Dronfield in the Peak District
Aug 5th, 2008 by Peak District Tourist Guide
To the north east of Derbyshire is the quaint town of Dronfield. The town is situated halfway between the city of Sheffield to the north and Chesterfield further south.
Dronfield has an ideal location and is the envy of many other towns and cities across the UK.
With the Peak District close by on the one hand, many local Derbyshire beauty spots close by, the Pennines a short drive away and if you really want the hustle and bustle of city life you have the eighth largest and also the highest city in England right on your doorstep what more could you possibly ask for.
Dronfield is therefore an ideally placed as a base for Peak District holidays or for exploring the local region
It is said that the name of the town originally derives from the open land where there are many Drones(male bees) although this could possibly be just a quaint old wives tale as well.
The town is bordered on the west side by beautiful open countryside adjoining the Peak District National Park approximately three miles away which by all accounts is the most visited national park in the world..
The town, over the last 30 years, has grown immensely, from the traditional fine old buildings of outstanding quality and beauty to a mixture of today’s modern housing.
Due to it location, it is no wonder that township has possibly the largest privately owned housing estate in North East Derbyshire, but yet is still maintained to keep the high quality of the town.
Given its close proximity to the city of Sheffield, Dronfield has great appeal to the commuting workforce looking for residence outside the cities boundaries in a more rural location, but Dronfield has been under threat more recently to merge or come under the jurisdiction of Sheffield itself and even the county of South Yorkshire.
For the Dronfield residents this was totally unacceptable, and it is in the main thanks to the efforts of the local community a proposal was turned down to try and merge Dronfield, into Sheffield which caused a sigh of relief all round
Thankfully, all the lovely old traditions remain a part of Derbyshire, and will be enjoyed by the future generations growing up.
Dronfield, Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston are the three local communities around this area and it is said that many centuries ago these three names were on the original Turnpike route dated 1757 that you would come across while travelling to Sheffield and Chesterfield.
Those of you who love traditional old and listed buildings should take a leisurely walk along Church Street and High Street, where you will come across some beautiful and amazing buildings.
What is more amazing though is how all those years ago with only the few tools they had, compared to all the tools and machinery, that they managed to build such inspiring architecture.
Walking along High Street as you near the top you will come across the Peel Monument. This was built in 1854 of gritstone from the Peak District.
Gritstone was also historically used to make the millstones that was used to ground wheat into flour and grindstones to sharpen metal tools (and weapons) both of which have been beneficial to the development of Dronfield in the past.
The Monument was built as a tribute to the late Sir Robert Peel, celebrating the repeal in 1846 of the Corn Laws. Any local will happily tell you that the Monument is one of the most photographed and sketched feature that Dronfield has of the many hundreds of tourists who pass through the town each year.
Previous to the monument being built, this site was originally used for the stocks and market cross.
A market was originally granted for Dronfield in the late 1662 by Charles II. Sadly, for the locals in the 18th century, due to the nearness of Chesterfield and Sheffield, and a lot of competition people were inevitably drawn to the larger markets, so the Dronfield market went slowly into decline and over time ceased to exist.
This just goes to show that it is not only today’s large shopping developments that can adversely affect a local community as this has happened centuries in the past also.
Thankfully, for the people today, back in 1980 that the market was revived at a nearby site and is currently thriving to be enjoyed by locals and tourists to the area alike.
If you are visiting Dronfield then market day is held every Thursday.
The towns library is located in a beautiful 18th century manor house and is well worth a visit inside just to admire this lovely building and maybe browse through some of the town’s old history books to get a true feel of its history.
Those wishing to walk around the shopping centre need not worry as ample parking space can be found. There is also a sports centre with swimming pool, the main shops and a Civic Centre which can all be found in the upper part of the town.
(photo courtesy of firemedic58)
