Arkwright Town Explained

Country:England
Coordinates:53.2371°N -1.3594°W
Official Name:Arkwright Town
Population:1,582
Population Ref:(In Sutton cum Duckmanton, 2011)
Civil Parish:Sutton cum Duckmanton
Shire District:North East Derbyshire
Region:East Midlands
Shire County:Derbyshire
Constituency Westminster:North East Derbyshire
Post Town:CHESTERFIELD
Postcode District:S44 5
Postcode Area:S
Dial Code:01246
Os Grid Reference:SK427713
Static Image Name:New Arkwright Town - 126172.jpg
Static Image Caption:New Arkwright Town

Arkwright Town, usually referred to as Arkwright, is a village in Sutton cum Duckmanton, North East Derbyshire, England that is notable for being moved to a nearby location in the early 1990s.[1] The village is between Chesterfield and Bolsover on the A632 road, and was formerly a coal mining village.

When Arkwright Colliery closed in 1988 the community was affected by emissions of methane gas[1] that caused some of its houses to be evacuated.[2] The village was owned by British Coal and a decision was made in cooperation with Derbyshire County Council to transfer ownership of the 52 properties to a housing trust, construct a new village of 56 properties to the north of the site affected by methane, and move all the residents. Construction was completed by 1995 when the old Arkwright Town was demolished. The old village was south of the A632 road, and the new village is north of it. Part of the deal with British Coal included an agreement to open cast a 100-acre site. Work started in November 1993 and continued until about 2005.[2] [3]

A nature walk was established in 2010 following routes once used by railway lines.

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Metropolitan Housing Trust stakeholders' newsletter, October 2005
  2. Web site: Simon. Beckett. 17 April 1994. Why will the village cross the road?. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182408/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/why-will-the-village-cross-the-road-school-chipshop-postoffice-pub-arkwright-town-is-a-small-derbyshire-mining-community-typical-of-those-that-once-dotted-the-coal-regions-now-british-coal-wants-to-start-opencast-mining-which-means-destroying-the-old-village-and-building-a-new-one-right-next-door-1370668.html. 2 April 2015. 2021-07-30. The Independent on Sunday.
  3. Web site: Bridgewater. Andrew Neil. Old Arkwright Town - oldminer.co.uk. 2021-07-30. www.oldminer.co.uk. en-GB.