Mexborough: Difference between revisions
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{{Use British English|date=February 2014}} |
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}} |
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{{Infobox UK place |
{{Infobox UK place |
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| static_image_name = Mexborough |
| static_image_name = Roundabout in Mexborough Town Centre (geograph 5092983).jpg |
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| static_image_caption = |
| static_image_caption = The town centre |
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| country = England |
| country = England |
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| coordinates = {{coord|53.4992|-1.2830|display=inline,title}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|53.4992|-1.2830|display=inline,title}} |
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| population = 15,244 |
| population = 15,244 |
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| population_ref = (Ward. [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]]) |
| population_ref = (Ward. [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]]) |
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| metropolitan_borough = [[ |
| metropolitan_borough = [[City of Doncaster]] |
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| metropolitan_county = [[South Yorkshire]] |
| metropolitan_county = [[South Yorkshire]] |
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| region = Yorkshire and the Humber |
| region = Yorkshire and the Humber |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Mexborough''' is a town in the [[ |
'''Mexborough''' is a town in the [[City of Doncaster|City of Doncaster District]], [[South Yorkshire]], England, between [[Manvers]] and [[Denaby Main]], on the [[River Don, Yorkshire|River Don]] close to where it joins the [[River Dearne]], and the [[A6023 road]]. It is contiguous with [[Swinton, South Yorkshire|Swinton]] to the southwest and [[Conisbrough]] to the east. |
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[[Historic counties of England|Historically]] part of the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], Mexborough |
[[Historic counties of England|Historically]] part of the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], Mexborough had a population of 15,244 at the 2011 Census.<ref>{{cite web |title=Doncaster MBC ward population 2011|url=https://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689517&c=mexborough&d=14&e=62&g=6354479&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1459327198781&enc=1|access-date=30 March 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref> |
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==Topnym== |
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⚫ | The name of ''Mexborough'' is a combination of an [[Old English]] or [[Old Norse]] personal name, which may be ''Meke'', ''Muik'', ''Meoc'' or ''Mjukr'', and the suffix ''[[burh]]'', meaning a fortified place in [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] Old English.<ref>{{cite book |last=Goodall |first=Armitage C. |chapter=Masborough, Mexborough |title=Place-Names of South-West Yorkshire; that is, of so much of the West Riding as lies south of the Aire from Keighley onwards |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028042962 |year=1913 |location=Cambridge |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press|University Press]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028042962/page/n220 209] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/ |title=Mexborough |access-date=23 November 2008 |work=A Key to English Place-Names |publisher=Institute for Name-Studies }}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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Mexborough is located at the north-eastern end of a dyke known as the ''Roman Ridge'', which is thought to have been constructed either by the [[Brigantes|Brigantian tribes]] in the 1st century AD,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Boldrini |first=Nicholas |year=1999 |title=Creating space: a re-examination of the Roman Ridge |journal=Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society |volume=20 |pages=24–30 |issn=0966-2251 }}</ref> perhaps as a defence against the [[Roman invasion of Britain]], or after the 5th century to defend the British kingdom of [[Elmet]] from the [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Armitage |first=Ella Sophia |url=https://archive.org/details/keytoenglishanti00armiuoft |chapter=Chapter III: Camps and Earthworks |title=A key to English antiquities : with special reference to the Sheffield and Rotherham District |year=1905 |publisher=J.M. Dent |location=London }}</ref> |
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⚫ | The name ''Mexborough'' |
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The earliest known written reference to Mexborough is found in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 (''Mechesburg''), which states that before the [[Norman Conquest]] of England the area had been controlled by the Saxon lords Wulfheah and Ulfkil.<ref>{{cite book |title=Domesday Book, a Complete Translation |editor-last=Williams |editor-first=Ann |editor-last2=Martin|editor-first2= G.H. |year=1992 |publisher=Penguin Books Ltd. |location=London |isbn=0-14-143994-7 |page=828 }}</ref> Following the Conquest, the area fell under the control of the Norman Baron [[Roger de Busli]]. The remains of an [[Earthworks (engineering)|earthwork]] in Castle Park are thought to have been a [[motte-and-bailey castle]] constructed in the 11th century shortly after the Conquest.<ref>{{cite book |last=Armitage |first=Ella Sophia |url=https://archive.org/details/keytoenglishanti00armiuoft |chapter=Chapter V: Moated Hillocks |title=A key to English antiquities : with special reference to the Sheffield and Rotherham District |year=1905 |publisher=J.M. Dent |location=London }}</ref> |
