74-585: Dronfield is a town in North East Derbyshire , England, which includes Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston . It lies in the valley of the River Drone between Chesterfield and Sheffield . The Peak District National Park is three miles (4.8 km) to the west. The name comes from the Old English Dranfleld , probably meaning an open land infested with drone bees . The town existed before
148-723: A 19-band charity music festival. It was staged at the Ernest Valentine Ground home of Workington Cricket Club. Artists included The Chairmen, Novellos, With Lights Out, Volcanoes, Breed, Colt 45, Relics, Telf, Thir13een, Slagbank, Hangin' Threads and Hand of Fate. Profits went to the RNLI and West Cumberland Lions . In 2008, the Paint Your Town Red Festival invited Liverpool comic and actor Ricky Tomlinson . Described as 'The biggest free festival in Workington's history',
222-476: A 92,900 sq ft (8,630 m ) Tesco Extra store on the Cloffocks provoked controversy and opposition from local people; a planning application was placed in 2006 by Tesco, after it acquired the Cloffocks site for £18 million; Tesco had been competing with Asda for the site since 2003. Campaigners opposed the sale, stating that the land was common ground and belonged to the people of Workington. In 2010
296-406: A library, sports centre, health centre and community centre. There are three parks (Cliffe Park, Sindelfingen Park and Jubilee Park) and several play areas. Cliffe Park has three tennis courts, a basketball court, a children's play area, a bowling green, a meeting room with kitchen, and a multi-use games area with changing rooms. Sindelfingen Park has play areas and basketball courts. In January 2010
370-544: A new £2.5 million sports complex opened at Gosforth Fields, on the old Gosforth School site. Run by three local teams, AFC Dronfield, Dronfield Town & Dronfield RFU, the complex includes a state-of-the-art 3G pitch, 10 full-size pitches, changing facilities and a social area. It was officially opened by Sir Trevor Brooking and John Owen. Gosforth Fields is the home of Dronfield Rugby Club. Dronfield also has several social clubs: The Contact Club, Dronfield Woodhouse Sports & Social Club, Hill Top Sports & Social Club and
444-412: A temporary means of crossing the river after road bridges had been closed by flooding. A free train service between Workington (Main) and Maryport was funded by the government. The Workington Transport Heritage Trust, preserves the transport heritage of Workington and the surrounding area and is run by volunteers. Workington was the headquarters of the haulage company J. Roper (Workington) Ltd, which
518-401: A traditional version of football with medieval origins in mob football or an even earlier form. Since 2001, matches have raised over £75,000 for local charities. An Uppies and Downies ball is made from four pieces of cow leather. It is 21 inches (53 cm) in circumference and weighs about two and a half pounds (1.1 kg). Only three hand-made balls are produced every year and each
592-574: A whole). On 16 October 1975, the £6.5m 5-mile (8.0 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. To a certain extent the town is a dormitory community for workers in these settlements. Within Dronfield's civil parish are 42 structures that are listed by Historic England for their historical or architectural interest. One structure -
666-673: Is Neil Schofield. Workington lies astride the River Derwent , on the West Cumbrian coastal plain. It is bounded to the west by the Solway Firth , part of the Irish Sea , and to the east by the Lake District . The town has various districts, many of them established as housing estates . North of the river these include Seaton , Barepot , Northside, Port and Oldside. On the south side are
740-473: Is administered by Cumberland . It was formerly covered by the Seaton + Northside, St Michaels, Moorclose + Moss Bay, Harrington + Salterbeck, and St Johns wards on Allerdale Borough Council . The divisions for Cumbria County Council were Seaton, St Michaels, St Johns + Great Clifton, Moorclose + Moss Bay, and Harrington. Workington has a parish council : Workington Town Council. The current mayor (2024–2025)
814-555: Is also entirely covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. Since 2014 the district has been a non-constituent member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (formerly known as the Sheffield City Region); the council sends representatives to meetings of the combined authority, but the electorate of North East Derbyshire District does not vote in elections for
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#1732844894026888-712: Is currently closed after its last use as a bingo hall. The "Opera Action" group plans to restore it as a working theatre. The town once had four cinemas (the Carnegie, the Hippodrome, the Oxford and the Ritz), all now closed. There remains only the Parkway Cinema at Dunmail Park . During the 1950s, films were also shown at the Opera House. On 19 September 2009, Valentine Rock took place;
