Skellow
Encyclopedia
Skellow is a village in rural South Yorkshire
part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
. The village is roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster
. To the north and south is mixed farmland, the A1 runs immediately along the western edge of the village, and to the east Skellow merges with the adjacent village of Carcroft
along the B1220.
at Barnby Dun. The village lies on the north side of the east-west Ea Beck valley. To the north-east with access from the village is Burghwallis
.
Skellow is well served for open public spaces, with a range of small and medium sized parks scattered through both the modern housing estates to the west and the older former council estates which border Carcroft. Today most of the western half of Skellow is occupied by a patchwork of late 20th century housing estates.
, Cromwell
placed a cannon battery at the village to protect the Great North Road. The mounds for the cannon still remain and the surrounding area of cottages and 15th century inn (now known as 'The Bridge House') remain to this day.
On the east bank of the Skell lies old Skellow, a cluster of older houses facing Skellow Hall. The hall was originally built in 1642 and is now in use as a residential care home for the elderly
Godfrey Higgins
was the son of the owner of much of the land, known as Skellow Grange, of what is now Skellow village.
s, and the area has an active local nightlife including live music events.
Coal mining in the area ceased in the 1980s but some remnants from the industry are visible in the area, including winding wheel relics at Bullcroft. Demographic evidence of the former mining community is also evident in both higher than average levels of unemployment, and a strong sense of community with residents knowing their neighbours and those that live around them.
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...
part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
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....
. The village is roughly six miles north north west of 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"...
. To the north and south is mixed farmland, the A1 runs immediately along the western edge of the village, and to the east Skellow merges with the adjacent village of Carcroft
Carcroft
Carcroft is a rural village part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The village is roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster.-Geography:...
along the B1220.
Geography
The village derives its name from the River Skell which flows from the nearby village of Skelbrooke, through the locally named 'Five Lanes End' area of Skellow where it joins the Ea Beck stream, a tributary of the River Don, of which it joins near the former Thorpe Marsh Power StationThorpe Marsh Power Station
Thorpe Marsh Power Station was a 1 Gigawatt coal-fired power station near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England.- History :Construction of the station began in 1959, it being built as a prototype for all the large modern power stations in the UK. It was commissioned between 1963 and 1965...
at Barnby Dun. The village lies on the north side of the east-west Ea Beck valley. To the north-east with access from the village is Burghwallis
Burghwallis
Burghwallis is a small village and civil parish in rural South Yorkshire.-Geography:The village is situated amongst mixed farmland and woodland on a slight rise roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster, or one mile off the A1....
.
Skellow is well served for open public spaces, with a range of small and medium sized parks scattered through both the modern housing estates to the west and the older former council estates which border Carcroft. Today most of the western half of Skellow is occupied by a patchwork of late 20th century housing estates.
History
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
placed a cannon battery at the village to protect the Great North Road. The mounds for the cannon still remain and the surrounding area of cottages and 15th century inn (now known as 'The Bridge House') remain to this day.
On the east bank of the Skell lies old Skellow, a cluster of older houses facing Skellow Hall. The hall was originally built in 1642 and is now in use as a residential care home for the elderly
Godfrey Higgins
Godfrey Higgins
Godfrey Higgins , was an archaeologist, Freemason and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, humanist, social reformer, and author of various now-esoteric and rare books...
was the son of the owner of much of the land, known as Skellow Grange, of what is now Skellow village.
Coal mining
Further east is a sizeable former council housing estate which is in a generally good state of repair, and a good example of the coal mining related social housing developments typical of South Yorkshire in the early to mid-20th century. This area is the heart of the village, containing most of the local amenities including various shops and the local primary school. Several local clubs exist on the sites of former Working Men's ClubWorking men's club
Working 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.-...
s, and the area has an active local nightlife including live music events.
Coal mining in the area ceased in the 1980s but some remnants from the industry are visible in the area, including winding wheel relics at Bullcroft. Demographic evidence of the former mining community is also evident in both higher than average levels of unemployment, and a strong sense of community with residents knowing their neighbours and those that live around them.