Radstock is a community in Somerset, England, 9 miles (14 kilometres) southern west of Bath, and 8 miles (13 kilometres) north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,620 according to the 2011 Census. Since 2011 Radstock has actually been a town council in its very own right. Radstock has been cleared up given that the Iron Age, and its importance grew after the building of the Fosse Way, a Roman road. The growth of the town happened after 1763, when coal was uncovered in the area. Multitudes of mines opened during the 19th century including a number of possessed by the Waldegrave family members, that had actually been Lords of the Estate considering that the English Civil War. Admiral Lord Radstock, bro of George, 4th Earl Waldegrave, took the community's name as his title when produced a Baron. The spoil load of Writhlington colliery is now the Writhlington Site of Special Scientific Interest, which includes 3,000 lots of Upper Carboniferous ruin where greater than 1,400 insect fossil samplings have been recouped. The facility geology and narrow joints made coal removal hard. Tonnage enhanced throughout the 19th century, reaching a peak around 1901, when there were 79 different collieries and annual production was 1,250,000 lots per year. Nonetheless, as a result of regional geological troubles and manpower shortages result decreased as well as the number of pits reduced from 30 at the beginning of the 20th century to 14 by the mid-thirties; the last two pits, Kilmersdon and Writhlington, closed in September 1973. The Great Western Railway as well as the Somerset and Dorset Railway both established stations as well as aligning yards in the town. The last passenger train solutions to Radstock enclosed 1966. Manufacturing markets such as printing, binding as well as packaging offer some local employment. In recent times, Radstock has progressively come to be a commuter community for the nearby cities of Bath and also Bristol. Radstock is home to the Radstock Museum which is housed in a previous market hall, and also has a range of displays which provide an understanding right into north-east Somerset life because the 19th century. Most of the exhibitions relate to regional geology and also the currently disused Somerset coalfield and also geology. The community is also residence to Writhlington School, popular for its Orchid collection, as well as a range of instructional, spiritual and cultural structures as well as sporting clubs.