Radstock is a community in Somerset, England, 9 miles (14 kilometres) southern west of Bath, and also 8 miles (13 kilometres) north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset as well as had a population of 5,620 according to the 2011 Census. Considering that 2011 Radstock has actually been a town council in its own right. Radstock has actually been settled because the Iron Age, and also its importance expanded after the building of the Fosse Way, a Roman roadway. The development of the town occurred after 1763, when coal was discovered in the location. Large numbers of mines opened up during the 19th century consisting of several had by the Waldegrave family, who had actually been Lords of the Estate since the English Civil War. Admiral Lord Radstock, brother of George, 4th Earl Waldegrave, took the town's name as his title when developed a Baron. The spoil stack of Writhlington colliery is now the Writhlington Site of Special Scientific Interest, that includes 3,000 lots of Upper Carboniferous spoil where greater than 1,400 insect fossil samplings have been recouped. The facility geology and also slim joints made coal removal difficult. Tonnage enhanced throughout the 19th century, reaching a peak around 1901, when there were 79 different collieries and also annual production was 1,250,000 heaps per annum. Nonetheless, as a result of local geological problems and also manpower scarcities output decreased as well as the variety of pits decreased from 30 at the beginning of the 20th century to 14 by the mid-thirties; the last 2 pits, Kilmersdon and Writhlington, closed in September 1973. The Great Western Railway as well as the Somerset and Dorset Railway both established stations and marshalling backyards in the community. The last passenger train solutions to Radstock closed in 1966. Production sectors such as printing, binding and also packaging provide some local employment. Recently, Radstock has progressively come to be a traveler 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 series of exhibitions which provide an insight right into north-east Somerset life given that the 19th century. A lot of the exhibitions connect to local geology as well as the currently disused Somerset coalfield and also geology. The community is likewise house to Writhlington School, well-known for its Orchid collection, and a variety of educational, religious and also social buildings and also sporting clubs.