Radstock is a town 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 as well as North East Somerset as well as had a population of 5,620 according to the 2011 Census. Considering that 2011 Radstock has been a town council in its very own right. Radstock has actually been cleared up since the Iron Age, and also its significance grew after the building of the Fosse Way, a Roman road. The growth of the town occurred after 1763, when coal was found in the location. Lots of mines opened up throughout the 19th century including numerous possessed by the Waldegrave family members, that had been Lords of the Manor because the English Civil War. Admiral Lord Radstock, bro of George, fourth Earl Waldegrave, took the town's name as his title when produced a Baron. The spoil heap of Writhlington colliery is currently 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 actually been recuperated. The complicated geology and also slim joints made coal extraction difficult. Tonnage enhanced throughout the 19th century, reaching a peak around 1901, when there were 79 different collieries and annual production was 1,250,000 heaps per annum. Nevertheless, due to neighborhood geological difficulties and manpower lacks outcome declined as well as the number of pits decreased from 30 at the beginning of the 20th century to 14 by the mid-thirties; the last 2 pits, Kilmersdon and also Writhlington, closed in September 1973. The Great Western Railway and also the Somerset and Dorset Railway both established stations and marshalling yards in the town. The last passenger train solutions to Radstock closed in 1966. Production markets such as printing, binding as well as product packaging provide some regional work. In recent years, Radstock has increasingly become a traveler community for the neighboring cities of Bath as well as Bristol. Radstock is residence to the Radstock Museum which is housed in a previous market hall, as well as has a range of exhibits which offer an understanding into north-east Somerset life considering that the 19th century. Many of the displays connect to local geology and also the currently disused Somerset coalfield as well as geology. The community is additionally home to Writhlington School, renowned for its Orchid collection, and also a range of educational, spiritual as well as social buildings and also showing off clubs.