Birdwell, South Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Birdwell is a village
in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley
in South Yorkshire
, England
.
Birdwell is located approximately 4.5 miles south of Barnsley (measured from Barnsley town centre to the northern edge of Birdwell) and neighbouring villages include Worsbrough Village, Tankersley
(accessible via a footbridge which crosses the M1 motorway), and Hoyland Common.
The A61 (Sheffield Road), passes north-south through the length of Birdwell and at the southern end is Birdwell Roundabout which is the junction between the M1 motorway
at Junction 36 and the A61
. Birdwell Roundabout also marks the start of the Dearne Valley
Parkway - a relatively new dual carriageway / by-pass system which effectively links the M1 at Junction 36 to the A1 at Marr
(near Doncaster
).
Birdwell runs under the auspices of the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
(BMBC).
which was constructed in 1775 (according to the plaque) to mark the distance (3 miles) to Wentworth Castle
(at nearby Stainborough
). The obelisk was struck by lightning
on 6 June 1906.
, around 1642, when the village name is first mentioned.
It is said by some that its name is derived from the old Anglo Saxon "Brydd-Wella" or "Bird-Well". Legend has it that the servants from the nearby Tankersley Hall found a well of clear water. After watching some large birds drinking from it, decided it must be fit to drink, and started to collect their water from it, naming it, the 'bird-well'. Local folklore says that the village took its name from a nearby well that never dried up and at which a heron was always present. The well has since been buried by the M1 motorway and a bench / sculpture commemorating its presence and the area’s history was erected on the site.
Much of the land to the northern end of Birdwell was open cast mined in the years following World War II
and in some areas the remains of the quarries can still be found. Much of the land was subsequently restored to agriculture, mainly pasture with a little low key arable production and since the 1970’s was owned by a local farming company. A small pocket of woodland called Parkinson’s Spring survived the mining activity and whilst little is known of its history, the name spring could infer it was coppiced for the production of spring wood. The predominantly ancient woodland of Miller Hill and Wigfield Woods are thought to be remnants of the once extensive woodland of the Wortley Park estate, an area through which the M1 motorway was subsequently built. Hangmanstone Depot was the site of Allan Finlay's diesel engine export company Hartwood Exports, where many thousands of UK buses and other commercial veheicles ended their lives. Most of the engines which now power many Hong Kong Junks were exported from the Birdwell yard.
The first purpose-built mines rescue station, Tankersley Rescue Station, opened in Birdwell in 1902 and still stands today albeit as a beauty salon and private house. The dated rescue station plaque can still be seen on the side of the building.
Birdwell & Hoyland Common railway station
, was a railway station on the South Yorkshire Railway
's Blackburn Valley line between Westwood
and High Royds
. The station was intended to serve the villages of Birdwell and Hoyland Common, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire although the original chosen site was moved half a mile nearer towards Barnsley to serve the purposes of the Earl of Wharncliffe
who was, at that time, sinking Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery nearby. This move away made the station less convenient for most of the population.
The station was opened in February 1855, the building having an ornate canopy over its entrance and the buildings containing a private waiting room for the use of the Earl of Wharncliffe. Closure came on 7 December 1953.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley
Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley is a metropolitan borough of the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire, England. Its main town is Barnsley....
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Birdwell is located approximately 4.5 miles south of Barnsley (measured from Barnsley town centre to the northern edge of Birdwell) and neighbouring villages include Worsbrough Village, Tankersley
Tankersley, South Yorkshire
Tankersley is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 1,414....
(accessible via a footbridge which crosses the M1 motorway), and Hoyland Common.
The A61 (Sheffield Road), passes north-south through the length of Birdwell and at the southern end is Birdwell Roundabout which is the junction between the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at Junction 36 and the A61
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
. Birdwell Roundabout also marks the start of the Dearne Valley
Dearne Valley
The Dearne Valley is an area of South Yorkshire along the River Dearne. It encompasses the towns of Wombwell, Wath-upon-Dearne, Swinton, Conisbrough and Mexborough, the large villages of Ardsley, Bolton on Dearne, Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Darfield, Stairfoot and Brampton Bierlow, and many other...
Parkway - a relatively new dual carriageway / by-pass system which effectively links the M1 at Junction 36 to the A1 at Marr
Marr, South Yorkshire
Marr is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 138. It was in the historical county of the West Riding and is listed in the Domesday Book complied in 1086 at the command of William the Conqueror at reference 307d...
(near 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"...
).
Birdwell runs under the auspices of the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley is a metropolitan borough of the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire, England. Its main town is Barnsley....
(BMBC).
Local schooling
Birdwell has a primary school (Birdwell Primary School) and there is also a smaller school located in Worsbrough Village (Worsbrough St Mary's CofE Primary School). This officially closed on 31 December 2007, there is also a private day-nursery called Chatterbox in Birdwell.Entertainment & places of interest
- Birdwell Club is a former working men's clubWorking men's clubWorking men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
located on Sheffield Road in Birdwell that hosts a variety of entertainment. In 2005 it played host to a highly-rated gig by local band the Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
, which was voted 9th best gig of the year by the Observer Music Monthly, notably surpassing Live8. - The Take 2 centre at the south end of Birdwell houses the Academy Theatre - a full theatre facility with a varied programme of live entertainment, licensed bar and a Bistro
- Birdwell Lodge Craft & Antique Centre
- Worsbrough MillWorsbrough MillWorsbrough Mill, also known as Worsbrough Corn Mill and Worsbrough Mill Farm is a complex of buildings including a Seventeenth Century water powered mill and a Nineteenth Century steam-powered mill in Worsbrough, Barnsley, England...