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The earliest known written reference to Mexborough is found in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 (''Mechesburg''), which states that before the [[Norman Conquest of England]] the area had been controlled by the Saxon lords Wulfheah and Ulfkil.<ref>{{cite book |title=Domesday Book, a Complete Translation |editor-last=Williams |editor-first=Ann |editor-last2=Martin|editor-first2= G.H. |year=1992 |publisher=Penguin Books Ltd. |location=London |isbn=0-14-143994-7 |page=828 }}</ref> Following the Conquest, the area fell under the control of the Norman Baron [[Roger de Busli]]. The remains of an [[Earthworks (engineering)|earthwork]] in Castle Park are thought to have been a [[motte and bailey]] castle constructed in the 11th century shortly after the Conquest.<ref>{{cite book |last=Armitage |first=Ella Sophia |url=https://archive.org/details/keytoenglishanti00armiuoft |chapter=Chapter V: Moated Hillocks |title=A key to English antiquities : with special reference to the Sheffield and Rotherham District |year=1905 |publisher=J.M. Dent |location=London }}</ref> |
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[[File:Mexborough - The Ferryboat Inn.jpg|thumb|top|right|alt=|The Ferryboat Inn]] |
[[File:Mexborough - The Ferryboat Inn.jpg|thumb|top|right|alt=|The Ferryboat Inn]] |
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St John the Baptist |
[[St John the Baptist's Church, Mexborough|St John the Baptist's Church]] includes elements that date from the 12th century.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1151642 |desc=Church of St John the Baptist |access-date=23 November 2008}}</ref> A few other pre-1800 buildings remain, including several [[public houses]]: the Ferryboat Inn, the George and Dragon, the Bull's Head and the Red Lion. Most of the buildings in the town are post-1800. |
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Throughout the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th century the town's [[economy]] was based around [[coal mining]], [[quarrying]], [[brickworks]] and the production of [[ceramic]]s, and it soon became a busy [[railway junction]]. These industries led to an increase in industrial illness and an increase in the [[mortality rate]]. Although the town boasted a [[cottage hospital]], the lack of suitable facilities led to Lord Montagu donating land for a new hospital to be built. Lord Montagu laid the first stone at the site in 1904. The site is still a working hospital, which now forms part of the [[Doncaster]] and [[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]] [[National Health Service (England)|NHS]] trust. |
Throughout the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th century the town's [[economy]] was based around [[coal mining]], [[quarrying]], [[brickworks]] and the production of [[ceramic]]s, and it soon became a busy [[railway junction]]. These industries led to an increase in industrial illness and an increase in the [[mortality rate]]. Although the town boasted a [[cottage hospital]], the lack of suitable facilities led to Lord Montagu donating land for a new hospital to be built. Lord Montagu laid the first stone at the site in 1904. The site is still a working hospital, which now forms part of the [[Doncaster]] and [[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]] [[National Health Service (England)|NHS]] trust. |
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The industries that led to the creation of [[Montagu Hospital]] not only brought problems to the town but also led to an increase in population and, for some, an increase in wealth and opportunity. Many more public houses and other businesses were created, many of which are still [[Trade|trading]] today. It was in one of these public houses, the Montagu Arms, that [[Stan Laurel]] stayed overnight after performing at the town's Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 December 1907. |
The industries that led to the creation of [[Montagu Hospital]] not only brought problems to the town but also led to an increase in population and, for some, an increase in wealth and opportunity. Many more public houses and other businesses were created, many of which are still [[Trade|trading]] today. It was in one of these public houses, the Montagu Arms, that [[Stan Laurel]] stayed overnight after performing at the town's Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 December 1907. |
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[[File:Former Mill overlooking Mexborough New Cut (geograph 5911892).jpg|thumb|Barnsley British Cooperative Society flour mill]] |
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During the second half of the 19th century, as in many other industrial towns, a Cooperative Society was formed in Mexborough. It was modelled on the consumer cooperative set up by the [[Rochdale Pioneers]] in 1844. In 1861, nine working men met at the home of James Simpson in Mexborough and decided to form the Mexborough Working Men's Industrial Society (later renamed the Mexborough Cooperative Society). The aim of the Society was to supply (at first to the nine men themselves) the necessary things of life. Membership quickly grew and by the 1890s it stood at 1,200. At one time, there were ten shops across the built-up area of Mexborough. By 1903, land had been purchased in the middle of Mexborough on which to build a large and grand new central store, but then suddenly in 1904 the Mexborough Cooperative Society went into liquidation. Soon afterwards it was taken over by the Barnsley British Co-operative Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexboroughheritage.com/newsletters/list_of_newsletters.htm|title=Newsletter 26 November 1996|publisher=Mexborough & District Heritage Society|access-date=8 August 2015}}</ref> |
