The village of Holmewood was formed as a residence by The Williamthorpe Colliery Company from 1905 until 1970, when it closed due to the high cost of deep seam mining.

As a consequence of the Margaret Thatcher Government in the late 1980s, plans were put in place to construct two large industrial estates to limit the high unemployment levels within the ex-colliery communities in the North Derbyshire Area.

[1] Due to EU Government incentives, the site attracts high levels of investment from national-level companies.

[citation needed] There is a countryside park on the site, which is known as the Five Pits Trail, which links the five villages around Holmewood.

[citation needed] The village has many small shops, a Working men's club, churches and a public library.