Chesterfield is a historic market town that has been around since ancient times. It began as a Roman fort built in around 70 AD. After the Romans left the country the Saxons took over the abandoned fort and the farm lands around it - their words for fort and fields were "caester" and "feld" so the area was named Cestrefeld, which eventually became Chesterfield.
By the 12th Century a town had grown and the famous market which still remains today started. Every year since around 1182 there has been a fair where people come from all over Yorkshire and Derbyshire to buy and sell their products - Chesterfield has always been the centre of trading in Derbyshire.
In Chesterfield workers of one type usually lived in one street - so knife smiths lived in Knifesmith and Saltergate was the street where salt was bought from Cheshire. (The street name 'gate' is from the old Danish word 'gata' meaning street)
Chesterfield's most famous landmark, its crooked spire was built at the beginning of the 15th century. The most likely explanation for its strange shape is that the builders used unseasoned wood which warped and then set in place. It may look unsafe but it has stood for over 500 years without moving!