During the second half of the 19th century, as in many other industrial towns, a Cooperative Society was formed in Mexborough. It was modelled on the consumer cooperative set up by the [[Rochdale Pioneers]] in 1844. In 1861, nine working men met at the home of James Simpson in Mexborough and decided to form the Mexborough Working Men's Industrial Society (later renamed the Mexborough Cooperative Society). The aim of the Society was to supply (at first to the nine men themselves) the necessary things of life. Membership quickly grew and by the 1890s it stood at 1,200. At one time, there were ten shops across the built-up area of Mexborough. By 1903, land had been purchased in the middle of Mexborough on which to build a large and grand new central store, but then suddenly in 1904 the Mexborough Cooperative Society went into liquidation. Soon afterwards it was taken over by the Barnsley British Co-operative Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexboroughheritage.com/newsletters/list_of_newsletters.htm|title=Newsletter 26 November 1996|publisher=Mexborough & District Heritage Society|access-date=8 August 2015}}</ref> One of Mexborough's landmarks is closely associated with the Cooperative Society. This is the former Barnsley British Cooperative Society flour mill, which stands on the north side of the [[River Don Navigation]], close to the Church of St John the Baptist. It started off as the "Don Roller Mills". It was owned by James White, who sold it to the Barnsley British Cooperative Society in 1912.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/nostalgia/nostalgia-yorkshire-giant-of-the-co-op-movement-1-7322440/|title=Yorkshire Giant of the Cooperative Movement|work=Yorkshire Post|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexboroughheritage.com/readers.htm|title=Don Roller Mills|publisher=Mexborough & District Heritage Society|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref> |
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One of Mexborough's landmarks is closely associated with the Cooperative Society. This is the former Barnsley British Cooperative Society flour mill, which stands on the north side of the [[River Don Navigation]] close to the Church of St John the Baptist. It started off as the "Don Roller Mills". It was owned by James White, who sold it to the Barnsley British Cooperative Society in 1912.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/nostalgia/nostalgia-yorkshire-giant-of-the-co-op-movement-1-7322440/|title=Yorkshire Giant of the Cooperative Movement|work=Yorkshire Post|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexboroughheritage.com/readers.htm|title=Don Roller Mills|publisher=Mexborough & District Heritage Society|access-date=18 July 2015}}</ref> |
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For more than a hundred years the railway locomotive maintenance and stabling depot (colloquially known as "[[Mexborough engine shed|Mexborough Loco]]") was a major employer. The [[South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway Company|South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway]] arrived in Mexborough in 1850. The extensive coal traffic generated by the local collieries required railway locomotives to haul it and these locomotives required driving, firing, refuelling, maintenance and stabling. Mexborough was chosen as the site for a large 15-road depot. In its heyday it had an allocation of about 150 locomotives. In the 1920s it was the stabling point for the [[LNER Class U1|LNER Garratt]], then the most powerful locomotive in the UK. The depot closed in 1964. Following the [[demise]] of coal-mining in the 1980s, Mexborough, like many ex-mining towns and villages, is still in the process of [[economic]] and social recovery. |
For more than a hundred years the railway locomotive maintenance and stabling depot (colloquially known as "[[Mexborough engine shed|Mexborough Loco]]") was a major employer. The [[South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway Company|South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway]] arrived in Mexborough in 1850. The extensive coal traffic generated by the local collieries required railway locomotives to haul it and these locomotives required driving, firing, refuelling, maintenance and stabling. Mexborough was chosen as the site for a large 15-road depot. In its heyday it had an allocation of about 150 locomotives. In the 1920s it was the stabling point for the [[LNER Class U1|LNER Garratt]], then the most powerful locomotive in the UK. The depot closed in 1964. Following the [[demise]] of coal-mining in the 1980s, Mexborough, like many ex-mining towns and villages, is still in the process of [[economic]] and social recovery. |
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===Ceramics=== |
===Ceramics=== |
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The Rock Pottery |
The Rock Pottery originally operated as Beevers & Ford. In 1839 it was bought by James Reed, whose son John renamed the business the "Mexborough Pottery", and expanded the works. On the bankruptcy of the [[Rockingham Pottery]] in 1842, John Reed bought many of its moulds and continued their production, though with different transfer prints and also in a plain green with a leaf design impressed "Reed".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexboroughheritage.com/newsletters/1999_april.htm|title=The Potteries of Mexborough and District|access-date=30 March 2016}}</ref> |
