Stainforth, South Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Stainforth is a small town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
, in South Yorkshire
, England
. It is located roughly north-east of Doncaster
, close to Hatfield and Thorne. It has a population of 6,342.
The place-name means 'stony ford' from Old English stanig 'stony' and ford 'ford
'. Its name was recorded as Staneforde in 1428.
, entitling it to hold a weekly market
on Fridays and an annual ten-day fair. The town briefly thrived as a commercial centre and port
and attracted traders from as far afield as the Isle of Axholme
, but the market soon slumped as Bawtry
grew in importance.
Stainforth railway station
opened on 7 July 1856 and closed on 1 October 1866. The town is now served by Hatfield and Stainforth railway station
.
Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in the town in 1930. The original "professional" promotion failed and a few meetings organised by a riders' co-operative were staged at the venue.
More recently, Stainforth was a mining village, with the Hatfield Main Colliery at its centre. The colliery was open for around 80 years, from when it entered full production in 1921 up to it closing in August 2001. The colliery began reopening in 2006 and resumed full production in January 2008. Work is also due to begin on a new 900MW coal-fired power station and industrial estate, called Hatfield Power Park.
The colliery and the surrounding area have been used in a number of television series and films, most notably Dalziel and Pascoe
and Brassed Off
, and more recently Faith.
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....
, 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...
. It is located roughly north-east 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"...
, close to Hatfield and Thorne. It has a population of 6,342.
Etymology
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
'. Its name was recorded as Staneforde in 1428.
History
In 1348, Stainforth received a Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, entitling it to hold a weekly market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
on Fridays and an annual ten-day fair. The town briefly thrived as a commercial centre and port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
and attracted traders from as far afield as the Isle of Axholme
Isle of Axholme
The Isle of Axholme is part of North Lincolnshire, England. It is the only part of Lincolnshire west of the River Trent. It is between the three towns of Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Gainsborough.- Description:...
, but the market soon slumped as Bawtry
Bawtry
Bawtry is a small market town and civil parish which lies at the point where the Great North Road crosses the River Idle in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Nearby towns include Gainsborough to the east, Retford south southeast, Worksop to the southwest and...
grew in importance.
Stainforth railway station
Stainforth railway station
Stainforth railway station was a small station on the South Yorkshire Railway's line between Doncaster and Thorne. It served the village of Stainforth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The original line followed closely the Stainforth and Keadby Canal and opened for goods traffic on 11...
opened on 7 July 1856 and closed on 1 October 1866. The town is now served by Hatfield and Stainforth railway station
Hatfield and Stainforth railway station
Hatfield and Stainforth railway station serves the Doncaster suburbs of Hatfield and Stainforth in South Yorkshire, England.The original station, known until the 1990s as "Stainforth and Hatfield" and was built in 1866 as a replacement for the South Yorkshire Railway's Stainforth when their line...
.
Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in the town in 1930. The original "professional" promotion failed and a few meetings organised by a riders' co-operative were staged at the venue.
More recently, Stainforth was a mining village, with the Hatfield Main Colliery at its centre. The colliery was open for around 80 years, from when it entered full production in 1921 up to it closing in August 2001. The colliery began reopening in 2006 and resumed full production in January 2008. Work is also due to begin on a new 900MW coal-fired power station and industrial estate, called Hatfield Power Park.
The colliery and the surrounding area have been used in a number of television series and films, most notably Dalziel and Pascoe
Dalziel and Pascoe (BBC TV series)
Dalziel and Pascoe is a popular British television crime drama based on the Dalziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill, which was first broadcast in March 1996. It is set in Yorkshire, and is about two detectives...
and Brassed Off
Brassed Off
Brassed Off is a 1996 British film written and directed by Mark Herman. The film, a British-American co-production made between Channel Four Films, Miramax Films and Prominent Films, is about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of their pit...
, and more recently Faith.