Chesterfield is a market town in Derbyshire, central England
Access: 1 hour 55 mins from London St. Pancras by train
Founded: 1204
Population: 101,000
County: Derbyshire
Places nearby: Sheffield, Derby, Bakewell, Chatsworth, The Peak District National Park
Landmark: The Crooked Spire
The Town
Chesterfield became an official market town in 1204, when King John gave it a ‘market charter’. The market continues today and every Monday, Friday and Saturday you can find over 250 market stalls in the town center.
Chesterfield was traditionally a mining town, but by 2002 the coal industry had disappeared. Big factories have also gone as Chesterfield has developed into a more modern town.
Despite its modernisation, Chesterfield has kept its traditional looks. The town center is made up of narrow, medieval, cobbled streets, with quaint shops and pubs.
‘The Royal Oak’, built in the 12th century, is one of the oldest pubs in Britain.
Alongside the old town is a newer shopping area where you can find the more famous high-street shops. The center of Chesterfield is all pedestrianised, so it’s easy and safe to walk around and there aren’t any smoky buses or cars either.
The Church of Saint Mary and All Saints – ‘The Crooked Spire”
Chesterfield is best known for its ‘Crooked Spire”.
The spire of the church is twisting and leaning, which makes it a unique sight on the horizon.
The twist was part of the original design, but when the spire was built in 1362, poor quality materials were used. The poor quality materials, and hundreds of years of weather, has caused the spire to bend.
Interesting fact
George Stephenson was the man who built the first railway line in the world to use steam trains. He lived and died in Chesterfield in 1848, and is buried in the local church.
He was known as ‘Father of Railways” and as such the Chesterfield Museum has a large gallery of Stephenson memorabilia.