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==Politics== |
==Politics== |
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{{unreferenced|section|date=January 2024}} |
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Before 2010, Mexborough was in the [[Barnsley East and Mexborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Barnsley East and Mexborough]] constituency. Since then, it has been in the [[Doncaster North (UK Parliament constituency)|Doncaster North]] constituency, whose current MP is [[Ed Miliband]], former leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. |
Before 2010, Mexborough was in the [[Barnsley East and Mexborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Barnsley East and Mexborough]] constituency. Since then, it has been in the [[Doncaster North (UK Parliament constituency)|Doncaster North]] constituency, whose current MP is [[Ed Miliband]], former leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. |
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Local party [[Mexborough First]] |
Local party [[Mexborough First]] did hold all three seats in the Mexborough ward on [[Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council]] but following the defection of Bev Chapman to Labour it (Mexborough First) only holds two seats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/result-local-election-doncaster-1-7252524|title=RESULT: Local Election Doncaster|date=8 May 2015|work=Sheffield Star|access-date=23 September 2015|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923195007/http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/result-local-election-doncaster-1-7252524|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In late 2023, [[Glenn Bluff]], Doncaster City Councillor for neighbouring Adwick-on-Dearne in the Sprotbrough ward and Parish Councillor for Neighbouring Barnburgh and Harlington announced he was standing against sitting MP Ed Miliband in the next General Election and one of his first priorities was a town council for Mexborough, a concept known locally as Mexit. In December 2023, a meeting was held and jointly hosted by Bev Chapman and Glenn Bluff, from opposing parties to push forward the concept of a town council that has since received local support and has a facebook page. |
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==Transport== |
==Transport== |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2021}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2021}} |
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[[File:Mexborough Station - geograph.org.uk - 3475514.jpg|thumb|[[Mexborough railway station]]]] |
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⚫ | [[Mexborough railway station]] is located on the south bank of the [[River Don, Yorkshire|River Don]] on Station Road, a short [[dead end (street)|cul-de-sac]] off the [[A6023 road|A6023 Greens Way]] [[dual carriageway]] on the south side of the town. It is served by local stopping trains towards {{rws|Doncaster}} and {{rws|Sheffield}}, operated by [[Northern Trains]], with generally an hourly service in each direction. |
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===Bus=== |
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{{Infobox station |
{{Infobox station |
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| name = Mexborough Interchange |
| name = Mexborough Interchange |
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| operator = South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
| operator = South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
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| bus_stands = 7 |
| bus_stands = 7 |
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| bus_operators = |
| bus_operators = Globe Coaches, [[Stagecoach Yorkshire]] |
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| parking = Yes |
| parking = Yes |
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| bicycle = Yes |
| bicycle = Yes |
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| |
| accessible = Yes |
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}} |
}} |
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⚫ | [[Mexborough railway station]] is located on the south bank of the [[River Don, Yorkshire|River Don]] on Station Road, a short [[dead end (street)|cul-de-sac]] off the [[A6023 road|A6023 Greens Way]] [[dual carriageway]] on the south side of the town. It is served by local stopping trains towards |
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Mexborough also has a [[bus station]] in the town centre, '''Mexborough Interchange''', operated by [[Travel South Yorkshire]]. The Interchange is located between the A6023 Greens Way dual carriageway, John Street, Main Street and Hartley Street, around {{cvt|100|m|ft}} from Mexborough High Street and {{cvt|500|m|ft}} on foot from Mexborough railway station. |
Mexborough also has a [[bus station]] in the town centre, '''Mexborough Interchange''', operated by [[Travel South Yorkshire]]. The Interchange is located between the A6023 Greens Way dual carriageway, John Street, Main Street and Hartley Street, around {{cvt|100|m|ft}} from Mexborough High Street and {{cvt|500|m|ft}} on foot from Mexborough railway station. |
