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The area of the Damsteads was a post medieval industrial site known as the Damstead Forge. It is situated between Lilley Street Farm and Each Well Lane at Alfreton.

In the “History of Alfreton” by Reginald Johnson, there is reference to a sale of the land in October 1614, when an agreement was concluded between John Zouch, Lord of Alfreton, and Leonard Sutton, comprising of “two closes called the Damsteads” for a fee of £100.  The sale included the area known as Flash Dam, the dam head and land extending to eight acres. In 1614 it was already described as an “ancient iron mill”. Near to Lilley Street farm were two closes called the Bloom Smithies and Milne Fields (here, Milne is thought to derive from the word Mill). The whole area was given over to iron working. In 2011, a survey was carried out by Thames Valley Archaeological Services prior to the planning consent for Amber valley Crematorium, and during the investigation slag and cinder from the iron mill was noted at the Damsteads, centuries after production had ceased.

MAP: Map of Alfreton showing the area known as the Damsteads, dated 1836.

Being already an industrial area, sited on top of a rich layer of coal seams, it was perhaps only logical that mining would follow. The Damstead Colliery was sunk by Palmer-Morewood, who by then presumably owned the land. Three shafts were sunk in total. Two were at a depth of about 50 yards and one at 47 yards. It is not known when these were sunk, but the colliery appears to have been closed around 1853.