Askern
Encyclopedia
Askern is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
, in South Yorkshire
, England. It is on the A19 road
between Doncaster
and Selby
. It became a spa town
in the late 19th century, but this stopped once coal mines opened in the town. The last mine closed in the 1990s. It has a population of 5,434.
Askern is also well-known in South Yorkshire for its greyhound racing
stadium.
complained to the Sheriff of Osgodcross that the people of Askern had failed to keep part of Askern pool in a clean state. As a result the Kings highway had been ‘overflowed and drowned so that neither horse nor foot passengers could use it’.
.
Askern, a small farming village, became known locally for its waters in the 18th century when Dr Short, in his book ‘Mineral Waters of Yorkshire’, refers to the waters as having a most unpleasant odour and taste.
During the 19th century Askern started to gain a reputation as having water with healing properties. At this time the lords of the manor built the first bathhouse called Manor Baths. After this other baths were built till in the late 19th century Askern had earned the title of Spa and had 5 bathhouses and the water could also be taken at the Spa Hydropathic Establishment.
Askern came to be the place to stay and the railway was built to enable people from across the Pennines
to come and partake of the healing waters. Many people were now coming to Askern by road and rail. Hotels were being built and guesthouses lined Station Road and Moss Road.
Once again Askern changed direction and became a thriving pit village
, which welcomed people from all over the country to work and live in its area, giving the town a mixed background. The mine was regarded as producing highest quality coal and the opening of the Coalite
works confirmed Askern as a place of high employment and a pleasant environment to live in. This however changed as the Coalite plant pushed more smoke and fumes into the atmosphere.
and A19 Trunk road
just called Askern railway station
, years ago and it brought many passengers from the Pennines. But now there is just the remains of one platform. Now the line is still open but not to public. It provides freight services to Ferrybridge, Eggbrough and Drax power stations (provides 1 third of the electricity in Britain). But now there are talks about re-opening the station up and running schedule services to it. From December 2009 a regular service that will go straight by Askern and once may stop. It is Grand Central from Bradford to London Kings Cross.
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
, in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. It is on the A19 road
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
between Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
. It became a spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in the late 19th century, but this stopped once coal mines opened in the town. The last mine closed in the 1990s. It has a population of 5,434.
Askern is also well-known in South Yorkshire for its greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
stadium.
History
The history of Askern can be traced back to the reign of Edward III. The people of NortonNorton, Doncaster
Norton is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with North Yorkshire. The northern boundary of the parish is marked by the River Went, while the Great North Road forms the western boundary...
complained to the Sheriff of Osgodcross that the people of Askern had failed to keep part of Askern pool in a clean state. As a result the Kings highway had been ‘overflowed and drowned so that neither horse nor foot passengers could use it’.
Askern Spa
The area of the lake and the surrounding wetland area have dominated much of the history starting from the settlements at Sutton Common and continuing through to the Spa of the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Askern, a small farming village, became known locally for its waters in the 18th century when Dr Short, in his book ‘Mineral Waters of Yorkshire’, refers to the waters as having a most unpleasant odour and taste.
During the 19th century Askern started to gain a reputation as having water with healing properties. At this time the lords of the manor built the first bathhouse called Manor Baths. After this other baths were built till in the late 19th century Askern had earned the title of Spa and had 5 bathhouses and the water could also be taken at the Spa Hydropathic Establishment.
Askern came to be the place to stay and the railway was built to enable people from across the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
to come and partake of the healing waters. Many people were now coming to Askern by road and rail. Hotels were being built and guesthouses lined Station Road and Moss Road.
Coal Mining
Then in the early years of the 20th century the quest for coal identified a good seam of coal near Askern. It was decided to access the coal from a mine built above the village and with the mine came the personnel to build it. As the mine opened the New Village was built to house the workers and their families. This new population was at odds with the well to do visitors. As the 1914 war started the death knell was sounded for Askern Spa and the spa visitors declined to no more than a few regulars.Once again Askern changed direction and became a thriving pit village
Pit village
A pit village is a term used in the UK for the village serving a deep coal mine.Many of the workers lived in houses that were provided by the colliery. Many villages have experienced depopulation after colliery closures forced people to move to other towns and cities where there are jobs for them...
, which welcomed people from all over the country to work and live in its area, giving the town a mixed background. The mine was regarded as producing highest quality coal and the opening of the Coalite
Coalite
Coalite is a brand of low-temperature coke used as a smokeless fuel. The title refers to the residue left behind when coal is carbonised at 640 degrees Celsius. It was invented by Thomas Parker in 1904. In 1936 the Smoke Abatement Society awarded its inventor a posthumous gold medal.Coalite is...
works confirmed Askern as a place of high employment and a pleasant environment to live in. This however changed as the Coalite plant pushed more smoke and fumes into the atmosphere.
Modern day
Following the pit closure, Askern has gentrified once more. Up to a point, becoming part of the Leeds and Doncaster commuter belt because of its location, close to the M62 MotorwayM62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
and A19 Trunk road
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
Railway
There was a railway station on the Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
just called Askern railway station
Askern railway station
Askern railway station was a station on the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway between Doncaster and Knottingley. It served the village of Askern in South Yorkshire, England.-History:...
, years ago and it brought many passengers from the Pennines. But now there is just the remains of one platform. Now the line is still open but not to public. It provides freight services to Ferrybridge, Eggbrough and Drax power stations (provides 1 third of the electricity in Britain). But now there are talks about re-opening the station up and running schedule services to it. From December 2009 a regular service that will go straight by Askern and once may stop. It is Grand Central from Bradford to London Kings Cross.