Creswell, Derbyshire
Creswell is a former mining village located in the Bolsover district of Derbyshire, England. At the 2011 Census population details were included in the civil parish of Elmton-with-Creswell. Today it is best known for Creswell Crags and its model village. In September 1950 Creswell Colliery was the scene of one of the worst post-nationalisation mining disasters. Elmton Common is an area of allotments for the township of Creswell. Local Government services are provided by Elmton-with-Creswell Parish Council, Bolsover District Council and Derbyshire County Council. History Whilst Elmton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, Creswell remained a nearby collection of farming houses until the construction of a turnpike road along the present A616 brought added importance. The arrival of the coal-mining industry in the last decade of the 19th century had a dramatic effect on the area and Creswell became the larger community. The name Creswell arose because the colliery company needed an address for deliveries during construction. The closest farm was Creswell's Farm. As there was no town, all the machinery and boxes arrived with the delivery drop off of "Creswell's" written on them, and the name Creswell stuck. Only Whitwell, Elmton and Thorp (Salvin) were original Saxon towns. Before Creswell Village was built, Creswell Crags was known locally as Whitwell Crags. 20th century Creswell expanded throughout the 20th century after a lease was obtained from the Duke of Portland in 1894 for the top hard seam of coal in the area and Creswell Colliery came into being. The Bolsover Colliery Company owned the pit until it was nationalised in 1947. Creswell Colliery was regarded as one of the most efficient pits in the East Midlands coalfield. The colliery was known for its sporting and social activities and Creswell Colliery Band was for a long time one of the country’s leading brass bands and had been broadcast several times on BBC Radio. Creswell Model Village was built in 1895 to house the coal-mining families. Expansion of housing continued throughout the 20th century. Creswell is in Derbyshire but close to the borders of Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. Creswell has a Worksop postal address with a South Yorkshire postcode, though Derbyshire can be used in the postal address. Creswell Colliery was in the North Nottinghamshire coalfield but miners holidayed at the Derbyshire Miners' Holiday Camp. Creswell Colliery mining disaster, 1950 In the early hours of 26 September 1950, a damaged conveyor belt caught in a machine at the colliery, causing the motor to overheat and catch fire trapping 80 men beyond the flames. They all perished as a result of the fumes and smoke. As word of the disaster spread, Creswell residents rushed to the pithead to offer assistance. One miner, who had broken his back several months before, went down the stricken pit, with a back brace on, to rescue his fellow workers. Serious errors prevented the fire from being extinguished quickly and only 57 bodies were initially recovered and 23 remained underground for the best part of a year. The fire