Shirebrook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shirebrook |
|
|---|---|
 Market Street |
|
 Shirebrook
|
|
| Population | 13,300 (civil parish) |
| OS grid reference | SK522678 |
| District |
|
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MANSFIELD |
| Postcode district | NG20 |
| Dialling code | 01623 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Shirebrook is a town in Derbyshire, England. It is part of the Bolsover District. In 2021, about 13,300 people lived here. The town is located near the B6407 and A632 roads. These roads connect Shirebrook to nearby towns like Mansfield, Worksop, and Bolsover. Shirebrook is also close to the areas of Bassetlaw and Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire.
Economy and History
How Shirebrook Got Its Name
The name Shirebrook first appeared in records in 1202. It comes from Old English words. These words can mean "Boundary Brook" or "Bright Brook."
Early Days of Shirebrook
For a long time, Shirebrook was a small village. It was part of the larger area of Pleasley. In 1872, it was still very small. There were only about 342 people living in 70 houses. A church was built in 1843.
The Coal Mining Era
A big change happened when Shirebrook Colliery (a coal mine) was built. This happened between 1896 and 1897. The mine was owned by the Shirebrook Coal and Iron company. It was built on land belonging to important local families.
To house the miners, a "model village" was quickly built. By 1897, about 150 houses were ready. The plan was to build around 420 homes for the workers.
Shirebrook Colliery was a very important part of the town. It operated until April 1993. During the miners' strike in 1984–85, the community faced disagreements. Some workers went on strike, while others continued to work.
Modern Businesses
Today, Shirebrook has different types of businesses. There are companies that make things from metal. The town is also home to a large furniture store.
Town Improvements
The land where the old coal mine used to be is now being used for new projects. This 93-acre site was cleaned up and prepared for development. This cost about £24 million.
A building that used to be a pub, called The Great Northern, was changed in 2016. It is now a place that helps people who need somewhere to stay. It can house up to 15 men.
Sports Direct in Shirebrook
A big part of the former mine site is now called Brook Park. A large company called Sports Direct built a major hub here. In 2004, they planned to build four huge warehouses. These warehouses cover a total of 111,000 square meters. The site also includes a training area, a place for helicopters to land, and a retail store.
Community Support
In 2017, the government provided £1.26 million to Shirebrook. This money was given to help the community. It was needed because many new workers from Eastern Europe had moved to the town.
This money helps improve public services. It also supports community events and makes the market square nicer. The goal is to help with housing, schools, and health services. These services have been busy due to the new people moving in.
The project is called Building Resilience. It focuses on several key areas:
- Making the community stronger.
- Making the Market Square more lively.
- Helping new community members access services.
- Improving housing.
- Helping people understand UK laws and customs.
- Adding more doctors' resources.
- Supporting healthy lifestyles for workers.
Shirebrook Town Hall
A new Town Hall opened in Shirebrook in 2019. It is located on the market square. This building acts as a "one stop shop" for residents. On the ground floor, people can get help and make payments. The upper floors have offices for the Town Council and other local services. The council believes Shirebrook has one of the largest town squares in England.
New Homes
The government has a plan called "Levelling Up." As part of this, new affordable homes are being built on part of the old mine site. This project is called First Homes. It allows local first-time buyers and key workers to buy new houses. They get a 30% discount on the market price.
Education
Shirebrook Academy is the local secondary school. Students aged 11 to 16 attend this school.
Shirebrook also has several primary schools and nurseries:
- Park Infant & Nursery Schools
- Park Junior School
- Stubbin Wood Special School
- Brookfield Primary School
- Model Village Primary School
Media
Television and Radio
Local TV news for Shirebrook comes from BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and BBC East Midlands on BBC One. It also comes from ITV Yorkshire and ITV Central on ITV1. TV signals are received from the Belmont or Waltham transmitters.
For radio, people in Shirebrook can listen to BBC Radio Sheffield and BBC Radio Nottingham. Other radio stations include Capital East Midlands, Mansfield 103.2 FM, Greatest Hits Radio North Derbyshire, and the online station Elastic FM.
Newspapers
The local newspapers that serve Shirebrook are the Mansfield and Ashfield Chad and the Derbyshire Times.
Railway
Shirebrook once had three different railway stations.
The last station to remain open was on the Midland Railway line. This line went from Nottingham to Worksop through Mansfield. This station was first called Shirebrook West. Passenger services on this line stopped in October 1964. This left Shirebrook without a station for a while. However, the line stayed open for goods trains.
In the mid-1960s, a depot for fueling diesel trains was opened. The station was re-opened in 1998. It is now called Shirebrook railway station. It serves the new Robin Hood Line services. These trains run from Nottingham to Worksop through Mansfield. A business that repairs and makes train wagons also has a connection to the main railway line.
Another station was Shirebrook North railway station. It opened in March 1897 and closed in September 1955. It was originally known as "Langwith Junction."
The third station was Shirebrook South. It opened in November 1901 and closed in September 1931.
Sport
Shirebrook has a football club called Shirebrook Town. They play in the First Division of the Northern Counties East Football League. Their home ground is at Langwith Road. Before this club, Shirebrook Miners Welfare F.C. was the main football team. They sometimes played in the FA Cup.
Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Shirebrook:
- General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke (1764–1830) was a general and leader. He was the Governor General of British North America. His family name came from Shirebrook.
- Mason Bennett is a footballer. He was born nearby and went to school in Shirebrook.
- John Hurt was an actor. He was born in Chesterfield and lived in Shirebrook as a child.
- Jason Statham is an actor. He was born in Shirebrook.
- Colin Tarrant was an actor. He was born in Shirebrook.
- Ray Wilson was a footballer. He was born in Shirebrook.
Images for kids
-
Market Street
-
The Great Northern former pub, now a dry hostel for homeless men
-
Former Shirebrook Colliery
-
Private helicopter at Sports Direct
-
Sports Direct complex in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Shirebrook para niños