962-404: 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. The Dronfield 2000 Rotary Walk is a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) circular walk that circumnavigates
1036-506: Is now covered by Clay Flatts Industrial Estate . The Cumbria iron-ore field lies to the south of Workington, and produced extremely high grade phosphorus -free haematite . The area had a long tradition of iron smelting , but this became particularly important with the invention by Sir Henry Bessemer of the Bessemer process , the first process for mass production of mild steel , which previously had been an expensive specialist product. For
1110-531: Is served by the local newspaper, Derbyshire Times ' (formerly Dronfield Advertiser ). Dronfield is served by a monthly magazine ( The Dronfield Eye ) The Dronfield Eye also publishes the annual Dronfield Directory, which lists details of hundreds of local groups, societies and organisations. Dronfield Digital , a youth-focused online publication which emerged in late 2012, provides opinion pieces, fake news and satire of small-town life in Dronfield. Two senior football clubs play in Dronfield; Sheffield F.C. ,
1184-466: The 2011 census Dronfield's civil parish (which includes Dronfield, Coal Aston , and Dronfield Woodhouse ) had 9,388 dwellings, 9,267 households and a population of 21,261, of whom 10,333 were male and 10,928 female. 25.1% of the population were aged 65 or over (compared to 16.4% for England as a whole), and 16.1% were under the age of 16 (18.9% for England as a whole). 98.3% of Dronfield's population were of white ethnicity (compared to 85.5% for England as
1258-409: The 2011 census it had a population of 25,207. The town is 32 miles (51 kilometres) south-west of Carlisle , 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Whitehaven , 7 miles (11 km) west of Cockermouth , and 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Maryport . The area around Workington was long a producer of coal and steel. Between 79 and 122 CE, Roman forts , mile-forts and watchtowers were built along
1332-531: The 2019 general election , the concept of the " Workington man " was devised by a think tank as a key election target. In November 2019, Nigel Farage visited Workington to campaign on behalf of the Brexit Party . The town is part of the parliamentary constituency of Whitehaven and Workington . In the 2024 general election , the Labour Party candidate for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister ,
1406-710: The A66 road to Penrith and continues to Scotch Corner in County Durham. The town has its own bus station and bus services to other towns and villages in Cumbria , such as Cockermouth , Keswick , Penrith , Carlisle , Wigton , Maryport , Whitehaven , Frizington , Egremont and Thornhill . The Cumbrian Coast line provides rail connections from Workington railway station to Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness , with occasional through trains to Lancaster and Preston . Workington North railway station opened on 30 November 2009 as
1480-525: The B6054 , B6056 , B6057 and B6158 . Dronfield is also served via rail through Dronfield railway station . Dronfield covers an area of 3,457 acres (13.99 km) and has as neighbours the villages and hamlets of Unstone, Holmesfield , Barlow , Apperknowle , Hundall , Marsh Lane and Eckington . Situated close to the Pennines and many of the beauty spots of Derbyshire , Dronfield also has easy access to
1554-526: The Caldbeck and local relay transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Cumbria on 95.6 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Cumbria & South West Scotland on 102.2 FM and Workington Academy Radio, a student based radio station that broadcast to the Workington Academy . The town is served by the local newspaper, Times & Star. Workington is home to the ball game known as Uppies and Downies ,
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#17328448940261628-572: 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. 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, being next to
1702-533: The Heritage Lottery Fund . It is now used as a heritage visitor centre and exhibition and community function space, with modern catering and cloakroom facilities. The Peel Monument, situated on the town's High Street , 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
1776-659: The Lords of the Manor of Dronfield, was based on the lead trade. The Wilson-Cammell steelworks was built in the town in 1872–3, following the completion of the Midland Main Line through the town in April 1869. Bessemer steel was first blown at the site in March 1873 and the plant was soon capable of producing 700 tons - mostly as rails - every week. Dronfield became a boom town, but its prosperity
1850-491: The Mayor of South Yorkshire . The district is also part of The Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership . The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election . The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of
1924-572: The Old English drān and feld , meaning open land infested with drones (male bees). The Church of St John the Baptist was built by 1135 when Oscot was rector and the parish of Dronfield covered Little Barlow , Coal Aston , Povey, Holmesfield , Apperknowle , Dore and Totley . The Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established in 1349 in the hall of the chantry priests. However, due to
1998-481: The Peak District National Park just 3 miles (4.8 km) away. There are four conservation areas either wholly or partly within Dronfield's parish area: Dronfield (adopted 1971), Coal Aston (1983), Dronfield Woodhouse (1990) and Moss Valley (1990); the first three cover the respective old village centres and are wholly within the parish, whereas Moss Valley covers a mixed landscape and is mostly outside
2072-467: The River Rother at Whittington Moor , Chesterfield. Dronfield is situated roughly midway between the town of Chesterfield to the south and the city of Sheffield to the north, for which it is a commuter town. 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:
2146-520: The parish church of St John the Baptist - is listed as Grade I, four structures - Aston End, Chiverton House, Dronfield Woodhouse Hall farmhouse and the building northeast of The Hall on High Street - are Grade II*, and the rest - including Dronfield Manor , the Peel Monument and several buildings in Church Street and High Street - are Grade II. The parish church of St. John the Baptist dates from
2220-586: The playing surface for Sheffield F.C. , the world's oldest football club. Dronfield's population increased in the post-war years from 6,500 in 1945 to 21,261 in the 2011 Census. Dronfield was in existence before the 1086 Domesday Book , though little is known about its early history. It suffered after the Norman conquest when William the Conqueror sought to bring the North of England under control . Its name derives from
2294-417: The 1086 Domesday Book , and has a 13th-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 in the town. The stadium to the north of the town is officially " The Home of Football ", providing
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2368-499: The 16th, 17th and 19th centuries. It is built in an L-plan with coursed rubble walls of coal measures sandstone and a stone slated roof. Chiverton House, originally called Dam Flatt House, dates from between 1692 and 1709 and has a flat symmetrical front with cross windows, a central gable and towers at each end. It was altered in 1712 and the 19th century, though not significantly. The attached boundary walls, gatepiers and railings form part of its listing. Dronfield Woodhouse Hall farmhouse
2442-568: The 1970s and 1980s. Produced primarily for the state-owned National Bus Company , the Leyland National was styled by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti , and included a roof-mounted heating unit in a pod at the rear of the bus. The Lillyhall factory later built the Leyland Titan , Leyland Olympian and Leyland Lynx buses. In the 1980s, Leyland manufactured Pacer railbus and Sprinter -type commuter trains at Workington. The bodyshells of
2516-537: The 2008 festival included a free children's fun fair in Vulcan Park and stage and street entertainment. Attractions included "Jimmy James and his Soul Explosion", "Dearham Band" and the all-female band "Irresistible". Keswick's "Cars of the Stars" museum provided a stunt driving display. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Border . Television signals are received from
2590-657: The British beef and dairy industry after the BSE crisis in Britain. It is based in the former steelworks offices. Many Workington residents are employed outside the town in the nuclear industry located in and around Sellafield , West Cumbria's dominant employment sector. British Leyland opened a factory in Lillyhall, just outside Workington, initially to build the Leyland National bus in
2664-718: The Chesterfield area, reduced to 12 by 1980. During the 1980s the Conservative government planned to close down many of the remaining mines, leading to the 1984–85 miners' strike . Members of North Derbyshire NUM were split over the strike, with a March 1984 area ballot, at the start of the strike, narrowly opposing it. It was however observed by the majority of North East Derbyshire miners, with all local pits initially closed. The strike caused massive poverty and social upheaval as traditionally close-knit communities became divided between those who worked and those who did not. The strike
2738-626: The Countess of Lonsdale invoked her rights to mine the land, in an attempt to prevent the development. In 2011 a closed meeting of Allerdale councillors discussed the sale of the site, but the council rescinded on its decision to sell it to Tesco in June 2011. Tesco stated that it was still seeking a site for a store of around 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m ) Workington to replace the established one. In 2014, North West MEP Julie Ward closed her Workington office and relocated it to Manchester . During
