrounding townships in 1892. There was a major extension when the borough absorbed New Whittington and Newbold urban district in 1920. Chesterfield's current boundaries date from 1 April 1974, when the Borough of Chesterfield was formed under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
by amalgamating the
municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
of Chesterfield, the urban district of Staveley and the parish of Brimington from Chesterfield Rural District. Chesterfield benefitted much from the building of the Chesterfield Line – part of the
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
to
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
railway (North Midland Line) begun in 1837 by
George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victoria ...
. During the work, a sizeable seam of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
was discovered while the Clay Cross Tunnel was constructed. George then founded the
Clay Cross Clay Cross is a town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It is a former industrial and mining town, about south of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield. It is directly ...
company producing coal, iron ore, and limestone. During his time in Chesterfield, Stephenson lived at Tapton House, remaining there until his death in 1848. He is interred in Trinity Church. A statue of him was erected outside Chesterfield railway station in 2006. 200px, George Stephenson Statue, Chesterfield Train Station


Governance

Local government in Chesterfield has a two-tier structure. At the upper tier of services such as consumer protection, education, main roads and social services is provided by
Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Derby. The county council is ba ...
. At the lower tier, housing, planning, refuse collection and burial grounds are provided by Chesterfield Borough Council. There are two
civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...
in the borough, Brimington and Staveley.
Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Derby. The county council is ba ...
has 64 county councillors and Chesterfield Borough Council 40 local councillors, both elected every four years.


Coat of arms

The borough council uses
armorial bearings A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achie ...
originally granted to the previous borough corporation by
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
dated 10 November 1955. The
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
of the arms is as follows:
Gules a Device representing a Pomegranate Tree as depicted on the ancient Common Seal of the Borough the tree leaved and eradicated proper flowered and fructed Or ''and for the Crest on a Wreath of the Colours'' Issuant from a Mural Crown Gules Masoned Or a Mount Vert thereon a Derby Ram passant guardant proper. ''Supporters'': On the dexter side a Cock and on the sinister side a Pynot or Magpie proper each Ducally gorged Or
The shield is based on the borough's ancient common seal, believed to date from the earlier 16th century. The seal depicts a stylised
pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...
tree. When the arms were formally granted, the
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
expressed the view that the plant had been adopted by the town as a symbol of loyalty to the crown, as it had been a royal badge used by
Katherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until its annulment on 23 May ...
,
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and Mary Tudor. The crest depicts a Derby Ram, representing the county of Derbyshire, and a
mural crown A mural crown () is a Crown (headgear), crown or headpiece representing city walls, fortified tower, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the ancient Rome, Romans ...
, suggestive of a town wall and thus borough status. The
supporters In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the Escutcheon (heraldry), shield and depicted holding it up. Historically, supporters were left to an individual's fr ...
represent the ''Cock and Pynot Inn'', Old Whittington. The now ''Cock and Magpie Inn'' (53°16'13.1"N 1°25'34.3"W) is next to ''Revolution House'', which was the site of a meeting between conspirators against James II in 1688. Among those meeting there were the Earl of Danby and
Devonshire Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the wes ...
, marked by ducal crowns round the supporters' necks. The two birds stand on a compartment of rocks and moorland. The motto is "Aspire", a punning reference to the crooked spire of the parish church.


Combined authority

In March 2016 the borough council began a bid to join the
Sheffield City Region Combined Authority The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is the combined authority for South Yorkshire in England, with powers over transport (public transport and major trunk roads only), economic development and regeneration. It covers a total a ...
, which was due to receive devolved powers. Derbyshire County Council opposed this and sought legal advice. In June 2017 Chesterfield Council withdrew its application, but is now a non-constituent partner.


Geography

Chesterfield lies at the confluence of the River Rother and River Hipper at the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield, in the eastern foothills of the
Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of highland, uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "Vertebral column, backbone of England" because of its length and position, the ra ...
. It is sometimes described as the "Gateway to the
Peak Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...
", with the Peak District National Park to the west of the town. Nearby areas of the South and West Yorkshire Green Belt can serve to block
urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...
. Other local greenfield frameworks include "strategic gaps" to maintain the openness and landscape qualities of large open areas, and "green wedges" penetrating urban areas with recreational facilities.


Urban area

The wider Chesterfield Urban Area had a population of 112,664 at the 2021 Census, this included the town of Chesterfield along with its surrounding suburbs and the outlying villages and towns of Wingerworth, Staveley, Cutthorpe and Holymoorside.


Politics

Chesterfield is part of the Chesterfield constituency; the Member of Parliament (MP) is
Toby Perkins Matthew Toby Perkins (born 12 August 1970) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chesterfield since 2010. He served as Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs from 2023 until 2024. He previously se ...
(Labour). The local council for Chesterfield is Chesterfield Borough Council.


