The industrial history of the town includes coal mining, the wool trade, the production of soap and steel, and engineering.

It suffered after the Norman conquest when William the Conqueror sought to bring the North of England under control.

Its name derives from the Old English drān and feld, meaning open land infested with drones (male bees).

[4] 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.

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 the river, was the centre of the soap-making and tanning industry in the town, with a dye works also situated there.

The wealth of the Rotheram family, who became the Lords of the Manor of Dronfield, was based on the lead trade.

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.

[8] Dronfield is sited in the valley of the River Drone in North East Derbyshire, England.

Dronfield covers an area of 3,457 acres (13.99 km2) 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 the Peak District National Park just 3 miles (4.8 km) away.

William Lees Iron Foundry, manufacturer of machinery parts, moved to Dronfield in 1870[11] and was responsible for major growth in the town at that time.

[11] 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 the town),[12] Padley & Venables Ltd, manufacturers of tools for use in drilling, tunnelling, mining, quarrying and construction/demolition,[13][14] Land Instruments International, international designer and manufacturer of industrial and environmental monitoring instruments (in 2006 this was acquired by AMETEK Inc),[15] and Gunstones Bakery, which was founded in Sheffield in 1862, moved to Dronfield in 1950, taken over by Northern Foods in 1971[16] and acquired by 2 Sisters in 2011; in 2013 it employed more than 1,400 people.

[21] 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.

One structure - 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.

It has ashlar and coursed rubble walls of coal measures sandstone, with graduated slate and lead roof coverings and an octagonal spire.

It is built in an L-plan with coursed rubble walls of coal measures sandstone and a stone slated roof.

It is built in an L-plan with walls of coursed squared coal measures sandstone and a stone slated roof.

[28] 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 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.