2812-761: The Cumbrian coast, as defences against attacks by the Scoti of Ireland and the Caledonii , the most powerful tribe in what is now Scotland. The 16th-century Britannia , written by William Camden , describes ruins of these defences. A Viking sword was discovered at Northside. This is seen to suggest there was a settlement at the river mouth. The place-name Workington is first attested in an Anglo-Saxon charter of 946, as Wurcingtun . It appears as Wirchingetona in about 1150, meaning "the town or settlement of Weorc or Wirc's people". Several bridges were damaged or destroyed by
2886-525: The Pacer trains were based on the Leyland National bus design, designed as a cheap stop-gap by British Rail . Volvo Buses acquired Leyland Buses in 1988. By 1993, the factory had closed with the loss of 200 jobs. The former bus plant is now a warehouse for the logistics company Eddie Stobart , which bought the property in 1995. Workington is linked by the A596 road to Maryport , to Whitehaven via A595 road , by
2960-571: The Pioneer Club. Dronfield is home to 1890 (Dronfield) ATC Squadron. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire . Television signals are received from either the Emley Moor , Sheffield or Chesterfield TV transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Sheffield , Greatest Hits Radio North Derbyshire , and Chesterfield Radio, a community based radio station that broadcast from Chesterfield . The town
3034-649: The River Derwent during the 2009 Workington floods . In 2006, Washington Square, a £50 million shopping centre and mixed-use complex, was opened to replace the run-down St John's Arcade, built in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2007, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors named Washington Square the "best commercial project" in North West England . Works of public art installed in the town centre include: While efforts have been made to find local names for
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3108-424: The area are: Derbyshire Times is the weekly local newspaper that serves the district . The council uses its coat of arms as its logo. 53°12′N 1°30′W / 53.20°N 1.50°W / 53.20; -1.50 Workington Workington / ˈ w ɜːr k ɪ ŋ t ən / is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in Cumbria , England. At
3182-614: The closure of the Moss Bay Steelworks, steel for the plant was brought by rail from Teesside . The plant was closed in August 2006, but welding work on rails produced at Corus Groups ' French plant in Hayange continued at Workington for another two years, as the Scunthorpe site initially proved incapable of producing rails adequately. After the loss of the two industries on which Workington
3256-496: The closure. During the Second World War , a strategically important electric steel furnace which produced steel for aircraft engine ball bearings was moved to Workington from Norway to prevent it falling into Axis hands. Workington was the home of Distington Engineering Company (DEC), the engineering arm of British Steel Corporation (BSC), which specialised in the design of continuous casting equipment. DEC, known to
3330-581: The council has been based at offices on Mill Lane in Wingerworth. Prior to 2015 the council was based at the former Chesterfield Rural District Council's offices at the Council House on Saltergate in Chesterfield, outside the council's own area. The Council House had been built in 1938 and was substantially extended shortly after North East Derbyshire's creation in 1974. The district is entirely covered by civil parishes . The parish council for Dronfield takes
3404-422: The council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 2004 have been: Following the 2023 election , the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 53 councillors , representing 24 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. Since 2015
3478-406: The districts of Stainburn, Derwent Howe, Ashfield, Banklands, Frostoms (Annie Pit), Mossbay, Moorclose, Salterbeck , Bridgefoot , Lillyhall, Harrington , High Harrington, Clay Flatts, Kerry Park, Westfield and Great Clifton . The Marsh and Quay, a large working-class area of the town around the docks and a major part of the town's history, was demolished in the early 1980s. Much of its former area
3552-560: The first 25 years of the process, until Gilchrist and Thomas improved upon it, phosphorus-free haematite was required. With Cumbria as the world's premier source, and the local coalfield providing energy for steel production, the world's first large-scale steelworks was opened in the Moss Bay area of the town. The Bessemer converter continued to work until July 1974. The Moss Bay Steelworks closed in 1982, despite receiving notable infrastructural investment and improvement almost immediately before
3626-406: The infrastructure for development. This resulted in several large and some smaller business parks, now providing thousands of jobs, albeit many in warehousing and distribution , not of the same skill level as the lost engineering jobs. In terms of television, North East Derbyshire is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from the Emley Moor transmitter. Radio stations for
3700-437: The last few years these sites have been remediated and regenerated by open cast mining of the remaining surface deposits and reclamation of coal from the old spoil heaps. The sites have then been restored as a mix of parkland , business parks, and housing sites. The work, part-funded by EEC Coalfield community regeneration grants, helped clean up the environmental legacy and fund the creation of job opportunities by providing
3774-455: The late 13th to 14th century, with mid-16th-century alterations. It has ashlar and coursed rubble walls of coal measures sandstone , with graduated slate and lead roof coverings and an octagonal spire. Repairs were made in about 1819, with more alterations in 1855 and 1916. There are over 120 brasses and monuments, many of which line the floor in the chancel and nave . Aston End is a medieval house with additions and alterations made in
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#17328448940263848-409: The late 17th century, but it also contains a significant amount of an earlier timber-framed building, possibly a medieval hall. It is built in an L-plan with walls of coursed squared coal measures sandstone and a stone slated roof. In 2004 it was in a poor state of repair and was gifted to the community; in 2015 it was restored and extended at a cost of more than £1.6 million, with over £1.25m provided by
3922-512: The local people as "Chapel Bank", had an engineering design office, engineering workshops and a foundry that at one time contained six of the seven electric arc furnaces built in Workington. The seventh was situated at the Moss Bay plant of BSC. In the 1970s, as BSC adapted to a more streamlined approach to the metals industry, the engineering design company was separated from the workshops and foundry and re-designated as Distington Engineering Contracting. Employing some 200 people, its primary purpose
3996-412: The major streets of the new shopping centre, the initial planning title of Washington Square has been retained. In February 2019 plans for a new stadium for Workington were announced. This would in involve the demolition of Borough Park and Derwent Park. In June 2019, it was announced by the new leadership of Allerdale Borough Council that a new sports stadium would not be built. A plan to build
4070-584: 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 showing 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
4144-409: 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 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
4218-516: The parish, to the northeast. The town has a range of businesses, mainly located on the Callywhite Lane Industrial Estate at the eastern end of the town, and along Wreakes Lane and Stubley Lane northwest of the town centre. The main businesses in the town were originally associated with engineering trades, but over recent years have diversified. William Lees Iron Foundry, manufacturer of machinery parts, moved to Dronfield in 1870 and
4292-462: The river, was the centre of the soap-making and tanning industry in the town, 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 proximity of Sheffield and Chesterfield , the market went into decline, however it is still held every Thursday in the rear car park of the civic centre on Farwater Lane. Between the 16th and 19th centuries Dronfield grew around various industries,
4366-565: The sixth-form block, survived. The remains of the modern school were subsequently demolished and mobile cabins were used as classrooms until 1996 when the school was rebuilt. Dronfield Civic Hall was completely rebuilt in 1999. Dronfield is sited in the valley of the River Drone in North East Derbyshire, England. The Drone is a small river that, after flowing through Dronfield, joins the Barlow Brook at Unstone , and then flows into
4440-520: The style "town council". Settlements in the district include: The district, along with the district of Bolsover and adjoining areas in South Yorkshire , was a major producer of coal ; a large seam of coal was discovered during the construction of the Clay Cross Tunnel in the 1830s. Coal mining became the main industry in the region. On nationalisation in 1947 there were 27 coal mines in
4514-515: The town in the summer months of the year. Since 1972 Dronfield has been twinned with Sindelfingen in Germany . A park in Dronfield Woodhouse was renamed Sindelfingen Park in the early 1990s to celebrate this partnership. Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School has an annual student exchange with a school in Sindelfingen, which helps establish links between the young people in the two towns. Dronfield has
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#17328448940264588-581: The town), Padley & Venables Ltd, manufacturers of tools for use in drilling, tunnelling, mining, quarrying and construction/demolition, Land Instruments International , international designer and manufacturer of industrial and environmental monitoring instruments (in 2006 this was acquired by AMETEK Inc ), and Gunstones Bakery, which was founded in Sheffield in 1862, moved to Dronfield in 1950, taken over by Northern Foods in 1971 and acquired by 2 Sisters in 2011; in 2013 it employed more than 1,400 people. In
