 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2014) |
| Unstone | |
|---|---|
 Unstone St Mary's Infant School | |
  Unstone Location within Derbyshire | |
| Population | 1,876 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SK3777 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DRONFIELD |
| Postcode district | S18 |
| Dialling code | 01246 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Unstone (/ˈʌnstən/ UN-stən) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire, in the North East Derbyshire administrative district approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south east of Dronfield. It is also close to the town of Chesterfield. The River Drone and the Midland Main Line railway run through the village, which has a population of over 1,000, increasing to 1,876 and including Apperknowle at the time of the 2011 Census.[1]
Originally, Unstone Main Colliery was the primary source of employment for the village; it was the largest colliery of the group around Unstone. It was served by a Midland Railway branch line which connected it to the main line in Dronfield and Sheepbridge. Although it ceased working around 1900, there are significant remains in the woodland area of both the railway and mine coal mines.[2][3][failed verification]
Unstone community centre is built on the former trackbed of the Midland branch next to the former overbridge on Crow Lane.[4]
The village has more than doubled in size over the past century. A modern housing estate, Unstone Green, was built at the other side of the railway line from the original village. The majority of the estate, which was built in the 1940s, was initially intended to be temporary housing for the many coal miners in the area, but it is still intact today. Originally on the A61 trunk road, the village is now bypassed by the Unstone-Dronfield Bypass dual carriageway.
The village has two schools: Unstone St Mary's Infant School on Crow Lane and Unstone Junior School on Main Road.[5]
The village has a parish council.[6] Unstone Grange, run by a registered charity is a retreat that describes itself as "a centre for personal creative growth."[7]
There are bus services to Chesterfield, Sheffield and Holmesfield.
The village used to be served by the now-closed Unstone railway station.
Landmarks are a TV transmitter and a railway viaduct. There is one public house, the Horse and Jockey. The village post office closed in 2019.
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ "Unstone Collieries". Neil's local history and mining site. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Unstone Main Colliery on old map".
- ^ "Google map of community centre". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Unstone Junior School". Unstone Schools Foundation. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- ^ "Welcome to the Unstone Parish Council website". Unstone Parish Council. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Welcome to Unstone Grange". Unstone Grange. Retrieved 13 December 2022.