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The bus station consists of three stands (numbered A1–A3) located in a bus-only [[lay-by]] on the northern side of the eastbound carriageway of Greens Way, a single stand (numbered B1) at a right angle to these accessed from John Street, and three stands (numbered HS1–HS3) situated a short distance away at the side of Hartley Street. The three sets of stands are in close proximity, linked by car parks and pathways. The majority of bus routes traverse Mexborough town centre on a one-way loop, with the Greens Way stops serving routes heading generally eastbound towards [[Doncaster]] and the Hartley Street stops serving westbound services towards [[Barnsley]] and [[Rotherham]]. |
The bus station consists of three stands (numbered A1–A3) located in a bus-only [[lay-by]] on the northern side of the eastbound carriageway of Greens Way, a single stand (numbered B1) at a right angle to these accessed from John Street, and three stands (numbered HS1–HS3) situated a short distance away at the side of Hartley Street. The three sets of stands are in close proximity, linked by car parks and pathways. The majority of bus routes traverse Mexborough town centre on a one-way loop, with the Greens Way stops serving routes heading generally eastbound towards [[Doncaster]] and the Hartley Street stops serving westbound services towards [[Barnsley]] and [[Rotherham]]. |
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Mexborough Interchange was built by the [[South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive]] in the early 1990s, replacing bus stops in both directions on the High Street which was subsequently [[pedestrian zone|pedestrianised]]. When the Interchange first opened, there was a |
Mexborough Interchange was built by the [[South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive]] in the early 1990s, replacing bus stops in both directions on the High Street which was subsequently [[pedestrian zone|pedestrianised]]. When the Interchange first opened, there was a staffed ticket office and indoor waiting area with toilet facilities located in a small building between the Greens Way stands and John Street. However, around the time of the beginning of the [[Great Recession]], the staffed ticket office was closed and all facilities inside were sealed off as an [[austerity]] measure. {{As of|2022|10}}, the stand allocation is: |
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{{As of|2021|01}}, the stand allocation is: |
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{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable" |
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!A1 |
!A1 |
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!X20 |
!X20 |
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| |[[Frenchgate Interchange|Doncaster]] {{rint|gb|rail}} {{rint|bus}} {{Nb4}} {{right|{{small|via [[Conisbrough railway station|Conisbrough]] {{rint|gb|rail}} and [[Warmsworth]] ( |
| |[[Frenchgate Interchange|Doncaster]] {{rint|gb|rail}} {{rint|bus}} {{Nb4}} {{right|{{small|via [[Conisbrough railway station|Conisbrough]] {{rint|gb|rail}} and [[Warmsworth]] (Globe Coaches)}}}} |
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|- |
|- |
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!A2 |
!A2 |
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|- |
|- |
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!HS1 |
!HS1 |
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! |
!– |
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| |''no services allocated'' |
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| |[[Cortonwood]] {{Nb4}} {{right|{{small|via [[Swinton railway station (South Yorkshire)|Swinton]] {{rint|gb|rail}}, [[Manvers]] and [[Wath bus station|Wath-upon-Dearne]] {{rint|bus}} ([[Stagecoach Yorkshire|Stagecoach]])}}}} |
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|- |
|- |
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! rowspan="2"|HS2 |
! rowspan="2"|HS2 |
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|- |
|- |
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!X20 |
!X20 |
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| |[[Barnsley Interchange|Barnsley]] {{rint|gb|rail}} {{rint|bus}} {{Nb4}} {{right|{{small|via [[Manvers]], [[Old Moor]] and [[Wombwell railway station|Wombwell]] {{rint|gb|rail}} ( |
| |[[Barnsley Interchange|Barnsley]] {{rint|gb|rail}} {{rint|bus}} {{Nb4}} {{right|{{small|via [[Manvers]], [[Old Moor]] and [[Wombwell railway station|Wombwell]] {{rint|gb|rail}} (Globe Coaches)}}}} |
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|} |
|} |
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==Education== |
==Education== |
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Mexborough has one secondary school ([[Laurel Academy]]) and many primary schools. |
Mexborough has one secondary school ([[Laurel Academy]]) and many primary schools. |
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==Media== |
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Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC Yorkshire]] and [[ITV Yorkshire]]. Television signals are received from the [[Emley Moor transmitting station|Emley Moor]] TV transmitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Emley_Moor|title=Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=25 December 2023}}</ref> |
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Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Sheffield]], [[Heart Yorkshire]], [[Capital Yorkshire]], [[Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire]] (formerly [[Trax FM]]), [[TX1 Radio]], [[Hallam FM]], and Rotherham Radio, a community based station which broadcast from the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rotherhamradio.com/ |title=Rotherham Radio |access-date=25 December 2023}}</ref> |
