Clay Cross
About Clay Cross
Close to Chesterfield, Clay Cross developed from a rural, mainly farming based community, into a busy industrial area with the discovery by George Stephenson of a vast underground deposit of coal and iron.
The population rose sharply in the mid 19th century, and when the mining was exhausted, ironworks took over and are still running today. The Clay Cross Company was formed in 1837 and still exists today, now as part of the Biwater group. The town has many modern amenities with the usual shops and pubs and there is also an open-air market that takes place on Saturdays.
Worth a visit is St Bartholomew’s church, built in the 19th century, with its 70ft spire. The church has undergone some rigorous renewals in the latter part of the 20th century.