[3] Until the early 20th century West Hallam was a small rural village and the property of the Newdigate family.

Stanley Colliery (known locally as 'Nibby Pit') on Station Road was the last to close in 1959 and some buildings remain, now in industrial use.

The colliery spoil tips were removed and landscaped and after much opencast coal extraction the area regained its traditional rural appeal from the 1970s onward.

The former Second World War Army Ordnance Depot off Cat and Fiddle Lane to the south of the village was reopened in the 1960s as Midland Storage (now known as TDG Pinnacle) and remains a significant local employer.

[5] A valuable open space is the recreational area at Straw's Bridge (also known as Swan Lake) on West Hallam's eastern border, on the A609, with Ilkeston.

This popular lake and walking area was formed from a flood meadow and the site of the old West Hallam Sewage Works in around 1990.