Economy

Since the cessation of coal mining, the economy around Chesterfield has undergone major change. The employment base has moved from the primary and secondary sectors towards the tertiary. The area sits on an old, large coalfield which had many collieries, including those in outlying areas which were historically part of Chesterfield Rural District:
Clay Cross Clay Cross is a town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. It is a former industrial and mining town, about south of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield. It is directly ...
, Arkwright Town,
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
,
Grassmoor Grassmoor is a village in Derbyshire, England, approximately three miles to the south of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield its distance from London is 148.5 miles. Its original name, according to 16th-century parish records, was ''Gresmore ...
,
North Wingfield North Wingfield is a large village and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district in the county of Derbyshire, England. Located approximately 4½ miles south-east of Chesterfield, and 1 mile north-east of Clay Cross. The population of t ...
and Holmewood. Between 1981 and 2002, 15,000 jobs in the coal industry were lost and all collieries closed, although open cast mining took place at Arkwright Town for a few years from November 1993. Many mine sites were restored by a contractor for Derbyshire County Council. Little evidence of mining remains. A cyclists' and walkers' route, the "Five Pits Trail", links some former mines; most are now indistinguishable from the surrounding countryside. In the town, large factories and major employers have disappeared or relocated. Markham & Co. manufactured
tunnel boring machine A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole" or a "worm", is a machine used to excavate tunnels. TBMs are an alternative to drilling and blasting methods and "hand mining", allowing more rapid excavation through hard rock, wet or dry so ...
s such as the one used for the
Channel Tunnel The Channel Tunnel (), sometimes referred to by the Portmanteau, portmanteau Chunnel, is a undersea railway tunnel, opened in 1994, that connects Folkestone (Kent, England) with Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais, France) beneath the English Channel at ...
. It was bought out by Norway's Kvaerner and later merged with Sheffield-based Davy. Its factory on Hollis Lane is now a
housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...
; the former offices were turned into flats and serviced office suites. Dema Glass's factory near Lockoford Lane closed; the site is now host to a
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
supermarket and the Proact Stadium, the home of Chesterfield Football Club. GKN closed its factory and the site is being turned into a business park. Other companies have downsized sharply. Robinson's, makers of paper-based packaging, divested its health-care interests, which led to a marked fall in the workforce and facilities in Chesterfield. Trebor, once based on Brimington Road near Chesterfield railway station, merged with Bassetts sweets of Sheffield, was later taken over by
Cadbury Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. ...
and relocated to a modern unit at Holmewood business park. The earlier factory site is now developed as part of a mixed residential and commercial site. Manufacturing employment has fallen by a third since 1991, though the proportion of employees in manufacturing is still above the national average. Today, smaller firms are found on several industrial estates, the largest being at Sheepbridge. Business located on the estate includes
SIG plc SIG plc is a British-based international supplier of insulation, roofing, commercial interiors and specialist construction products. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange. History The company was founded by Ernest Adsetts in 1957 Sheffie ...
subsidiary Warren Insulations, Franke Sisons Ltd (founded in 1784 in Sheffield and among the first to manufacture stainless steel kitchen sinks in the 1930s), Rhodes Group and Chesterfield Felt. Between the A61 and Brimington Road, there is a development site resulting from Arnold Laver relocating to a modern sawmill at Halfway, near Sheffield. The former sawmill has been demolished, and is now a mixed residential and commercial development called Chesterfield Waterside. There is a
Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited, trading as Morrisons, is the List of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Sco ...
on the junction of Chatsworth Road (A619) and Walton Road (A632), a
Sainsburys J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...
on Rother Way (A619 for Staveley), and a
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
Extra on the junction of the A619 and A61 (known locally as ''Tesco Roundabout''). The Institute of Business Advisers is based on Queen Street North. Chesterfield Royal Hospital is on the A632 towards Calow and
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
. It has the only accident and emergency department in Derbyshire outside Derby. The Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Branch of the
RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales which promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...
is located in the town, and serves the North East Derbyshire area. The
Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...
's Pensions Service Centre is near the town in Boythorpe Road, in Rowland Hill House, which also serves other administrative functions. There is a Post Office Ltd building in the town at West Bars called Future Walk. Formerly this was Chetwynd House, now demolished and replaced by the new building.


Shopping, entertainment and leisure

The town centre of Chesterfield has retained much of its pre-war plan. Chesterfield Market is one of the largest open-air markets in Britain, the stalls sitting either side of the Market Hall. In the middle of town, a collection of narrow medieval streets makes up The Shambles, which houses the ''Royal Oak'', one of Britain's oldest pubs. Near Holywell Cross is what was (until 2013) Chesterfield's largest department store, the Co-operative or Co-op. The main building opened in 1938, and now occupies the majority of Elder Way, including an enclosed bridge, and part of Knifesmithgate. Here the façade is in the mock-Tudor style fashionable in the 1930s, which still dominates the north side of Knifesmithgate. In 2001, the Chesterfield and District Co-operative Society was incorporated into a larger regional
Midlands Co-operative Society Midlands Co-operative Society Limited was the second largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a c ...
Limited, now the biggest independent retail society in the UK. Owing to a decline in retail sales, the large home and fashion Co-op department store closed at the end of July 2013,"Chesterfield: Co-op hopes doomed store will attract developers"
''Derbyshire Times'', 4 February 2013.
The area has had some redevelopment with a
Premier Inn Premier Inn Limited, a subsidiary of Whitbread, is a British limited-service hotel chain with operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. As of 2025, the company owned and operated over 800 h ...
and retail stores now open.


