Dronfield is a town in the North East Derbyshire district of the county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands region of England. It comprises the three communities of Dronfield, Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston. It is sited in the valley of the small River Drone, and lies between the town of Chesterfield and the city of Sheffield. The Peak District National Park lies 3mi to the west. The town's name means open land infested with drones (male bees). The town is known to have been in existence prior to the 1086 Domesday Book, and has a 13th-century parish church. In 1662 Charles II granted the town a market, although this later ceased. The industrial history of the town includes coal mining, the wool trade, the production of soap and steel, and engineering. Today a range of manufacturing firms still operate within the town. Dronfield's population has increased dramatically in post-war years from 6,500 in 1945 to its current size of just over 21,000. The football ground to the north of the town is currently the home of Sheffield F.C., the world's oldest football club.
