Coal Aston

Coordinates: 53°18′43″N 1°27′29″W / 53.312°N 1.458°W / 53.312; -1.458

Coal Aston
Looking east along Eckington Road in the direction of Chesterfield
Coal Aston  Coal Aston shown within Derbyshire
OS grid reference	SK362795
District	North East Derbyshire
Shire county	Derbyshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DRONFIELD
Postcode district	S18
Dialling code	01246
Police	Derbyshire
Fire	Derbyshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	North East Derbyshire
List of places: UK • England • Derbyshire

Coal Aston is in the county of Derbyshire, in England.

Geography

Coal Aston sits on a ridge overlooking Sheffield and Dronfield. To the south there is Frith Wood, which is made up of mixed woodland rich in many species of fauna and flora and is thought to be an ancient wood. The wood is now a conservation area and although it is spelt Frith Wood on, for example, Ordnance Survey maps many locals call it Firth wood as in the neighbouring Firthwood Road..

Southern entrance to Firth Wood, late Winter

Local Amenities

The Methodist Church on Eckington Road

Coal Aston has a Methodist church, a chapel, several local shops and a village hall. It is also close to the Coal Aston airstrip at Apperknowle and has bus services to Sheffield and Chesterfield run by Stagecoach, and TM Travel. The Victorian Primary school was closed and is now converted to a house.

Annually a well dressing is held on the site of the former village pond opposite the Royal Oak (hence the local nickname of "The Pond").

The Village Hall is located next to the Royal Oak and was originally built by the villagers, and has since been rebuilt and modernised. It regularly hosts concerts and plays with the local acting group having been based there for many years. Popular with the local community are the regular "Coal Aston Folk" music events which have featured a good many professional from the folk music scene and wider afield. These include local pop star Dave Berry and The Cruisers, comedians Phil Cool and Richard Digance many nationally recognised folk musicians ranging from the late great Jake Thackray to the very present Kerfuffle, Jez Lowe and in 2009 the legendary Dave Swarbrick and his 1980's band Whippersnapper

Sports Facilities

Behind the Village Hall are playing fields, a hard tennis court and a bowling green, which is home to the local bowling club with its club house and separate changing rooms for the football pitches.

The local cricket club has its home ground in neighbouring Dronfield.

Pubs

Coal Aston is known locally for its many pubs including "The Cross Daggers", "The Yew Tree", "The Chequers" and the "Royal Oak" (locally known as "The Pond").

In the "Royal Oak" there is a game known to the locals as "Hook and Hoop" but called nationally ringing the bull. This game involves swinging a metal hook attached to the roof on a piece of string towards a hook attached to the wall. This game is often used by the local male population to gain standing within the community.^{[citation needed]} In recent years^[when?] a girl tried to dispute that this is how standing in the community was gained. She was tied to the hoop for 4 days, 4 hours, 4 minutes and 4 seconds as is the local tradition^{[citation needed]} .

Shops

Barnard Avenue in Coal Aston hosts a number of local shops including a butcher noted for its hot pork sandwiches, a greengrocery known for its fresh produce and a bakery known for doing a fine scone.^{[citation needed]}

Next to the shops is a patch of grass on which no ball games are allowed to be played. This rule has caused some controversy over the years and caused tension between the local residents and children wishing to play.^{[citation needed]}

Dyche Lane, the main route from the village to Sheffield has a Petrol station which is also now a RS McColl store and Total S.A. petrol station. Next door is the "Ferndale Garden centre", with another one called "New Leaf Nurseries" at the bottom of the hill on the boundary with Sheffield.

A mile along Eckington Road from the village on the way to Eckington and Apperknowle is "Wards Garden Centre".

The local Post Office, a butcher, two newsagents and the old Co-op have closed down over the last 2 decades.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Stans Guide to the Local pubs