The Pavements

In the late 1970s the area between Low Pavement (in the Market Square) and New Beetwell Street was redeveloped to build "The Pavements" Shopping Centre, known by some as The Precinct. The existing buildings were demolished except for the façades on Lower Pavement. The shopping centre was opened in November 1981 by the
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
and
Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...
. It has entrances opposite Chesterfield Market and escalators leading down to New Beetwell St and the bus station. An enclosed bridge links the site to a
multi-storey car park A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...
built at the same time, adjacent to the town's coach station. Chesterfield's multi-storey library stands just outside The Pavements in New Beetwell St. The building was opened in 1985. In annual figures compiled by the
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is a UK based organisation for accountants who work in the public sector, accounting firms and other professional bodies where management of public funds are required. CIPFA is the ...
it ranked fifth in the UK for number of loans in 2008, rising one place on the previous year. The area beside the library was redeveloped, but retains the old narrow passageways while accommodating small shop units and offices. On 27 June 2007, the
Somerfield Somerfield ( ) was a chain of small to medium-sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The business started life in the 19th century as grocers J. H. Mills, and after a series of buyouts and mergers, the company became known as Gatew ...
store in the Precinct was gutted in a fire in which the roof collapsed, a few shoppers suffering minor injuries. The fire reportedly started after a welding torch being used to repair flood damage had been left ignited. It started at 13:10 on 27 June and was not extinguished until 23:30 that day. After the fire, Somerfield decided to cease trading in Chesterfield. The unit re-opened in September 2008 as a
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
Metro store.


Vicar Lane

Vicar Lane was redeveloped in 2000 as a pedestrianised open-air shopping centre creating two new shopping streets. This meant demolishing almost all of the existing buildings, including a Woolworths branch and a small bus station. It now includes major chains such as H&M and Iceland. The development had been planned in the 1980s but delayed for economic reasons. A multi-storey car park on Beetwell St was added under the revised plan. The area lies between the Pavements Centre and markets and the crooked spire.


Food and drink

Nightlife is centred mainly in the Church Way, Holywell Street and Corporation Street areas. The Brampton Mile, west of the town centre is known for the number of public houses on a stretch of Chatsworth Road. In February 2006, the first international gluten free beer festival was held in Chesterfield. The
Campaign for Real Ale The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. History The organisation was founded on 16 ...
(CAMRA) hosted the event as part of its regular beer festival in the town.


The arts

The Winding Wheel, hitherto an
Odeon Cinema Odeon Cinemas Limited, trading as Odeon (stylised in all caps), is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and Greece, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsid ...
, is a venue for concerts, exhibitions, conferences, dinners, family parties, dances, banquets, wedding receptions, meetings, product launches and lectures. Past notable performers include
Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved popularity as part ...
,
The Proclaimers The Proclaimers are a Scottish Rock music, rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid (born 5 March 1962). They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America (song), Letter from America", which reached No. 3 ...
and
Paddy McGuinness Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, who invited him to appear on the television comedy series '' That Peter ...
. It also hosts performances of the Chesterfield Symphony Orchestra. The "Pomegranate Theatre", formerly the Chesterfield Civic Theatre and previously the Stephenson Memorial Theatre, is a listed Victorian building in what is now known as the Stephenson Memorial Hall. It has an auditorium that seats about 500 people. Shows are given throughout the year. Also in the Stephenson Memorial Hall is the Chesterfield Museum, opened in 1994. Until 1984 it was used as the town's main library. The museum is owned by Chesterfield Borough Council, as are the Winding Wheel and the Pomegranate Theatre. The box office for both venues is located in the entrance area of the theatre. The Royal Mail building, Future Walk, in West Bars, was once the site of Chetwynd House, referred to locally as the AGD. Here a work by sculptor
Barbara Hepworth Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a leadin ...
''Curved Reclining Form'' or ''Rosewall'' was prominently displayed for many years and nicknamed ''Isaiah'' by local critics, as it resembled a crude human face with one eye higher than the other ("eye's 'igher"). The work was due to be sold in 2005, but reprieved as a work of national significance. Other artworks of note include ''A System of Support and Balance'' by
Paul Lewthwaite Paul Lewthwaite (born 1969 in Douglas, Isle of Man) is a sculptor working internationally, based in the UK. He produces sculptures for exhibition and public commission. His work is exhibited widely across the UK, Europe and the US. Lewthwaite is a ...
, outside Chesterfield Magistrates' Court.


