Dinnington
Encyclopedia
Dinnington is a town in rural South Yorkshire
, England
, and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
. It is roughly equidistant from Sheffield
, Rotherham
and Worksop
, and is located at an elevation of about 100 metres above sea level
.
Dinnington is the principal settlement in the civil parish of Dinnington St John's, which also includes the small satellite hamlet
s of Throapham and St John's. The Dinnington St John's parish is the most populous constituent of the St John's ward, which also includes the parishes of Laughton-en-le-Morthen
, Firbeck
, Letwell
and Gildingwells
. In 2001, this ward had a population of 11,476, with Dinnington St John's itself making up 9,161 of that figure.
Excavations show Dinnington to have been inhabited since at least Neolithic
times, and it has been suggested that the settlement takes its name from a local barrow
, though a more traditional interpretation of "Dinnington" would be "Dunn's Farmstead".
Dinnington was originally a small, isolated farming community, based around the New Road area of the town. Quarrying in the area helped expand the population, but it was the sinking of the Dinnington Main Colliery
in 1905 that led to the real growth of the settlement. The census
of 1911 shows a twenty-fold increase in population since 1901, from 250 to 5000.
The coal
miners initially lived in a prefabricated shanty town
in Laughton Common but later moved into Colliery-built terrace houses around the central shopping area of Laughton Road.
Dinnington continued to expand throughout the 20th century, largely through the growth of commuter living that followed the Second World War. As the housing estate
s spread, Dinnington began to merge seamlessly into the neighbouring settlements of Throapham and North Anston
. The result is a 3.5 km strip of urban development that mainly acts as a commuter base for Sheffield, Rotherham and Worksop.
In 1992, Dinnington Colliery was closed with a loss of 1000 jobs, devastating the local community. A business park on the colliery site, and small-scale commercial redevelopment has gone some way towards a recovery.
Dinnington has two further education
establishments in the form of Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
and the sixth form
college
at Dinnington Comprehensive School
. There is a Tesco around the main shopping area on Laughton Road near the library.
In 2003, Dinnington declared itself a town
in an attempt to attract more investment and improve the local economy. The Manor Motorsport
team (called Virgin Racing
in Formula One
) is also based in Dinnington.
Recent controversy has arisen in the village surrounding plans to redevelop the Miners Welfare. The Welfare buildings and sports fields were provided originally for the miners at the local colliery by CISWO in 1926. The proport has been latterly leased to Rotheham Borough Council and was used for Safe@Start programmes up until 2007. It has remained empty since that date and has been subject to vandalism and lack of repairs. The controversy regarding development has resulted in the formation of a local residents group opposing the development plans and asking for the regeneration of the site as an amenity for local people.
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...
, and part of 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...
. It is roughly equidistant 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...
, 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...
and Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
, and is located at an elevation of about 100 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...
.
Dinnington is the principal settlement in the civil parish of Dinnington St John's, which also includes the small satellite hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s of Throapham and St John's. The Dinnington St John's parish is the most populous constituent of the St John's ward, which also includes the parishes of Laughton-en-le-Morthen
Laughton-en-le-Morthen
Laughton-en-le-Morthen is a small dormitory village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham lying to the south of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, and its main attraction is the All Saints Church with its huge spire. It has a population of 1,185.- Origin :There are several...
, Firbeck
Firbeck
Firbeck is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. The name is said to derive from "Friebec", meaning a wooded stream. It lies between Maltby and Oldcotes, off the A634 and B6463 roads. The village has a...
, Letwell
Letwell
Letwell is a rural village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies between Dinnington and Langold, off the B6463 road. It is located at 53° 22' 40" North, 1° 9' West, at an elevation of around 75 metres above...
and Gildingwells
Gildingwells
Gildingwells is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies between Dinnington and Carlton in Lindrick at , and at an elevation of around 60 metres above sea level. It has a population of 115.Situated...
. In 2001, this ward had a population of 11,476, with Dinnington St John's itself making up 9,161 of that figure.
Excavations show Dinnington to have been inhabited since at least Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, and it has been suggested that the settlement takes its name from a local barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
, though a more traditional interpretation of "Dinnington" would be "Dunn's Farmstead".
Dinnington was originally a small, isolated farming community, based around the New Road area of the town. Quarrying in the area helped expand the population, but it was the sinking of the Dinnington Main Colliery
Dinnington Main Colliery
Dinnington Main Colliery was a coal mine situated in the village of Dinnington, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.Until the coming of the colliery Dinnington was a mainly agricultural village with a small amount of quarrying in the area....
in 1905 that led to the real growth of the settlement. The census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 1911 shows a twenty-fold increase in population since 1901, from 250 to 5000.
The coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
miners initially lived in a prefabricated shanty town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
in Laughton Common but later moved into Colliery-built terrace houses around the central shopping area of Laughton Road.
Dinnington continued to expand throughout the 20th century, largely through the growth of commuter living that followed the Second World War. As the housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
s spread, Dinnington began to merge seamlessly into the neighbouring settlements of Throapham and North Anston
Anston
The villages of North Anston and South Anston are the principal constituents of the civil parish of North and South Anston, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England...
. The result is a 3.5 km strip of urban development that mainly acts as a commuter base for Sheffield, Rotherham and Worksop.
In 1992, Dinnington Colliery was closed with a loss of 1000 jobs, devastating the local community. A business park on the colliery site, and small-scale commercial redevelopment has gone some way towards a recovery.
Dinnington has two further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
establishments in the form of Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
Rotherham College of Arts and Technology is a further education college with two campus locations in South Yorkshire, England, one in Rotherham, and one in Dinnington...
and the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
at Dinnington Comprehensive School
Dinnington Comprehensive School
Dinnington Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Dinnington, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is a coeducational comprehensive school for day pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, and takes in approximately 1,500 pupils from Dinnington and surrounding...
. There is a Tesco around the main shopping area on Laughton Road near the library.
In 2003, Dinnington declared itself a 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...
in an attempt to attract more investment and improve the local economy. The Manor Motorsport
Manor Motorsport
Manor Motorsport is a British motor racing team that was formed in 1990 by former single-seater champion John Booth.Throughout its history the team primarily competed in Formula Renault, with past drivers including 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, 2008 F1 World Championship winner...
team (called Virgin Racing
Virgin Racing
Marussia Virgin Racing, the trading name of Virgin Racing Limited, is a Russian owned Formula One racing team based in the United Kingdom and racing on a Russian licence, which made its debut in the 2010 Formula One season. It was granted entry as Manor Grand Prix on 12 June 2009, as one of four...
in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
) is also based in Dinnington.
Recent controversy has arisen in the village surrounding plans to redevelop the Miners Welfare. The Welfare buildings and sports fields were provided originally for the miners at the local colliery by CISWO in 1926. The proport has been latterly leased to Rotheham Borough Council and was used for Safe@Start programmes up until 2007. It has remained empty since that date and has been subject to vandalism and lack of repairs. The controversy regarding development has resulted in the formation of a local residents group opposing the development plans and asking for the regeneration of the site as an amenity for local people.