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The town is served by the local newspapers, ''Dearne Valley Weekender'' and ''[[Doncaster Free Press]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-yorks/dearne-valley-weekender/|title=Dearne Valley Weekender|date=21 May 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=25 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-yorks/doncaster-free-press/|title=Doncaster Free Press|date=10 May 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=25 December 2023}}</ref> |
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==Sport== |
==Sport== |
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*[[Sally Carman]] – actress |
*[[Sally Carman]] – actress |
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*[[Dan Clarke]] – motor racing driver formerly driving for [[Minardi Team USA]] in the [[Champ Car World Series]] |
*[[Dan Clarke]] – motor racing driver formerly driving for [[Minardi Team USA]] in the [[Champ Car World Series]] |
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*[[Katie B. Edwards|Katie Edwards]] – writer |
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*[[Albert E. Fox|Albert Fox]] – trade unionist |
*[[Albert E. Fox|Albert Fox]] – trade unionist |
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*[[William Hackett (VC)|William Hackett]] – [[Tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers|Royal Engineers tunneller]], awarded the Victoria Cross 1916 |
*[[William Hackett (VC)|William Hackett]] – [[Tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers|Royal Engineers tunneller]], awarded the Victoria Cross 1916 |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Earl of Mexborough]] |
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*[[Listed buildings in Mexborough]] |
*[[Listed buildings in Mexborough]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{commons category|Mexborough}} |
{{commons category|Mexborough}} |
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{{ |
{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{South Yorkshire}} |
{{South Yorkshire}} |
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[[Category:Towns in South Yorkshire]] |
[[Category:Towns in South Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:Unparished areas in South Yorkshire]] |
[[Category:Unparished areas in South Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:Former civil parishes in South Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster]] |
[[Category:Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster]] |
Latest revision as of 10:14, 23 December 2024
Mexborough | |
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The town centre | |
Location within South Yorkshire | |
Population | 15,244 (Ward. 2011 census) |
OS grid reference | SE4700 |
Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Mexborough |
Postcode district | S64 |
Dialling code | 01709 |
Police | South Yorkshire |
Fire | South Yorkshire |
Ambulance | Yorkshire |
UK Parliament | |
Mexborough is a town in the City of Doncaster District, South Yorkshire, England, between Manvers and Denaby Main, on the River Don close to where it joins the River Dearne, and the A6023 road. It is contiguous with Swinton to the southwest and Conisbrough to the east.
Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Mexborough had a population of 15,244 at the 2011 Census.[1]
Topnym
[edit]The name of Mexborough is a combination of an Old English or Old Norse personal name, which may be Meke, Muik, Meoc or Mjukr, and the suffix burh, meaning a fortified place in Anglo-Saxon Old English.[2][3]
History
[edit]Mexborough is located at the north-eastern end of a dyke known as the Roman Ridge, which is thought to have been constructed either by the Brigantian tribes in the 1st century AD,[4] perhaps as a defence against the Roman invasion of Britain, or after the 5th century to defend the British kingdom of Elmet from the Angles.[5]
The earliest known written reference to Mexborough is found in the Domesday Book of 1086 (Mechesburg), which states that before the Norman Conquest of England the area had been controlled by the Saxon lords Wulfheah and Ulfkil.[6] Following the Conquest, the area fell under the control of the Norman Baron Roger de Busli. The remains of an earthwork in Castle Park are thought to have been a motte-and-bailey castle constructed in the 11th century shortly after the Conquest.[7]
St John the Baptist's Church includes elements that date from the 12th century.[8] A few other pre-1800 buildings remain, including several public houses: the Ferryboat Inn, the George and Dragon, the Bull's Head and the Red Lion. Most of the buildings in the town are post-1800.
Throughout the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th century the town's economy was based around coal mining, quarrying, brickworks and the production of ceramics, and it soon became a busy railway junction. These industries led to an increase in industrial illness and an increase in the mortality rate. Although the town boasted a cottage hospital, the lack of suitable facilities led to Lord Montagu donating land for a new hospital to be built. Lord Montagu laid the first stone at the site in 1904. The site is still a working hospital, which now forms part of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS trust.
The industries that led to the creation of Montagu Hospital not only brought problems to the town but also led to an increase in population and, for some, an increase in wealth and opportunity. Many more public houses and other businesses were created, many of which are still trading today. It was in one of these public houses, the Montagu Arms, that Stan Laurel stayed overnight after performing at the town's Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 December 1907.
