George's father died whilst he was a child but as an adult he acquired the freehold of land in Eckington[7] and exploited it by mining iron ore.[8] In 1625, he built Renishaw Hall which is now owned by Sir Reresby Sitwell's daughter, Alexandra and her family.

Sitwell exploited the minerals beneath his estate, chiefly iron and built a blast furnace at Plumbley a mile north west of Eckington in the 1630s with his mother's second husband, Henry Wigfall.

Sitwell made saws at Pleasley and in 1656, installed a rolling and slitting mill at Renishaw to supply the rod iron used by numerous local nailmakers.

[8] During the Industrial Revolution coal and iron ore were mined and local streams, such as the Moss Brook, were harnessed to provide power for factories.

Despite being closer to several Sheffield residential areas the admissions policy favours pupils from Derbyshire feeder schools.

Eckington Woods to the north of the village forms part of the Moss Valley conservation area.

Eckington is served by bus services to Sheffield, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Clowne and other surround settlements.