Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, 9 miles (14 kilometres) southern west of Bath, and also 8 miles (13 km) north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and also North East Somerset as well as had a population of 5,620 according to the 2011 Census. Since 2011 Radstock has been a community council in its own right. Radstock has been worked out given that the Iron Age, and also its value expanded after the construction of the Fosse Way, a Roman roadway. The development of the community happened after 1763, when coal was discovered in the location. Great deals of mines opened during the 19th century including a number of possessed by the Waldegrave family, that had been Lords of the Estate considering that the English Civil War. Admiral Lord Radstock, sibling of George, 4th Earl Waldegrave, took the town's name as his title when developed a Baron. The spoil load of Writhlington colliery is currently the Writhlington Site of Special Scientific Interest, which includes 3,000 lots of Upper Carboniferous ruin where more than 1,400 insect fossil samplings have actually been recovered. The facility geology and also narrow seams made coal removal challenging. Tonnage raised throughout the 19th century, reaching a peak around 1901, when there were 79 separate collieries as well as annual production was 1,250,000 heaps per year. Nonetheless, as a result of regional geological troubles and also manpower lacks result declined and also the number of pits decreased 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 and the Somerset and Dorset Railway both developed terminals and mustering backyards in the town. The last passenger train solutions to Radstock closed in 1966. Manufacturing industries such as printing, binding and also product packaging give some regional employment. In the last few years, Radstock has progressively become a commuter community for the close-by cities of Bath and Bristol. Radstock is home to the Radstock Museum which is housed in a previous market hall, and also has a series of exhibitions which supply an understanding right into north-east Somerset life considering that the 19th century. Most of the displays relate to neighborhood geology and also the currently disused Somerset coalfield and also geology. The community is additionally residence to Writhlington School, renowned for its Orchid collection, and also a range of academic, religious as well as social structures and sporting clubs.