Transport


Roads

The town is bisected north-south by the A61, with a dual carriageway from the town centre right into Sheffield. The A617 links to
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
, the A619 provides an entry point to the
Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...
(eventually joining the A6 near
Bakewell Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, known for Bakewell pudding. It lies on the River Wye, Derbyshire, River Wye, 15 miles (23 km) south-west of Sheffield. It is the largest se ...
) and the A632 connects
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
with Matlock. The
M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) motorway, A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the count ...
passes Chesterfield to the east, at a distance of to junction 29a. Three junctions provide access to the town: * Junction 29 at
Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
to the south, via the A617 dual carriageway. * Junction 29a at Markham Vale in Duckmanton, via the A632 * Junction 30 to the north, via the A619.


Buses and coaches

Stagecoach East Midlands and
Stagecoach Yorkshire Stagecoach Yorkshire is a bus operator providing local and regional services across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire in England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group and is headquartered in Barnsley. The subsidiary was formed in 2005 follow ...
are the predominant bus operators in Chesterfield; others include
Trentbarton Trentbarton (stylised in all lowercase) is a bus operator providing both local and regional services in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, England. It is a subsidiary of the Wellglade Group. History In October 19 ...
and TM Travel. Buses stop in several areas around the town centre, rather than at a central bus station. The Stagecoach depot at Stonegravels is notable for its size and many vehicles stored there are not in regular use; it was Chesterfield Corporation's bus depot. Chesterfield coach station opened in 2005, on the site of the old bus station; it is served by Stagecoach and
National Express Mobico Group, formerly National Express Group, is a British multinational public transport company with headquarters in Birmingham, England. Domestically it currently operates bus and coach services under brands including National Express. Th ...
coaches Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
. Routes connect the town with Bradford, Leeds, Leicester, London and Sheffield.


Railways

Chesterfield railway station Chesterfield railway station lies on the
Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line (MML), sometimes also spelt Midland Mainline, is a major Rail transport in Great Britain, railway line from London to Sheffield in Yorkshire via the East Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras railway ...
. It is served by three
train operating companies In the railway system of Great Britain, a train operating company (TOC) is a railway undertaking operating passenger trains under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways ...
: *
East Midlands Railway East Midlands Railway (EMR; legally Transport UK East Midlands Limited) is a British train operating company owned by Transport UK Group, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. Originally owned by Abellio (transport compan ...
operates
inter-city Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
routes to London St Pancras,
Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
,
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
, ,
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
and
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
*
CrossCountry CrossCountry (legal name XC Trains Limited) is a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains, operating the current CrossCountry franchise. The CrossCountry franchise was restructured by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2006, ...
runs long-distance inter-city services to Sheffield, ,
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
, , Derby,
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
,
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
, ,
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
and
Penzance Penzance ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated in the ...
*
Northern Trains Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
operates a services between
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and Nottingham. Chesterfield once had two other railway stations: * Chesterfield Market Place had been the terminus of the Chesterfield–Lincoln line. It was built in 1897 by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR); it closed in 1951, due to the prohibitive cost of maintaining Bolsover Tunnel and the nearby Doe Lea Viaduct, which were both affected by mining subsidence. No original buildings remain. The site is now owned by the Post Office. * Chesterfield Central closed in 1963, in conjunction with a general wind-down of passenger train activity on the
Great Central Railway The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its Great Central Main Line, London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company ...
(GCR). Chesterfield's inner relief road, part of the A61, now runs along some of the disused track bed. The station was demolished in 1973. Part of the railway tunnel under the town still exists off Dixon's Road, the northern entrance has been sealed off. The railways crossed each other at Horns Bridge, the Midland Main Line passing over the GCR loop into Chesterfield and the LD&ECR passing both on a viaduct. Horns Bridge has been redeveloped since the last two railways closed. Horns Bridge roundabout on the A61 Derby Road and A617 Lordsmill Street now occupies the site. The viaduct was demolished in the 1970s. Chesterfield tramway system was built in 1882 and closed in 1927.


Taxis

The main taxi ranks are in Elder Way, Knifesmithgate and outside the railway station. Chesterfield taxis are recognisably black with distinctive white bonnets and boots.


Air

The nearest licensed airfield is Netherthorpe Aerodrome, near
Worksop Worksop ( ) is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located south of Doncaster, south-east of Sheffield and north of Nottingham. Located close to Nottinghamshire's borders with South Yorkshire and Derbys ...
in
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
, but has only 553 metres of grass runway. Air passengers may use
East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...
,
Leeds Bradford Leeds Bradford Airport is located in Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, about northwest of Leeds city centre, and about northeast from Bradford city centre. It serves Leeds and Bradford and the ...
,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
airports, all within two hours by road.


Canal

The
Chesterfield Canal The Chesterfield Canal is a narrow canal in the East Midlands of England and it is known locally as 'Cuckoo Dyke'. It was one of the last of the canals designed by James Brindley, who died while it was being constructed. It was opened in 1777 ...
linked the town to a national network of waterways through the 19th century. Overtaken by rail and then road for freight transport, it fell into disuse, but has been partially restored since the mid-20th century for leisure use. However, the section through Chesterfield remains isolated from the rest of the waterway network.


Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by
BBC Yorkshire BBC Yorkshire is one of the English regions of the BBC. It was formed from the division of the former BBC North region into BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, based in Kingston upon Hull. Serving West, North and South Yorkshir ...
and
ITV Yorkshire ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
. Television signals are received from the
Emley Moor The Emley Moor transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on Emley Moor, west of the village centre of Emley, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is made up of a concrete tower and apparatus that began ...
TV transmitter and local TV transmitter situated north of the town. Radio stations are BBC Radio Sheffield, Greatest Hits Radio North Derbyshire (formerly Peak FM), Hits Radio South Yorkshire and the local internet radio stations: S41 Radio, Elastic FM, Chesterfield Radio and Spire Radio. Also in the town are the headquarters of the '' Derbyshire Times'', the local newspaper, which does not cover all of the county.


Education


Primary schools

* Abercrombie Primary School * Brockwell Junior School * Cavendish Junior School * Christ Church CofE Primary School * Hady Primary School * Spire Junior School * St Joseph's Catholic and CofE (VA) Primary School * St Mary's Catholic Primary * William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School


Secondary schools

* Brookfield Community School, Brookside * Outwood Academy Hasland Hall, Hasland * Outwood Academy Newbold, Newbold * Parkside Community School, Boythorpe * St Mary's Catholic High School, Newbold


Colleges

* Chesterfield College


Religious sites

Chesterfield is perhaps best known for the crooked
spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...
of its Church of Saint Mary and All Saints and is why the local football team is known as ''The Spireites''. The spire is twisted 45 degrees and leans from its true centre. Folklore recounts that a
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
blacksmith mis-shod the
Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
, who leapt over the spire in pain, knocking it out of shape. Realistically, the lean has been ascribed to an absence of skilled craftsmen just 12 years after the
Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
, the use of unseasoned timber or insufficient cross-bracing. Another explanation is that it was caused by heat expansion after the 17th-century addition of 33 tons of lead sheeting to the spire, resting on 14th-century bracing not designed to carry such weight. The tower on which the spire sits contains ten bells cast in 1947 by the
Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...
in London, replacing a previous ring. The heaviest weighs . Also in Chesterfield is the Annunciation Church, founded by the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in 1854 and designed by
Joseph Hansom Joseph Aloysius Hansom (26 October 1803 – 29 June 1882) was a British architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style. He invented the Hansom cab and founded the eminent architectural journal ''Building (magazine), The Builder'' i ...
.


Sport and leisure


Football

Chesterfield F.C. is nicknamed the Spireites, after the crooked spire of St Mary's Church. The club formerly played at the
Recreation Ground A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...
(usually referred to as Saltergate after the road on which it was located), but moved to a new
stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
on the old Dema Glass site north of the town in Whittington Moor at the start of the 2010–11 season. The team has mostly competed in the third and fourth tiers of English football but dropped down to the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
for season 2018–19.
Chesterfield Ladies FC Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constituen ...
have women's and girls' teams and is based at Queen's Park Annexe; it plays in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Girls County League. The town also has an amateur Sunday football league that hosts over 100 teams on a Sunday morning. The Chesterfield and District Sunday Football League consists of nine divisions and three cup competitions.


Rugby Union

Chesterfield Panthers Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1919 and played its first game in 1920. It fields three men's senior squads, a senior ladies squad and numerous junior teams. The club moved for the 2013–14 season from its Stonegravels site to a new purpose-built ground at 2012 Dunston Road. The facilities include three pitches, one floodlit, numerous changing rooms, and a large open-plan bar area. The first XV won the Midlands North 4 championship in 2013–14 and returned to the Midlands North 3 for the first time in 25 years. Chesterfield Spires RLFC is a
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
club formed in the town in 2003 and currently playing in the RL Merit League. In 2008 it merged with the North Derbyshire Chargers.


Cricket

Chesterfield Cricket Club is an amateur
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
club based at Queen's Park. The club has a history dating back to the mid-18th century. Chesterfield CC compete in the Derbyshire County Cricket League, a designated ECB
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, at the top level for recreational club cricket in Derbyshire. Chesterfield were League Champions in 2008 and are one of only three clubs to have remained in the top flight of the League since it was created in 1999. The club have three senior teams that compete on Saturdays in the Derbyshire County Cricket League, a Sunday XI in the Mansfield and District Cricket League and an established junior training section that play competitive cricket in the North Derbyshire Youth Cricket League.


Hockey

Chesterfield Hockey Club, founded in 1899, competes in the Yorkshire and North East Region Hockey League. The side has typically been mid-table or battled against relegation until its greatest success, when it recruited the Australian import striker Adam Clifford from Tasmania. During his two seasons Clifford scored over 50 goals and Chesterfield narrowly lost the league in the final weeks by a single point.


Athletics

Chesterfield & District Athletic Club are based at Tupton Hall School, Tupton, Chesterfield, and provides training and events for juniors and seniors.


Swimming

Chesterfield Swimming Club, the largest competitive swimming club in North Derbyshire, is based at the Queen's Park Sports Centre in Boythorpe Road. In October 2011 it began delivering the programme for Derventio eXcel (Performance Swim Squad for Derbyshire) for the North East of the county. In 2012, Chesterfield SC took part in the Arena National Swimming League and achieved promotion to the top division at the first attempt. Further success raised its membership.