4662-453: The town. 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), although there is no proof that he was a Dronfield resident. Notable events are the annual Dronfield Gala and the Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston well dressings , which are held in July. Dronfest, a music festival, also takes place in
4736-605: The town. Notable people were either born or have lived in Dronfield include: North East Derbyshire North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire , England. The council is based in the large village of Wingerworth . The district also includes the towns of Dronfield and Clay Cross as well as numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The neighbouring districts are Chesterfield (which it almost surrounds), Bolsover , Amber Valley , Derbyshire Dales , Sheffield and Rotherham . The district
4810-526: The world's oldest football club, play at the Coach and Horses ground renamed as The Home of Football Stadium, while Dronfield Town play at the Stonelow Playing Fields. Norton Woodseats F.C. were originally from Sheffield , South Yorkshire , but were based for most of their existence in Dronfield. There is a rugby league side that goes by the name of Dronfield Drifters RLFC. The leisure centre
4884-607: Was based in Moss Bay. Workington is also home to the headquarters of family haulage business J.R Dixon Ltd Workington is home to three theatres: the Carnegie Theatre , Theatre Royal and Workington Opera House . In the past Workington was a big town for variety acts and theatre and hosted many top acts including Tommy Cooper and Shirley Bassey . Workington Opera House also hosted many circus shows that included elephants and other circus animals performing on stage. The Carnegie Theatre and Theatre Royal are still open and put on performances all year round. The Workington Opera House
4958-404: Was built in 1533, as suggested by dendrodating (by the University of Nottingham ) and is a house of irregular layout, built from coursed squared coal measures sandstone with a stone slated roof. It was reworked extensively in the early 18th century, with further alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building north-east of The Hall on High Street is a former farm outbuilding that dates from
5032-401: Was built, coal and steel, Workington and the whole of West Cumbria became an unemployment blackspot. Industries in the town today include chemicals, cardboard, the docks (originally built by the United Steel Co.), waste management and recycling old computers for export, mainly to poorer countries. The town also houses the British Cattle Movement Service , a government agency set up to oversee
5106-442: Was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP), with a 31.7 per cent Labour majority by a margin of 13,286 votes. Historically it has been a Labour-supporting area, the town had elected a Conservative MP only twice since World War II , at the 1976 by-election and 2019 general election . Before Brexit , Workington was in the North West England European Parliamentary Constituency. For local government purposes, Workington
5180-415: Was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named North East Derbyshire, reflecting its position within the wider county. North East Derbyshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Derbyshire County Council . The district
5254-411: Was resolved by the spring of 1985 and mine closures continued, with the closure of many associated industries. This decimated many local communities, with many former pit villages struggling to recover. The last Colliery in the area closed in 1993. Following the closure of the pits large areas of the district were derelict, with old mine workings and spoil tips from 150 years of industrialisation . Over
5328-405: Was responsible for major growth in the town at that time. Until the mid-1970s it specialised in production of malleable iron castings , though much production now is of spheroidal graphite iron . Major companies with works in Dronfield include Henry Boot PLC , a property development and construction company (the divisions Henry Boot Construction Ltd and Banner Plant Ltd have regional offices in
5402-477: Was short-lived; although more efficient and profitable than other works in the Sheffield area, its site had limitations that could not compete with low-cost coastal locations, and in 1883 production moved from Dronfield to Workington in Cumberland (now 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
5476-451: Was the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of continuous casting machines. This business is now owned by the TATA Group and employs 400 staff. One offshoot of the steel industry was the production of railway rails. Workington rails were widely exported and a common local phrase was that Workington rails "held the world together." Originally made from Bessemer steel, but after
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