Dearne Valley
Encyclopedia
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 smaller villages and hamlets.
In 1995 the area became a regeneration area, as it had suffered much from the sudden decline of the deep coal mining industry in the 1980s. In the 2001 census the ONS-identified Dearne Valley urban area had a population of 207,726, however this region includes Barnsley
and certain other smaller towns and villages that might not historically have considered themselves a part of the Dearne Valley.
, the largest man-made rail bridge in Britain until its demolition in 1965.
In the latter half of the 20th century the industry was declining and becoming deeply unprofitable, but was kept alive by government subsidy. As early as the 1960s local politicians voiced concerns about the high level of reliance of the economy of the area on one single industry. In the 1980s there was a marked change of government economic policy: unprofitable heavy industry was no longer to be subsidised. This caused the collapse of the mining industry, with a knock-on effect in many other local industries, leading to much local hardship.
For years locals found themselves forced to move out of the area to find work: this caused whole generations of locals to move away from the area never to return. This is apparent in local populations, which have declined somewhat. These days the settlements in the area are becoming more dormitory in nature, as those who remained have found the need to commute further afield to the larger towns and cities in the region to find work.
Outside the settlements, primary land use is agricultural: a by product of the death of the mining industry is that the area looks more rural and green than it once did. Business parks in the area have sprung up on some brown-field land once used by the mining industry, the most notable and largest is at Manvers.
Although much of the infrastructure related to the mining industry was demolished in the 1980s and early 1990s and the land changed to other uses, remnants of the coal mining heritage remain: large spoil heaps adorn the villages of Great Houghton
and Thurnscoe
very notably; although landscaping has been attempted, no cosmetic alteration can disguise their size.
The road and rail links to the villages of the area also were implemented mostly to ferry coal out of collieries and although the rails to the now demolished collieries have long since been removed, the embankments and cuttings remain as well as the various bridges. Several of these former railways are now part of the Trans Pennine Trail
between Penistone
and Doncaster
. The Dearne Valley is at the centre of the trail with the main West/East and North/South routes crossing over in the area.
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...
along the River Dearne
River Dearne
The River Dearne is a river in South Yorkshire, England. It flows roughly east for more than , from its source just inside West Yorkshire, through Denby Dale, Clayton West, Darton, Barnsley, Darfield, Wath upon Dearne, Bolton on Dearne, Adwick upon Dearne and Mexborough to its confluence with the...
. It encompasses the towns of Wombwell
Wombwell
Wombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
, Wath-upon-Dearne
Wath-upon-Dearne
Wath-upon-Dearne is a small town on the south side of the Dearne Valley in the historic county of the West Riding of Yorkshire and the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, lying 5 miles north of Rotherham, almost midway between Barnsley and Doncaster. It has a population...
, Swinton
Swinton, South Yorkshire
Swinton is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England on part of the west bank of the River Don...
, Conisbrough
Conisbrough
Conisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at...
and Mexborough
Mexborough
Mexborough is a town in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, situated on the north bank of the River Don west of its confluence with the River Dearne...
, the large villages of Ardsley, Bolton on Dearne
Bolton on Dearne
Bolton upon Dearne is a small village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, in the part of the Dearne Valley through which the River Dearne passes. It is approximately seven miles east of Barnsley, ten miles west of Doncaster and eight miles north of Rotherham.Bolton...
, Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. Anciently a small medieval farming village, Goldthorpe is recorded in the Domesday Book and was under the Manor of Bolton upon Dearne which was once owned by Roger de Busli.Goldthorpe railway station...
, Thurnscoe
Thurnscoe
Thurnscoe is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. The village is approximately half way between Barnsley and Doncaster, but sufficiently far enough from both to be out of their urban sprawl...
, Darfield
Darfield, South Yorkshire
Darfield is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It lies east of the town of Barnsley. It had a population of 8,066 at the 2001 UK Census.-History:...
, Stairfoot
Stairfoot
Stairfoot is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England.It is perhaps so named because it lies in the valley bottom between the directly opposed undulations of two small hills on the old road from Barnsley to Doncaster....
and Brampton Bierlow
Brampton Bierlow
Brampton Bierlow, often known simply as Brampton, is a former mining village and civil parish situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, on the south side of the Dearne Valley, between Barnsley and Rotherham. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a...
, and many other smaller villages and hamlets.
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
and certain other smaller towns and villages that might not historically have considered themselves a part of the Dearne Valley.
History
Many high-grade coal seams, including the prolific Barnsley seam, lie close to the surface in this area. This meant that by far the most prevalent industry in the area was deep coal mining, indeed much of the economic activity of the region was either directly related to, or reliant on this industry. It was home to the Oaks viaductOaks viaduct
Oaks Viaduct was Britain's largest railway bridge that spanned the Dearne Valley, in South Yorkshire. The viaduct crossed Rotherham Road at Lundwood, and spanned across the Dearne Valley including the Dearne and Dove Canal, to the other side, connecting with Barnsley Colliery, and joined the...
, the largest man-made rail bridge in Britain until its demolition in 1965.
In the latter half of the 20th century the industry was declining and becoming deeply unprofitable, but was kept alive by government subsidy. As early as the 1960s local politicians voiced concerns about the high level of reliance of the economy of the area on one single industry. In the 1980s there was a marked change of government economic policy: unprofitable heavy industry was no longer to be subsidised. This caused the collapse of the mining industry, with a knock-on effect in many other local industries, leading to much local hardship.
The valley today
Strong feelings regarding the collapse of the mining industry still remain in many communities; these feelings are diminishing with the passing of years, and the return of jobs and economic growth that the new industries in the area have brought, but have not completely gone away.For years locals found themselves forced to move out of the area to find work: this caused whole generations of locals to move away from the area never to return. This is apparent in local populations, which have declined somewhat. These days the settlements in the area are becoming more dormitory in nature, as those who remained have found the need to commute further afield to the larger towns and cities in the region to find work.
Outside the settlements, primary land use is agricultural: a by product of the death of the mining industry is that the area looks more rural and green than it once did. Business parks in the area have sprung up on some brown-field land once used by the mining industry, the most notable and largest is at Manvers.
Although much of the infrastructure related to the mining industry was demolished in the 1980s and early 1990s and the land changed to other uses, remnants of the coal mining heritage remain: large spoil heaps adorn the villages of Great Houghton
Great Houghton, South Yorkshire
Great Houghton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England), on the border with West Yorkshire. It lies to the west of Thurnscoe, on the B6411 road, and is located at approximately 53° 33' 20" North, 1° 21' West, at an elevation of around 60...
and Thurnscoe
Thurnscoe
Thurnscoe is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. The village is approximately half way between Barnsley and Doncaster, but sufficiently far enough from both to be out of their urban sprawl...
very notably; although landscaping has been attempted, no cosmetic alteration can disguise their size.
The road and rail links to the villages of the area also were implemented mostly to ferry coal out of collieries and although the rails to the now demolished collieries have long since been removed, the embankments and cuttings remain as well as the various bridges. Several of these former railways are now part of the Trans Pennine Trail
Trans Pennine Trail
The Trans Pennine Trail is a long distance path running from coast to coast across northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients ....
between Penistone
Penistone
Penistone is a small town market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census. It lies west of the town of Barnsley and north east of Glossop, in the foothills of the Pennines...
and 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"...
. The Dearne Valley is at the centre of the trail with the main West/East and North/South routes crossing over in the area.