Tennis

Chesterfield Lawn Tennis Club are members of the Sheffield and District League, and is the largest Tennis centre in North Derbyshire with 3 Indoor and 7 Outdoor Courts.


Golf

Chesterfield Golf Club was founded in 1897, and is an 18-hole golf course situated near Walton, Chesterfield.


Queen's Park

Queen's Park, just outside the town centre, recently benefitted from a multimillion-pound programme of investment, allowing it to host county cricket again. Alderman T P Wood, Mayor of Chesterfield in 1886 proposed that local land be acquired by the
Local Board A local board of health (or simply a ''local board'') was a local authority in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulat ...
to create a public park for the
Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 and 21 June 1887 to mark the Golden jubilee, 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. It was celebrated with a National service of thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Serv ...
in 1887. It officially opened in 1893. The park includes a
cricket field A cricket field or cricket oval is a large grass field on which the game of cricket is played. Although generally oval in shape, there is a wide variety within this: perfect circles, elongated ovals, rounded rectangles, or irregular shapes with ...
,
pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
, lake, conservatory,
bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...
, and
miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by Diesel engine, ...
. A further of land south of the park was acquired as a memorial to Queen Victoria in 1901 and laid out as a recreation ground known as Queen's Park Annex.


Queen's Park Sports Centre

Queens Park Sports Centre was constructed in the mid and late 20th century within Queen's Park, adjacent to its western boundary. It included a swimming pool, gym, several indoor courts (for various sports) and several more outdoor tennis courts, before it was closed in December 2015. A new £11.2 million Queen's Park Sports Centre opened in January 2016 on the Queen's Park Annex south of Queen's Park. It includes an eight-lane swimming pool, a learner pool, a gym, an eight-court sports hall, squash courts, training rooms, an exercise-class studio, a climbing wall and a café.


Skate park

A skate park, built by Freestyle, opened in June 2009 on land behind Ravenside Retail Park and B&Q, near Horns Bridge. A speedway training track once operated at Glasshouse Farm in the early 1950s.


Motorsports

The GB3 and GB4 team Hillspeed are based in Markham Vale. Hillspeed previously raced in the
BTCC The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), officially known as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by ...
.


Public services

Chesterfield is policed by
Derbyshire Constabulary Derbyshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Derbyshire, England. The force covers an area of over with a population of just under one million. History In 1965, the force had an establishment ...
. Chesterfield Police Station in New Beetwell St is the North Division Headquarters. Chesterfield has two NHS hospitals, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Calow, with maternity services and accident and emergency department, and the smaller Walton Hospital run by Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. In 1984, the entire site of the old Chesterfield Royal Hospital in the town centre was purchased by an orthopaedic surgeon, who converted the lower portion of the hospital, adjoining Infirmary Road and Durrant Road, into the Alexandra Private Hospital. Chesterfield is covered by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance. Chesterfield is served by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service. The fire station at Whittington Moor was demolished in 2012 after the service relocated to a newly built station at Spire Walk Business Park.