During the second half of the 19th century, as in many other industrial towns, a Cooperative Society was formed in Mexborough. It was modelled on the consumer cooperative set up by the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844. In 1861, nine working men met at the home of James Simpson in Mexborough and decided to form the Mexborough Working Men's Industrial Society (later renamed the Mexborough Cooperative Society). The aim of the Society was to supply (at first to the nine men themselves) the necessary things of life. Membership quickly grew and by the 1890s it stood at 1,200. At one time, there were ten shops across the built-up area of Mexborough. By 1903, land had been purchased in the middle of Mexborough on which to build a large and grand new central store, but then suddenly in 1904 the Mexborough Cooperative Society went into liquidation. Soon afterwards it was taken over by the Barnsley British Co-operative Society.[9] One of Mexborough's landmarks is closely associated with the Cooperative Society. This is the former Barnsley British Cooperative Society flour mill, which stands on the north side of the River Don Navigation, close to the Church of St John the Baptist. It started off as the "Don Roller Mills". It was owned by James White, who sold it to the Barnsley British Cooperative Society in 1912.[10][11]
For more than a hundred years the railway locomotive maintenance and stabling depot (colloquially known as "Mexborough Loco") was a major employer. The South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway arrived in Mexborough in 1850. The extensive coal traffic generated by the local collieries required railway locomotives to haul it and these locomotives required driving, firing, refuelling, maintenance and stabling. Mexborough was chosen as the site for a large 15-road depot. In its heyday it had an allocation of about 150 locomotives. In the 1920s it was the stabling point for the LNER Garratt, then the most powerful locomotive in the UK. The depot closed in 1964. Following the demise of coal-mining in the 1980s, Mexborough, like many ex-mining towns and villages, is still in the process of economic and social recovery.
Ceramics
[edit]The Rock Pottery originally operated as Beevers & Ford. In 1839 it was bought by James Reed, whose son John renamed the business the "Mexborough Pottery", and expanded the works. On the bankruptcy of the Rockingham Pottery in 1842, John Reed bought many of its moulds and continued their production, though with different transfer prints and also in a plain green with a leaf design impressed "Reed".[12]
Politics
[edit]Before 2010, Mexborough was in the Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency. Since then, it has been in the Doncaster North constituency, whose current MP is Ed Miliband, former leader of the Labour Party.
Local party Mexborough First did hold all three seats in the Mexborough ward on Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council but following the defection of Bev Chapman to Labour it (Mexborough First) only holds two seats.[13]
In late 2023, Glenn Bluff, Doncaster City Councillor for neighbouring Adwick-on-Dearne in the Sprotbrough ward and Parish Councillor for Neighbouring Barnburgh and Harlington announced he was standing against sitting MP Ed Miliband in the next General Election and one of his first priorities was a town council for Mexborough, a concept known locally as Mexit. In December 2023, a meeting was held and jointly hosted by Bev Chapman and Glenn Bluff, from opposing parties to push forward the concept of a town council that has since received local support and has a facebook page.
Transport
[edit]Rail
[edit]Mexborough railway station is located on the south bank of the River Don on Station Road, a short cul-de-sac off the A6023 Greens Way dual carriageway on the south side of the town. It is served by local stopping trains towards Doncaster and Sheffield, operated by Northern Trains, with generally an hourly service in each direction.
Bus
[edit]Mexborough Interchange | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | A6023 Greens Way, Mexborough town centre Doncaster (S64 9HS) England |
Owned by | South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
Operated by | South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
Bus stands | 7 |
Bus operators | Globe Coaches, Stagecoach Yorkshire |
Construction | |
Parking | Yes |
Bicycle facilities | Yes |
Accessible | Yes |
Mexborough also has a bus station in the town centre, Mexborough Interchange, operated by Travel South Yorkshire. The Interchange is located between the A6023 Greens Way dual carriageway, John Street, Main Street and Hartley Street, around 100 m (330 ft) from Mexborough High Street and 500 m (1,600 ft) on foot from Mexborough railway station.
The bus station consists of three stands (numbered A1–A3) located in a bus-only lay-by on the northern side of the eastbound carriageway of Greens Way, a single stand (numbered B1) at a right angle to these accessed from John Street, and three stands (numbered HS1–HS3) situated a short distance away at the side of Hartley Street. The three sets of stands are in close proximity, linked by car parks and pathways. The majority of bus routes traverse Mexborough town centre on a one-way loop, with the Greens Way stops serving routes heading generally eastbound towards Doncaster and the Hartley Street stops serving westbound services towards Barnsley and Rotherham.
