Chesterfield's Yards became built up in the 18th and 19th centuries with cottages, workshops and outhouses, accessed through archways from the main street.

Cottage industries such as stocking knitting, hat and glove making and gingham weaving made the Yards workplace for many people in the Yards at this time. Theatre Yard was names after the theatre built in the late 18th century. It was closed in the 1870s and was then used to house the generators which housed the first street lighting in the UK.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the residents were re-housed onto new estates and in the 1980s the yards shopping development was created, restoring historic buildings to house purpose built yards.

Today the Yards and South Street house one of the oldest businesses in Chesterfield - Woodheads Coffee Shop and Restaurant. In 2006, some of the residents in the Yards and South Street combined to create Speciality Shopping and The Yards and South Street Tenants Association. They aim to bring a diversity of shops to Chesterfield allowing customers to find products that you cannot find in the large high street stores.