Notable people

Notable people from Chesterfield in alphabetical order. Information not referenced on the person's page must be referenced here. *
Olave Baden-Powell Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell (; 22 February 1889 – 25 June 1977) was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting and co-founder of Girl Guides). ...
(1889–1977), wife of
Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder of The Boy Scouts Association and its first Chief Scout, and founder, with ...
and Chief Guide from 1918 * Nick Barker (born 1973), British drummer * Ben Barnicoat (born 1996), racing driver *
Steven Blakeley Steven Blakeley (born 26 February 1982) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as PC Geoff Younger in the British police drama '' Heartbeat'', guest roles in various other television programmes and multiple theatre roles. Early life ...
(born 1982), actor in television drama series ''Heartbeat'' * B. V. Bowden, Baron Bowden (1910–1989), scientist and educationist, associated with the development of
UMIST The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for Research univer ...
as a university * Tommy Briggs (1923–1984), professional footballer and football manager (1885–1967). President of the Senate (Australia) * Millie Bright (born 1993),
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
footballer *
Gordon Brown (Australian Politician) Gordon Brown (11 February 1885 – 12 January 1967) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1932 to 1965, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He was President of the Senate from 1943 to 1951. Early l ...
(1885–1967), President of the Senate *
Paul Burrell Paul Burrell (born 6 June 1958) is a former servant of the British Royal Household and latterly butler to Diana, Princess of Wales. Background and Royal Household career Burrell was born and raised in Grassmoor, Derbyshire, a coal-mining ...
(born 1958), former royal
butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
and author *
Martyn P. Casey Martyn Paul Casey (born 10 July 1960) is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass. B ...
(born 1960), bassist with The Bad Seeds and formerly Grinderman *
Barbara Castle Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, (''née'' Betts; 6 October 1910 – 3 May 2002) was a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament from 1945 United Kingdom general elec ...
(1910–2002), Labour
cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
* Paul Cummins (born 1977), artist, creator of
Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red ''Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red'' was a public art installation created in the moat of the Tower of London, England, between July and November 2014. It commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and consisted of 888,246 cerami ...
* Jonno Davies (born 1992), actor * Fred Davis (1913–1998), snooker player * Richard Dawson (1960–2020), professional footballer with
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
,
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
and Chesterfield * Connor Dimaio (born 1996), professional footballer * Blair Dunlop (born 1992), musician and actor * Stanley Dyson (1920–2007), art teacher and
Outsider Art Outsider art is Fine art, art made by Autodidacticism, self-taught individuals who are untrained and untutored in the traditional arts with typically little or no contact with the Convention (norm), conventions of the art worlds. The term ''ou ...
contributor * Jane Freeman (1871–1963), artist * Francis Frith (1822–1898), photographer and liberal
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
* Thomas Gascoyne (1876–1917), professional cyclist professional cyclist, who set world records for both 25 miles and the flying start quarter-mile. He rode in Europe, America and Australia but died at the
Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies of World War I, Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front (World Wa ...
* Jeff Gilberthorpe (1939–2021), wildlife artist and author * Diego De Girolamo (born 1995), professional footballer *
Simon Groom Simon Groom (born 12 August 1950) is a British producer and director. He was a presenter of '' Blue Peter'' from 1978 to 1986. Early life Groom was born in Chesterfield in Derbyshire, and was brought up on a farm in Dethick, which he later ...
(born 1950), ''
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC ...
'' children's television programme presenter * Jo Guest (born 1972), former glamour model and Page Three girl *
Lisa Hall Lisa Ann Hall (born 24 September 1967), née Lisa Ann Hackney, is an English professional golfer who was previously a member of the LPGA Tour and currently plays on the Ladies European Tour. College career Hall accepted an athletic scholarshi ...
(living), musician * W. E. Harvey, Lib/Lab Member of Parliament (MP) *Sir
John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...
(1940–2017), actor, knighted in 2015 for services to drama * Nigel Illingworth (born 1960), first-class cricketer *
Gwen John Gwendolen ''Gwen'' Mary John (22 June 1876 – 18 September 1939) was a Welsh people, Welsh artist who worked in France for most of her career. Her paintings, mainly portraits of anonymous female sitters, are rendered in a range of closely relat ...
(1878–1953), playwright and author * Winifred Jones (died 1955), suffragist * Winifred Kastner (1903–1987), Australian community leader *
Jeremy Kemp Edmund Jeremy James Walker (3 February 1935 – 19 July 2019), known professionally as Jeremy Kemp, was an English actor. He was known for his significant roles in the miniseries '' The Winds of War'' and '' War and Remembrance'', the film ''T ...
(1935–2019), actor in the television series
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...
* Thomas Latimer (born 1986),
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
wrestler under the stage name Kenneth Cameron * Frank Lee (1867–1941), Labour Party MPLEE, Frank, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online ed., Oxford University Press, December 200
accessed 8 Oct 2008
/ref> * Matthew Lowton (born 1989), professional footballer * John Lukic (born 1960), professional footballer * Violet Markham (1872–1959), writer, social reformer and first female Mayor of Chesterfield * Rik Makarem (born 1982), actor in TV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' *
Geoff Miller Geoffrey Miller, (born 8 September 1952) is an English former cricketer, who played in 34 Test matches and 25 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team between 1976 and 1984. Nicknamed "Dusty", he played for Derbyshire from 1973 to ...
(born 1952),
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
cricketer * Ernest Moss (1949–2021), was an English
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
*
Henry Normal Henry Normal (born Peter James Carroll, 15 August 1956) is an English writer, poet, film and TV producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Manchester Literature Festival), and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival. In J ...
(born 1956), writer, poet and television producer * Paul Patterson (born 1947), composer and
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...
professor *
Johnny Pearson John Valmore Pearson (18 June 1925 – 20 March 2011) was a British composer, orchestra leader and pianist. He led the ''Top of the Pops'' orchestra for sixteen years, wrote a catalogue of library music, and had many of his pieces used as the ...
, composer of television theme tunes and pianist * Samuel Pegge (1704–1796), antiquary and Vicar of Old Whittington * Steve Perez (born 1956), entrepreneur and rally driver who founded Global Brands which produces alcoholic drinks *
Toby Perkins Matthew Toby Perkins (born 12 August 1970) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chesterfield since 2010. He served as Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs from 2023 until 2024. He previously se ...
(born 1970), British Labour Party politician, MP for Chesterfield since 2010 and Shadow Business Minister * Liam Pitchford (born 1993), British Olympic table tennis player and 2x Commonwealth Games gold medallist * Claire Price (born 1972), stage and television actress *Sir Robert Robinson, Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on plant dyestuffs (
anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are solubility, water-soluble vacuole, vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compou ...
s) and alkaloids *
Lee Rowley Lee Benjamin Rowley (born 11 September 1980) is a British politician and former management consultant who has served as chief of staff to the Leader of the Opposition since November 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Housing, ...
(born 1980), Conservative MP for North East Derbyshire *Sir Robin Saxby (4 February 1947), technology entrepreneur, retired founding CEO of
Arm Holdings Arm Holdings plc (formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a British semiconductor and software design company based in Cambridge, England, whose primary business is the design of central processing ...
*
Joe Screen Joseph Screen (born 27 November 1972 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire), is a former British international motorcycle speedway rider. His major speedway honours include winning the World Under-21 Championship in 1993, the British Championship in 1 ...
(born 1972), international
speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
rider * Mark Shaw (born 1961), lead singer of 1980s band Then Jerico * Rose Smith (1891–1985), communist activist and union official *
Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor Philip John Taylor (21 September 1954 – 12 November 2015), better known as "Philthy Animal", was an English drummer. He was a member of the rock band Motörhead from 1975 to 1984 and 1987 to 1992, recording eleven studio albums and four live ...
(1954–2015),
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
drummer * Percy Toplis (1896–1920), criminal active in the 1910s *
Eric Varley Eric Graham Varley, Baron Varley, (11 August 1932 – 29 July 2008) was a British Labour Party politician and cabinet minister on the right-wing of the party. He was the Member of Parliament for Chesterfield from 1964 to 1984. Early life Eri ...
(1932–2008), Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Chesterfield, cabinet minister, and Chairman of Coalite * Mike Watterson (1942–2019), professional snooker player and television commentator * Mark Webber (born 1970), rock guitarist in the band
Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...
and curator of avant-garde cinema * Bob Wilson, international footballer and broadcaster *Luke Wordsworth (died 1643),
Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
cavalry soldier in the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
who served under
Prince Rupert of the Rhine Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 ( O.S.) 7 December 1619 (N.S.)– 29 November 1682 (O.S.) December 1682 (N.S) was an English-German army officer, admiral, scientist, and colonial governor. He first rose to ...
and was killed by
Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...
forces the Battle of Aylesbury * Peter Wright (1916–1995),
MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...
officer and author of ''
Spycatcher ''Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer'' (1987) is a memoir written by Peter Wright, former MI5 officer and assistant director, and co-author Paul Greengrass. Wright drew on his experiences and research into ...
'' Other prominent connections: * Gordon Banks (1937–2019), England's World Cup winning goalkeeper played for Chesterfield between 1955 and 1959 *
Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician and political activist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabine ...
(1925–2014), Labour MP for Chesterfield from 1984 to 2001 * Sir Montague Burton (1885–1952), founder of the Burton chain, which opened his first store in Chesterfield in 1903 * Geoff Capes (born 1949), twice winner of the
World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...
competition, used to live in Chesterfield * Edmond Francis Crosse (1858–1941), Vicar of Chesterfield and then first
Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...
of Chesterfield *
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosophy, natural philosopher, physiology, physiologist, Society for Effecting the ...
, (1731–1802), one of the founders of the
Lunar Society The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a British dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophy, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly b ...
, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers, was educated at Chesterfield School * John Lowe (born 1945), former professional darts player, three-time darts World Champion * Alfred Seaman (1844–1910), Victorian photographer, opened his first studio in the town *
Ben Slater Benjamin Thomas Slater (born 26 August 1991) is an English cricketer who plays for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Nottinghamshire. Slater is a left-handed batsman (cricket), batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born at Chesterfie ...
(born 1991), professional cricketer for
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, then
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
*
George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victoria ...
(1781–1848), engineer behind the world's first public railway hauled by steam, ended his days at Tapton House, now a Chesterfield College campus, his statue can be seen outside Chesterfield station * Harry Maguire, English football player


