Thorpe Hesley is a suburb of Rotherham

Rotherham

Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...

. It lies on the east side of 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 35. Described in the late 19th century as an old village 6 miles from Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, it was noted for the manufacture of nail

Nail (engineering)

In woodworking and construction, a nail is a pin-shaped, sharp object of hard metal or alloy used as a fastener. Formerly wrought iron, today's nails are typically made of steel, often dipped or coated to prevent corrosion in harsh conditions or improve adhesion...

s. It lies in the township of Wentworth

Wentworth, South Yorkshire

Wentworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,223.- History :...

, except a small part which is in Kimberworth

Kimberworth

Kimberworth is a suburb of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, about 2.2 miles north west of Rotherham town centre and 4.7 miles north-east of the City of Sheffield....

 township. It has a church, built in 1837 chiefly at the cost of Earl Fitzwilliam

Earl FitzWilliam

Earl Fitzwilliam was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family. This family claim descent from William the Conqueror. The Fitzwilliams acquired extensive holdings in South Yorkshire, largely through strategic alliances through...

 and the Earl of Effingham

Earl of Effingham

Earl of Effingham, in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1837 for Kenneth Alexander Howard, 11th Baron Howard of Effingham. This branch of the Howard family descends from the noted naval commander and politician Lord William Howard, eldest son...

.

A new community centre was built in 2007, following the design of the old school and the old community centre knocked down, it was then replaced with a car park serving Thorpe Hesley trinity church and the community centre.

Claim to Fame

John Wesley spent some time in the village where he preached. He lodged at Barley Hall (now demolished).

Older residents and families in Thorpe Hesley, will remember that a Walt Disney film was produced in the village: "Escape From The Dark". The film was retitled for its release in the USA: "The Littlest Horse Thieves".

The BBC TV Series 'Play for Today' had a two part story titled 'The Price of Coal' filmed at the coliery on Wentworth Road, this mine has now been closed and demolished.

Coal Mines

Coal has been mined in and around the area of Thorpe Hesley for at least 800 years. Monks from the Cistercian Abbey of Kirkstead, in Lincolnshire had forges and other property in this part of the country and mined coal and ironstone locally. Thorpe Hesley had the distinction of having two modern day coal mines. Both were closed in the 1970s and have been completely demolished. The land surrounding the area of the Barley Hall site has been landscaped and is now a small nature reserve.