Aston cum Aughton is a civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham

Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham

The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. It is named for its largest town, Rotherham, but also spans the outlying towns of Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, Wath-upon-Dearne, as well as a suburban and rural element composed of hills, escarpments and...

 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...

, with a population of 13,961 according to the 2001 census.

It consists of the villages of Aston and Aughton

Aughton, South Yorkshire

Aughton is a village near Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. Located in the civil parish of Aston cum Aughton, 4 miles south of Rotherham....

, along with Swallownest. To the west the parish borders the unparished area

Unparished area

In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...

 of 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...

. Buildings of interest include the Aston Manor house, the original West family house in Aughton, the historically significant Aston Reading Room, several early farm cottages boasting magnificent period features and a beautiful 12th century church.

History

The villages of Aston and Aughton were recorded in the Domesday Book as "Estone" and "Hactone", and were at that time already well established, with a total combined value of £1 sterling. Swallownest is a much later settlement existing as a separate entity since the 1740s. Nathaniel Swallow, a farmer after whom the village is presumably named, was an early resident. Swallow's house, still intact - although in desperate need of repair, was left standing until 2006, when the land was bought by developers and transformed into a small housing estate - much to the displeasure of some locals.

The approximate population of Aston cum Aughton (which includes Swallownest) currently stands at around 15,000. The parish has twice expanded rapidly. The coal mines brought an influx of workers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The recent new housing estates have, once again, increased the population. Links to Rotherham and Sheffield are good and regular bus services - although seemingly reduced - still enable access.

Schools

There are 7 feeder Primary Schools to Aston Comprehensive, which, with almost 2000 pupils is the fourth largest 11-18 school in the country.

Churches

There are five churches in Aston cum Aughton, incorporating many different service styles. The earliest parts of the parish church date from the 12th century. This is a thriving Anglican Church with an outstanding robed choir considered to be one of the best in the Diocese of Sheffield. The Parish Church of All Saints has strong links with All Saints Primary and Junior School. The Rector and Curate are regularly involved in the life of the school. All Saints is part of a Team which consists of Holy Trinity Ulley and Christ Church Swallownest.

In 1995, the six Methodist Chapels in the parish were united to form Central Methodist Church, which now has a thriving children's ministry and an attendance of roughly 150 at regular services.

Bethesda Church was planted in 1934 and belongs to the Assemblies of God

Assemblies of God

The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...

, a Pentecostal umbrella group. This church aims to meet the needs of the community through ministries such as the large Youth Group and children's clubs. There are also plans to open up a cafe to the public in the summer of 2007.

Swallownest Baptist

Baptist

Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 church has remained in the same beautiful building since 1908, when the fellowship was established.

The Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

congregation in Swallownest now meets in a building belonging to the Anglican church.