Mexborough Interchange was built by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in the early 1990s, replacing bus stops in both directions on the High Street which was subsequently pedestrianised. When the Interchange first opened, there was a staffed ticket office and indoor waiting area with toilet facilities located in a small building between the Greens Way stands and John Street. However, around the time of the beginning of the Great Recession, the staffed ticket office was closed and all facilities inside were sealed off as an austerity measure. As of October 2022[update], the stand allocation is:
Stand | Route | Destination |
---|---|---|
A1 | X20 | Doncaster via Conisbrough and Warmsworth (Globe Coaches)
|
A2 | 221 | Doncaster via Denaby Main and Conisbrough (Stagecoach)
|
A3 | 208 | Grimethorpe via Bolton-upon-Dearne , Goldthorpe and Billingley (Stagecoach)
|
218, 218a | Barnsley via Manvers, Bolton-upon-Dearne , Goldthorpe and Darfield (Stagecoach)
| |
B1 | – | no services allocated |
HS1 | – | no services allocated |
HS2 | 208 | Rotherham via Swinton , Warren Vale and Rawmarsh (Stagecoach)
|
221 | Rotherham via Swinton and Rawmarsh (Stagecoach)
| |
HS3 | 218, 218a | Rotherham via Swinton , Kilnhurst and Rawmarsh (Stagecoach)
|
X20 | Barnsley |
Education
[edit]Mexborough has one secondary school (Laurel Academy) and many primary schools.
Media
[edit]Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. Television signals are received from the Emley Moor TV transmitter.[14]
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Sheffield, Heart Yorkshire, Capital Yorkshire, Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire (formerly Trax FM), TX1 Radio, Hallam FM, and Rotherham Radio, a community based station which broadcast from the town.[15]
The town is served by the local newspapers, Dearne Valley Weekender and Doncaster Free Press.[16][17]
Sport
[edit]Mexborough has been represented in the FA Cup by four different football teams – Mexborough Locomotive Works, Mexborough St. Johns, Mexborough West End and Mexborough Town.
The last of the four was the most prominent and won the Yorkshire Football League in 1973.
Notable people
[edit]- Keith Barron – actor
- Walter Bennett – footballer, Sheffield United & Bristol City
- Brian Blessed – actor
- Eric Brook – footballer
- Sally Carman – actress
- Dan Clarke – motor racing driver formerly driving for Minardi Team USA in the Champ Car World Series
- Katie Edwards – writer
- Albert Fox – trade unionist
- William Hackett – Royal Engineers tunneller, awarded the Victoria Cross 1916
- William 'Iron' Hague – British heavyweight boxing champion 1908–11
- Kenneth Haigh – actor
- Mike Hawthorn – motor-racing driver and 1958 Formula 1 World Champion
- Ted Hughes – Poet Laureate, 1984–98
- Darren Johnson – Professional darts player
- Peter Kitchen – professional footballer
- Harold Massingham – poet
- Ian Parks – poet
- Dennis Priestley – professional darts player, twice world darts champion 1991 and 1994
- Geoff Salmons, professional footballer, most notably with Sheffield United
- Lionel Smith (born 23 August 1920) – professional footballer, for Mexborough Albion and Denaby United before making 162 appearances for Arsenal[18]
- Karen Walker – footballer, played for England, Doncaster Belles and Leeds United
- Donald Watson – founder of The Vegan Society
- John William Wall (pen name Sarban) – author whose works include the novel The Sound of His Horn and the collection Ringstones
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Doncaster MBC ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Goodall, Armitage C. (1913). "Masborough, Mexborough". Place-Names of South-West Yorkshire; that is, of so much of the West Riding as lies south of the Aire from Keighley onwards. Cambridge: University Press. p. 209.
- ^ "Mexborough". A Key to English Place-Names. Institute for Name-Studies. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ Boldrini, Nicholas (1999). "Creating space: a re-examination of the Roman Ridge". Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society. 20: 24–30. ISSN 0966-2251.
- ^ Armitage, Ella Sophia (1905). "Chapter III: Camps and Earthworks". A key to English antiquities : with special reference to the Sheffield and Rotherham District. London: J.M. Dent.
- ^ Williams, Ann; Martin, G.H., eds. (1992). Domesday Book, a Complete Translation. London: Penguin Books Ltd. p. 828. ISBN 0-14-143994-7.
- ^ Armitage, Ella Sophia (1905). "Chapter V: Moated Hillocks". A key to English antiquities : with special reference to the Sheffield and Rotherham District. London: J.M. Dent.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (1151642)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ "Newsletter 26 November 1996". Mexborough & District Heritage Society. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Yorkshire Giant of the Cooperative Movement". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "Don Roller Mills". Mexborough & District Heritage Society. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "The Potteries of Mexborough and District". Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "RESULT: Local Election Doncaster". Sheffield Star. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ "Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Rotherham Radio". Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Dearne Valley Weekender". British Papers. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Doncaster Free Press". British Papers. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Lionel Smith". England Football Online. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
External links
[edit]The history of the town is charted on the Mexborough & District Heritage Society's extensive website.