Twinnings

Chesterfield is twinned with: *
Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the ...
, Germany *
Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
, France *
Yangquan Yangquan ( zh, s=阳泉 , t=陽泉 , p=Yángquán ) is a prefecture-level city in the east of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the east. Known as "Rippling Spring" in ancient times, it lies on the eastern e ...
,
Shanxi province Shanxi; formerly romanised as Shansi is a province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi and Datong. Its one-character abbreviation is ( ...
, China *
Tsumeb Tsumeb (; ) is a city of around 35,000 inhabitants and the largest town in the Oshikoto Region, Oshikoto region in northern Namibia. Tsumeb, since its founding in 1905, has been primarily a mining town. The town is the site of a deep mine (the ...
, Namibia


Arms


See also

* Listed buildings in Chesterfield, Derbyshire *
Chesterfield Canal Trust The Chesterfield Canal Trust Limited is a waterway society and charitable organization, charitable company which campaigns for and undertakes various activities related to the Chesterfield Canal, which runs from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterf ...
* Walton Hall * Chesterfield power station


References


External links


Chesterfield Borough CouncilChesterfield Canal History ArchiveChesterfield
by Destination Chesterfield {{Authority control Towns in Derbyshire Market towns in Derbyshire Populated places established in the 1st century Roman sites in Derbyshire Towns and villages of the Peak District Unparished areas in Derbyshire Former civil parishes in Derbyshire