Somercotes is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

in the district of

Amber Valley Amber Valley is a local government district and borough in the east of Derbyshire, England, taking its name from the River Amber. It covers a semi-rural zone with four main towns whose economy was based on coal mining and remains to some ext ...

in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

county of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the no ...

, close to the border with

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

. It is a former mining village and was once surrounded by more than five pits. The village has numerous shops, pubs, food outlets and other businesses. It has industrial areas at Cotes Park and Birchwood. Whilst increasingly urbanised, there is still some agricultural land in the northern and western parts of the parish, and a small nature reserve at Pennytown Ponds. It has primary and secondary schools, along with the Church of St. Thomas and a Methodist church. The population at the 2011 census was 6,255, up almost 9% from 5,745 in 2001 (figures for the 'ward', which may include Leabrooks).

History

The earliest known spelling of Somercotes was Sumcot, which was recorded in 1225. This derives from the original use of the area for seasonal grazing, when temporary huts or 'summer cottages' were used by herdsmen. The original settlement was in what is now known as Lower Somercotes, the upper village developing much later after a turnpike road was driven through to

Alfreton Alfreton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton parish was 7,971 at the 2011 Census. The villages of Ir ...

in the eighteenth century. The area was within the Norman Manor of Alfreton, and later within the Alfreton Urban District. The fortunes of the village were to be based on the coal mining industry, which rapidly expanded in the 19th century. Pye Hill and Somercotes railway station used to serve the village until it was closed by Beeching in the 1960s. Clothing manufacture was a significant local employer until quite recently, with English Rose and Aertex having factories in the area.BBC ''Where I Live''
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Cricketers

Several cricketers from Somercotes played for

. *

George Beet, Sr. George Beet (24 April 1886 – 13 December 1946) was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1910 and 1925 and for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1920. He was later an umpire. Beet was born in Somercotes, Derbyshire. Beet's fir ...

George Beet, Jr. George Hector Cook Beet (30 May 1904 – 21 August 1949) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1928 and in 1932 and for Marylebone Cricket Club in 1928 and between 1933 and 1938. Beet was born at Somercotes, ...

* Joseph Burton * William Prince * William Rigley *

Fred Root Charles Frederick Root (16 April 1890 – 20 January 1954) was an English cricketer who played for England in 1926 and for Derbyshire between 1910 and 1920 and for Worcestershire between 1921 and 1932. Early career Root was born in Somercot ...

* Denis Smith * Albert Steeples * Dick Steeples

References

External links

Somercotes War MemorialOur Somercotes Web Site - Local Information For SomercotesSomercotes Parish Council Web Site

Somercotes Local History Society
Geography of Amber Valley Villages in Derbyshire Civil parishes in Derbyshire {{Derbyshire-geo-stub