Museum & Country Park - Traveller's Inn
- Cock Inn pub
Famous residents (past and present)
- The Wednesday and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
footballer, Harry RuddlesdinHarry RuddlesdinHerod "Harry" Ruddlesdin was an English footballer, who played most of his career with The Wednesday, helping them claim the Football League Second Division title in 1900, followed by the Football League championship in 1903 and 1904...
was born in Birdwell in 1876 and started his football career with Birdwell F.C. - Charlie WilliamsCharlie Williams (comedian)Charles Adolphus Williams MBE was a mixed-race English professional footballer , and later became Britain's first well-known black stand-up comedian.He became famous from his appearances on Granada Television's The Comedians and ATV's The Golden Shot, delivering...
(OBE) lived in Birdwell until his death, in September 2006. - His honour Keith MatthewmanKeith MatthewmanHis Honour Keith Matthewman was a judge who retired in 2001. He was known for his outspoken views. He was the first judge to have a regular slot on British television.-Biography:...
was born here in 1936. - Sylvia YoungSylvia YoungSylvia Young OBE is the founder and Principal of Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, UK.-Sylvia Young Theatre School:Young founded her theatre school in 1981 in Drury Lane, London before moving to Rossmore road Marylebone premises in 1983. In 2010 they moved to their current location near...
(founder and Principal of the famous Sylvia Young Theatre SchoolSylvia Young Theatre SchoolSylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
in London) lived in Birdwell as a child evacuee from London during the Second World WarWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Obelisk
Towards the southern end of Birdwell stands a large obeliskObelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
which was constructed in 1775 (according to the plaque) to mark the distance (3 miles) to Wentworth Castle
Wentworth Castle
Wentworth Castle is a stately home and estate near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. It was originally the seat of the Earls of Strafford. An older house existed on the estate, then called Stainborough, when it was purchased by Thomas Wentworth, Lord Raby , in 1711...
(at nearby Stainborough
Stainborough
Stainborough is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 399.-External links:...
). The obelisk was struck by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
on 6 June 1906.
History
The origins of the village of Birdwell date back to the time of the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, around 1642, when the village name is first mentioned.
It is said by some that its name is derived from the old Anglo Saxon "Brydd-Wella" or "Bird-Well". Legend has it that the servants from the nearby Tankersley Hall found a well of clear water. After watching some large birds drinking from it, decided it must be fit to drink, and started to collect their water from it, naming it, the 'bird-well'. Local folklore says that the village took its name from a nearby well that never dried up and at which a heron was always present. The well has since been buried by the M1 motorway and a bench / sculpture commemorating its presence and the area’s history was erected on the site.
Much of the land to the northern end of Birdwell was open cast mined in the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in some areas the remains of the quarries can still be found. Much of the land was subsequently restored to agriculture, mainly pasture with a little low key arable production and since the 1970’s was owned by a local farming company. A small pocket of woodland called Parkinson’s Spring survived the mining activity and whilst little is known of its history, the name spring could infer it was coppiced for the production of spring wood. The predominantly ancient woodland of Miller Hill and Wigfield Woods are thought to be remnants of the once extensive woodland of the Wortley Park estate, an area through which the M1 motorway was subsequently built. Hangmanstone Depot was the site of Allan Finlay's diesel engine export company Hartwood Exports, where many thousands of UK buses and other commercial veheicles ended their lives. Most of the engines which now power many Hong Kong Junks were exported from the Birdwell yard.
The first purpose-built mines rescue station, Tankersley Rescue Station, opened in Birdwell in 1902 and still stands today albeit as a beauty salon and private house. The dated rescue station plaque can still be seen on the side of the building.
Birdwell & Hoyland Common railway station
Birdwell & Hoyland Common railway station
Birdwell & Hoyland Common railway station was a railway station on the South Yorkshire Railway's Blackburn Valley line between and . The station was intended to serve the villages of Pilley, Birdwell and Hoyland Common, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England although the original chosen site was...
, was a railway station on the South Yorkshire Railway
South Yorkshire Railway
The South Yorkshire Railway was a railway company which was based in the south of the former West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its first section of line opened on 10 November 1849 between Swinton Junction and Doncaster...
's Blackburn Valley line between Westwood
Westwood railway station
Westwood railway station was situated on the South Yorkshire Railway's Blackburn Valley line between and . The station served an area of few houses apart from two rows of miners' cottages known as "Westwood Row"...
and High Royds
High Royds railway station
High Royds railway station was situated on the South Yorkshire Railway's Blackburn Valley line between and . The station opened on 4 September 1854 and closed just two years later, one of the most short-lived stations in the county.References...
. The station was intended to serve the villages of Birdwell and Hoyland Common, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire although the original chosen site was moved half a mile nearer towards Barnsley to serve the purposes of the Earl of Wharncliffe
Earl of Wharncliffe
Earl of Wharncliffe, in the West Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 3rd Baron Wharncliffe. He was a descendant of Edward Wortley Montagu and his wife, the authoress Lady Mary Wortley...
who was, at that time, sinking Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery nearby. This move away made the station less convenient for most of the population.
The station was opened in February 1855, the building having an ornate canopy over its entrance and the buildings containing a private waiting room for the use of the Earl of Wharncliffe. Closure came on 7 December 1953.