Darton
Encyclopedia
Darton is a village
in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley
(part of South Yorkshire
, England
), on the border with West Yorkshire
. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 14,927. Formerly part of the now defunct Barnsley West and Penistone
borough constituency, following the Boundary Commission for England's report on South Yorkshire's Parliamentary constituencies in 2004 and the subsequent inquiry in 2005, it is now part of the Barnsley Central
borough constituency.
, directly to the east of Kexbrough
, and 5 miles (8 km) north of the town
of Barnsley
. It is served by the A637 road and is bisected by the M1 motorway
(junction 38 being a mile to the north). Its location is approximately 53°35′6"N 1°31′57"W, at an elevation of around 80 metres above sea level
. Darton is the only village on the M1 with 3 motorway bridges.
word "ton" (meaning 'town'). Hence, in ancient times it was known as 'the town on the Dearne'. However, other sources dispute this explanation and claim that the name originates from a description given to a deer enclosure or something similar.
A church was built in the village in 1150, but an official register of baptisms, deaths and marriages did not begin until several centuries later in 1539.
Darton may have also been the birthplace of the painter William Tate
, a pupil of Joseph Wright of Derby
.
which links train journeys between Sheffield
and Leeds
. It is especially included in the "West Yorkshire Metro". The reason for this is that the West-South Yorkshire boundary historically ran between the village and its main source of employment - Woolley Colliery
.
, which re-opened in June 2008. The Darton Carnival and a local music festival were also delayed by a month. The village of Darton was submerged and farmers reported dead animals floating in waterlogged fields.
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....
(part of 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...
), on the border with West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 14,927. Formerly part of the now defunct Barnsley West and Penistone
Barnsley West and Penistone
Barnsley West and Penistone was a parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
borough constituency, following the Boundary Commission for England's report on South Yorkshire's Parliamentary constituencies in 2004 and the subsequent inquiry in 2005, it is now part of the Barnsley Central
Barnsley Central
Barnsley Central is a borough Parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
borough constituency.
Geography
Darton lies on the River DearneRiver 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...
, directly to the east of Kexbrough
Kexbrough
Kexbrough is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley , on the border with West Yorkshire.Kexbrough lies directly to the west of Darton off the A637 road...
, and 5 miles (8 km) north of the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Barnsley
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...
. It is served by the A637 road and is bisected by 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...
(junction 38 being a mile to the north). Its location is approximately 53°35′6"N 1°31′57"W, at an elevation of around 80 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Darton is the only village on the M1 with 3 motorway bridges.
History
The name Darton is believed to be an amalgamation of "Dearne" and the Anglo-SaxonOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word "ton" (meaning 'town'). Hence, in ancient times it was known as 'the town on the Dearne'. However, other sources dispute this explanation and claim that the name originates from a description given to a deer enclosure or something similar.
A church was built in the village in 1150, but an official register of baptisms, deaths and marriages did not begin until several centuries later in 1539.
Darton may have also been the birthplace of the painter William Tate
William Tate (painter)
William Tate was an English portrait painter. He was born in 1747 probably at Gawber Hall, near Barnsley, where his father was a glass maker and was christened on 14 November of that year in Darton near Barnsley He was educated at Woolton near Liverpool where his brother Richard Tate lived and...
, a pupil of Joseph Wright of Derby
Joseph Wright of Derby
Joseph Wright , styled Wright of Derby, was an English landscape and portrait painter. He has been acclaimed as "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution"....
.
Present day
Darton has its own railway stationDarton railway station
Darton railway station is a railway station in Darton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Train services are provided by Northern Rail....
which links train journeys between 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...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. It is especially included in the "West Yorkshire Metro". The reason for this is that the West-South Yorkshire boundary historically ran between the village and its main source of employment - Woolley Colliery
Woolley Colliery
Woolley Colliery is a village on the edge of the Barnsley and Wakefield districts in Yorkshire, England. The village itself is in South Yorkshire whilst the former colliery is situated in West Yorkshire...
.
2007 flooding
On 15 June 2007, Darton hit the national headlines after 48 hours of torrential rain caused the River Dearne to burst its banks leading to heavy flooding in the village. The main road through the village was impassable by car or foot and damage was caused to many homes and businesses, notably the village Post OfficePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, which re-opened in June 2008. The Darton Carnival and a local music festival were also delayed by a month. The village of Darton was submerged and farmers reported dead animals floating in waterlogged fields.
2008 flooding
Darton was also affected by the floods in January 2008. Again the main road through the village was impassible by car or foot, homes close to the river were damaged, including the Post Office which was supposed to open after being re-done, and the houses on Mill Lane were the worse affected. Schools were closed nearby, and pupils were sent home (this did include cancelling a GCSE exam at Darton High School). However, businesses were well prepared and secured everything inside, they secured the doors and windows with plastic wrapping and sand bags. There was not as much damage as the 2007 floods.External links
- The Darton page (contains a gallery of old and new photographs of the village)
- Y-Pas Chippy Fish and Chip shop (contains a gallery of old photographs of Darton and Kexborough)