Kirkby-in-Ashfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirkby-in-Ashfield |
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 St Wilfrid's Church |
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 Kirkby-in-Ashfield
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| Population | 25,265 |
| OS grid reference | SK 50547 56054 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Nottingham |
| Postcode district | NG17 |
| Dialling code | 01623 |
| Police | Nottinghamshire |
| Fire | Nottinghamshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a lively market town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is part of the larger Mansfield Urban Area. About 25,000 people live here. The main offices for the Ashfield District Council are right in the town centre.
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Discover Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield sits on the eastern edge of the Erewash Valley. This valley separates Nottinghamshire from Derbyshire. Locals often just call it Kirkby.
The town started as a Danish settlement. The name "Kirk-by" means 'Church Town' in Danish. Kirkby is actually a group of smaller villages. These include Old Kirkby, The Folly (East Kirkby), Nuncargate, and Kirkby Woodhouse.
Kirkby is even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book. This book was a huge survey of England made in 1086. The town has two main churches. St Wilfrid's is a very old Norman church. It was damaged by fire in 1907 but was quickly rebuilt. The other church is St Thomas'. It was built in the early 1910s in a neo-gothic style.
A Look Back: Kirkby's History
Kirkby Manor's Past
Kirkby Manor was a very old building. It dated all the way back to the 13th century. In 1284, its owner, Robert de Stuteville, got into trouble. King Edward I fined him for not coming when the King called. However, by 1292, Robert was clearly forgiven. He even hosted the King at the manor for a night's stay!
Tudor Times in Kirkby
In 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey passed through nearby Sutton in Ashfield. He was on his way to London after being called back by King Henry VIII. He then stayed at Kirkby Hardwick.
Charles Cavendish (landowner, born 1553) was the son of Bess of Hardwick. He built a house in Kirkby in 1598.
Coal Mining and Railways
Kirkby-in-Ashfield was once a very important place for coal mining. It also had many railways in west Nottinghamshire. There were three active coal mines here. Several railway lines met in the town.
The old Mansfield and Pinxton Railway joined here. It came from the Erewash Valley Line. Later, the Midland Railway line from Nottingham also connected here. The Great Central Railway main line passed to the south-west of the town. It had a double junction with the Great Northern Railway Leen Valley Extension line. This line went to Langwith Junction. It also connected to the Mansfield Railway, which went to Clipstone.
Kirkby's Railway Stations
The town has had four different train stations over time. Only one is open today.
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield East was the main station. It was on the old Midland Railway line between Nottingham and Mansfield. This station closed in the 1960s.
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield is the station open today. It is on the Robin Hood Line. It opened in the 1990s and replaced Kirkby East.
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield Central was on the now-closed Mansfield Railway. It stopped taking passengers in the 1950s. The site is now an industrial area. However, the old station master's house can still be seen.
- Kirkby Bentinck was on the Great Central Main Line. This line went from Nottingham Victoria to Sheffield Victoria. This station closed in the 1960s. The site has been cleared, but the old station master's house is still there. This was the only main line station in the Ashfield and Mansfield District area.
Kirkby-in-Ashfield grew quickly during the Victorian era. However, the coal mines closed in the 1980s and early 1990s. This caused a big drop in the local economy. The area then faced tough times.
Modern Changes and Growth
Kirkby-in-Ashfield has seen many improvements recently.
In 2013, plans were made to create a new civic square. This was built where a car park used to be. Nearby market stalls were moved in October 2014.
The town centre also got more upgrades. This started in late 2014 and 2015. The old Co-Operative foodstore and county library were taken down. A new Morrisons store was built there. It also included a new pedestrian plaza.
A new indoor market opened in 2021. It is called Moor Market. It was made by joining several small shops together.
In 2021, a new leisure centre was built. For the first time, Kirkby got a swimming pool! This new centre replaced the old Festival Hall. Part of the land for it was bought way back in 1935.
Learning in Kirkby
The town has two large secondary schools. These are Ashfield School and Outwood Academy Kirkby.
Local Media
People in Kirkby get their TV signals from different places. These include Waltham (for BBC East Midlands/ITV Central East). They also get signals from Belmont (for BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire/ITV Yorkshire). Some signals come from Sutton Coldfield (for BBC West Midlands/ITV Central West).
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Nottingham on 95.5 FM. There is also Capital East Midlands on 96.5 FM. A community station called Mansfield 103.2 FM broadcasts from Mansfield.
The local newspaper for the town is the Mansfield and Ashfield Chad.
Famous Faces from Kirkby
Many interesting people have come from Kirkby-in-Ashfield:
- Reverend Sir Richard Kaye, 6th Baronet was the Rector of Kirkby from 1765 to 1809. He was also the Dean of Lincoln. He hired Samuel Hieronymous Grimm to draw scenes of life in Ashfield in the late 1700s.
- Oliver Hynd is a Paralympic swimmer. He won gold, silver, and bronze medals in 2012 and 2016. He is the younger brother of Sam Hynd.
- Sam Hynd is also a Paralympic swimmer. He won two gold medals in 2008.
- Enid Bakewell was an English cricket player. She is in the ICC Hall of Fame. Many think she was one of the best all-rounders in women's cricket.
- Harold Larwood was an English cricket player. He is famous for the Ashes 'Bodyline Series'.
- Bill Voce was another English cricket player. He was also part of the Ashes 'Bodyline Series' with Harold Larwood.
- Dave Thomas was a former English footballer. He played for Everton, Burnley, and Queens Park Rangers.
- Tom Naylor is an English footballer. He currently plays for Portsmouth FC. He used to play for Mansfield Town, Derby County, and Burton Albion.
- Helen Cresswell was an English TV writer and author. She was born in Kirkby in 1934.
- Joe Hardstaff (RAF officer) was a First Class Cricketer.
- Henry Ely Shacklock was a pioneer in making coal ranges.
- Carl Toms was a costume designer.
Fun Places to Visit Nearby
If you're in Kirkby, you might want to visit these interesting places:
