108-531: Wheatley Hills is a suburb of Doncaster , South Yorkshire , England. It is situated around 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of the city centre. The Wheatley Hills & Intake ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster had a population of 17,733 at the 2011 census. Wheatley means wheat fields in Old English , located at the eastern end of the central ridge that runs through most of
216-584: A lowland valley in southern Yorkshire. To the west are low rolling hills eventually reaching the Pennines . To the east are the low-lying Isle of Axholme and Humberhead Levels . The south is relatively low-lying, with a large forested area including Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire . The Vale of York lies to the north. The floodplains of the River Don lie to Doncaster's north-east; this area
324-663: A mayor every four years. Additionally, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is one of twelve districts in the United Kingdom to have a directly elected mayor , currently Ros Jones , who was re-elected in 2021. The local authority applied several times, unsuccessfully, for city status . Its borough population of greater than 300,000 is larger than that of many cities' such as Hull , Southampton and Newcastle . On 28 October 2021, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council announced its bid for Doncaster City for
432-414: A 2011 population of 302,402, while a 2021 estimate was 308,000. The 2011 census figure makes Doncaster's population very slightly larger than that of Rotherham (pop 109,691). Doncaster emerged as an industrial centre in the late 18th to 20th centuries. Its communications, particularly its waterways, meant that it became extremely busy and experienced migration to its centre. Underneath Doncaster lies
540-474: A borough dates from the thirteenth century. There is some debate over when exactly it was granted its first charter, with Piercy (1828) suggesting it was granted in 1246 by Henry III , which allowed an eight-day annual fair to be held. However, Ballard & Tait (1923) and Dolby (1997) say that there is no existing historical evidence to support this, making the 1259 charter the earliest known to have been granted. The earliest surviving charter dates from 1313 and
648-454: A history of Nottinghamshire in 1667 entitled The Antiquities of Nottinghamshire . In 1796 a new edition was published by John Throsby (1740–1803), who added an additional volume. Retford is mentioned in Volume 3. pp. 274–280. There are two tiers of local government covering Retford, at district and county level: Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council . There
756-480: A huge natural resource by way of deep seam coal. Doncaster's proximity to major urban centres and motorway/rail infrastructure gives it a number of major distribution centres, including the 420-acre Doncaster International Railport , which dispatches goods to Europe. It also has large warehousing and logistic capabilities for retailers such as Next , Tesco , IKEA , Amazon.com , Lidl and Faberge . A marked proportion of fresh and frozen goods for northern supermarkets
864-524: A very lucky escape as the shrapnel also hit their house. John Hook records that the Zeppelin left Retford at 1.05am, dropping a further bomb just south of Lea. One of the replacement gasometers later exploded on 16 March 1955, injuring 7 men and killing the manager. According to reports in The Retford Times, flames shot 200 feet into the air. The gasometers were finally dismantled when the town
972-778: Is a city in South Yorkshire , England. Named after the River Don , it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough , and is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield . Noted for its racing and railway history, it is situated in the Don Valley on the western edge of the Humberhead Levels and east of the Pennines . It had a population of 87,455 at
1080-514: Is a shopping centre and transport interchange. Opened in June 2006, it connects with the railway and bus stations. Lakeside Village, a retail outlet with some 45 retail shops and restaurants lies along the A6182 dual carriageway. The Waterdale area of the town centre is currently undergoing rejuvenation, with a new theatre (known as CAST), new civic offices and a new public square having been completed on
1188-604: Is about as far north as the 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) average July/August maximum temperature isotherm reaches – Indeed, the August 1990 record high of 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) is the most northerly temperature above 35 °C (95 °F) in the British Isles. The nearby town of Bawtry, slightly further south, still holds the UK's September monthly record high temperature of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), set in 1906. Typically,
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#17327768677901296-402: Is an ancient word for baker: Baxtergate was the bakers' street. Historians believe that Frenchgate may be named after French-speaking Normans who settled there. The medieval township is known to have been protected by earthen ramparts and ditches, with four substantial gates as entrances to the town. These were located at Hall Gate, St Mary's Bridge (old), St Sepulchre Gate and Sunny Bar. Today
1404-499: Is characterised by a large Market Square surrounded by Georgian period architecture. The Retford Conservation Area contains the historic cores of both West and East Retford, which sit either side of the River Idle. The Conservation Area also extends southwards up to and including the 18th century Chesterfield Canal . The town also includes the small villages and hamlets that are adjacent to it, which have effectively become suburbs of
1512-402: Is controlled throughout the town by the local planning authority , Doncaster Council. It reduces urban sprawl , prevent areas in the conurbation from further convergence, protects outlying communities, encourages brownfield reuse, and protects nearby countryside by restricting development in the designated areas and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. It surrounds the side of
1620-536: Is dispatched by road from Doncaster. On 5 March 2004, Doncaster was granted Fairtrade Town status. Over the last few years the Doncaster Lakeside , as home to the Doncaster Rovers ground, has undergone modernisation. Doncaster has a bowling alley and a cinema near Lakeside. The Dome, opened in 1989 by Princess Diana , contains a swimming pool, gym, ice rink and café. The Frenchgate Centre
1728-493: Is linked by road and rail. As part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours , Doncaster received city status by Letters Patent . A ceremony to confer city status took place at Mansion House on 9 November 2022 as part of a tour of Yorkshire by King Charles III and Queen Camilla . Possibly inhabited earlier, Doncaster grew up on the site of a Roman fort of the 1st century CE, at a crossing of
1836-538: Is no civil parish covering the town, which has been an unparished area since 1974, but all the Bassetlaw councillors who represent the town's wards act as charter trustees . The trustees meet four times a year, usually at Retford Town Hall , and are responsible for looking after the town's civic traditions, including appointing one of their number as mayor each year. East Retford was an ancient borough . When commissioners examined boroughs across England in 1835 it
1944-620: Is now held in the Bassetlaw Museum . Retford was granted a total of 17 Royal Charters (including the Letters Patent of 1225 that granted it the right to levy tolls on travellers in North Nottinghamshire) up to 1607. East Retford was only the second place to become a borough in the county after Nottingham itself; the next borough to be created in the county was Newark in 1549. According to Marcombe (1993),
2052-628: Is now known as Cannon Square. The hall was built of timber and faced east. On the ground floor of this building was the Shambles. At that time, the present Market Square was possibly used for cattle/horses, with Marcombe suggesting this was the site of the ‘beast market’ in the Tudor period. 16th century In 1528 a fire destroyed more than three-quarters of the buildings in East Retford. By 1552 Retford's population had dropped to 700. In 1558 there
2160-404: Is regularly flooded, notably in 2007 and 2019. Thorne and Hatfield Moors , east of Doncaster, is the largest area of low-lying peat bog in the United Kingdom. It is protected as a national nature reserve. Potteric Carr , including Potteric Carr Nature Reserve , lies to the south. Doncaster is within a green belt that extends into the surrounding counties. First defined in 1966, the policy
2268-538: Is thought that the Retford referred to in the book was West Retford. The Retford described was a relatively small settlement, with no mention of urban trades or burgesses . East Retford was established as a new town on the east side of the Idle in the early twelfth century; the town's charter trustees and Bassetlaw District Council say it was founded as a borough in 1105, although the earliest charter referring to it as
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#17327768677902376-535: The 2021 census was 23,740. It is near North Wheatley . The town is bypassed by the A1 road . The borough of East Retford was enlarged in 1878 to include Ordsall , West Retford and part of the parish of Clarborough . The East Retford constituency was a noted example of a rotten borough , being effectively controlled by local landowners the Dukes of Newcastle until reformed in the early nineteenth century. Retford and
2484-583: The 2021 census , whilst the wider metropolitan borough had a population of 308,100. Adjacent to Doncaster to its east is the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire , which contains the towns of Haxey , Epworth and Crowle , and directly south is Harworth Bircotes in Nottinghamshire . Also, within the city's vicinity are Barnsley , Wakefield , Pontefract , Selby , Goole , Scunthorpe , Gainsborough , Retford , Worksop and Rotherham , to which Doncaster
2592-539: The First English Civil War , King Charles I marched by Bridgnorth , Lichfield and Ashbourne to Doncaster, where on 18 August 1645 he was met by numbers of Yorkshire gentlemen who had rallied to his cause. On 2 May 1664, Doncaster was rewarded with the title of Free Borough as a way for the King (Charles I's son, King Charles II ) to express gratitude for the allegiance. Doncaster was connected to
2700-603: The Great North Road to be diverted to run through the town, which led to an Act of Parliament (1760) authorising the re-routing of the Great North Road between Barnby Moor and Markham Moor to pass through Retford. The new turnpike was completed in 1765–66 and after this the town prospered. (Piercy 1828) Then in 1777 the Chesterfield Canal was built by James Brindley through the town. During
2808-552: The Latin castra (military camp; fort). It was mentioned in the 1003 will of Wulfric Spott . Shortly after the Norman Conquest , Nigel Fossard refortified the town and built Conisbrough Castle . By the time of Domesday Book , Hexthorpe in the wapentake of Strafforth was said to have a church and two mills . The historian David Hey says these facilities represent the settlement at Doncaster. He also suggests that
2916-497: The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries were enlarged several times, notably in 1914 when it absorbed Balby with Hexthorpe and Wheatley. By 1927 the borough was considered large enough to run its own county-level services, and so it was made a county borough , independent from West Riding County Council . The county borough
3024-645: The Nottinghamshire Guardian (1947) that "During the Civil War a Roundhead force from Retford attempted to capture the mansion occupied by the Royalist Gervase Lee, but the attack was beaten off and the besiegers compelled to retreat as a party of Cavalier troops from Newark approached rapidly". Charles I was also said to have stayed in the house of Mr Lane, a lawyer, on 20 August 1645. He was on his way from Doncaster and set off
3132-651: The Pilgrimage of Grace ended in Doncaster. This rebellion led by the lawyer Robert Aske commanded 40,000 Yorkshire people against Henry VIII, in protest at the Dissolution of the Monasteries . Many of Doncaster's streets are named with the suffix "-gate", after the old Danish word gata , meaning street. In medieval times, craftsmen or tradesmen with similar skills tended to live in the same street. Baxter
3240-480: The River Don . The 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary and early-5th-century Notitia Dignitatum ( Register of Dignitaries ) called the fort Danum . The first section of road to the Doncaster fort had probably been built since the early 50s, while a route through the north Derbyshire hills was opened in the later 1st century, possibly by Governor Gn. Julius Agricola in the late 70s. Doncaster provided an alternative land route between Lincoln and York , while
3348-630: The West Riding of Yorkshire in 1899. Under the Local Government Act 1972 it was drawn into a new metropolitan borough in 1974 and became part of the new county of South Yorkshire. Doncaster has traditionally been prosperous within the wapentake of Stafford and Tickhill . The borough was known for rich landowners and huge stately homes such as Brodsworth Hall , Cantley Hall , Cusworth Hall , Hickleton Hall , Nether Hall and Wheatley Hall (demolished 1934). This wealth appears in
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3456-422: The 18th century improvements were made to West Retford Bridge - the main bridge over the Idle which is where the original ford was situated. Moss says that the first stone bridge was erected in 1659 and that it was thirteen feet wide and had five arches. Wilmshurst records that in 1752 the bridge was "widened for carts" and was replanked, suggesting that at least part of the construction was still wooden. In 1794 it
3564-567: The 1960s. Perhaps the most striking building to survive is St George's Minster , built in the 19th century and promoted from a parish church in 2004. Doncaster was already a communication centre by this time. It straddled the Great North Road or A1 , gaining strategic importance, as this was the main route for traffic between London and Edinburgh . Doncaster is represented in the House of Commons by three Members of Parliament (MPs). Sally Jameson represents Doncaster Central , Ed Miliband ,
3672-542: The 1970s and 80s. Nottingham University archaeological researchers have said that during the 5th century and even into the 6th century, North Nottinghamshire was likely populated by "British communities with a sub-Romano-British culture". Retford has traditionally been placed within the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia because it is situated within Nottinghamshire. More recent historical research suggests that
3780-532: The 1970s the club moved to the Pilkington Glassworks Recreation Ground and Social Club before acquiring its present site. Wheatley Hills Tennis Club lies on Greenhouse Road. Established in 1954, the club offers professional coaching to players of all ages. The Wheatley Golf club lies nearby on Armthorpe Road. The course itself ranges in length, alongside Leger Way adjacent to the west of Wheatley Hills. In 1902, Wheatley Hills
3888-459: The 19th-century Doncaster Corn Exchange building (1873). The Corn Exchange was much rebuilt in 1994 after a major fire. During the 14th century, numerous friars arrived in Doncaster who were known for their religious enthusiasm and preaching. In 1307 the Franciscan friars ( Greyfriars ) arrived, as did Carmelites (Whitefriars) in the mid-14th century. Other major medieval features included
3996-523: The Borough. The crest is based on the design on a Mace presented to the Borough in 1679 by Sir Edward Neville , with few changes. A small shield replaces the original rose, upon which the lion rests its paw. The shield features a deed which references the Boroughs ancient Royal Charters. The unicorns are from the heraldry of Lord Galway, whose ancestors were High Stewards of the Borough. The shells are from
4104-602: The Corporation demolished the great Mill, and the narrow 5-arched Bridge, and erected present wide girder Bridge in West Retford". Moss (1908) says this bridge (which he dates as 1868) cost £1,500 to construct. Moss (1908) tells us that in 1760 Retford's ducking stool was used for the last time. He says it was situated at the end of a narrow street opposite the Post Office that led down the River Idle. The use of
4212-519: The Don Valley, in the lee of the Pennines, and inland from the North Sea, mean daytime summer temperatures are no lower than parts of South East England, despite the more northerly location. The nearest weather station is RAF Finningley, now known as Doncaster Sheffield Airport , about 5.5 mi (8.9 km) to the south-east of Doncaster city centre and at a similar elevation. The Doncaster area
4320-697: The Great , who was headquartered there while his father was based in nearby York . The Register names the unit as under the command of the " Duke of the Britons ". In 1971 the Danum shield , a rectangular Roman shield dating to the 1st or 2nd century CE, was recovered from the site of the Danum fort. An inscribed altar, dedicated to the Matres by Marcus Nantonius Orbiotalus, was found at St Sepulchre Gate in 1781. This
4428-670: The Hospital of St Nicholas and the leper colony of the Hospital of St James, a moot hall , a grammar school and a five-arched stone town bridge with a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Bridge. By 1334, Doncaster was the wealthiest town in southern Yorkshire and the sixth in Yorkshire as a whole, even boasting its own banker. By 1379, it was recovering from the Black Death , which had reduced its population to 1,500. In October 1536,
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4536-646: The House of Lords debates on the Disfranchisement Bill, the town had an active committee, led by a couple of attorneys and meeting at the Turk's Head Inn, who were trying to make the borough seem even more corrupt than it was to ensure its extinction. One of the committee members was later seen wearing a gold watch, apparently presented in gratitude by well-wishers in Birmingham. Viscount Howick objected to
4644-455: The Levett monopoly. Doncaster's Levet Road is named after the family, as are nearby hamlets of Hooton Levitt and the largely abandoned Levitt Hagg , where much of the town's early limestone was quarried. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Doncaster continued to expand, but it suffered several outbreaks of plague between 1562 and 1606. Each struck down significant numbers of victims. During
4752-623: The National School (a school that traditionally had strong links with St Swithun's church) on Grove Street. While living in Retford, Piercy wrote The History of Retford in the County of Nottingham (1828). This is an important work because it contains references to material that has subsequently been lost. Jones & Co Solicitors hold the Piercy Manuscript. Robert Thoroton was a physician and country gentleman who published
4860-800: The Queen's Platinum Jubilee . This has been supported by the Doncaster Labour Group and the Doncaster Conservative Association. All three MPs for Doncaster expressed support for city status, with Don Valley 's Nick Fletcher speaking for it in Parliament. Alongside seven other areas, Doncaster was announced to have succeeded in its bid to gain city status on 20 May 2022 as part of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II . The city status applies to
4968-461: The River Idle (617) was fought in or near Retford. The Battle of the River Idle was significant in establishing Rædwald 's power, such that Bede called him "Rex Anglorum" (King of the Angles). Various battlesites have been suggested including at Retford, Eaton and Bawtry. No evidence of a battlefield has been found in any of these sites, although according to Hunt this led to a saying: "The River Idle
5076-517: The South of Nottinghamshire and North Nottinghamshire may have had very different cultures. North Nottinghamshire, including Retford, belonged to an area called Bernet-seatte, which later became Bernesedelaue and then Bassetlaw. This territory is now thought to have been "substantially British". It practised, for example, partible inheritance, had British placenames and there is relatively little Anglo-Saxon material. West and East Markham seem to have been on
5184-566: The area that are either still in existence or can be identified from placename evidence. These include Spa Common, Cobwell Road (named after the Cob Well) and the ancient well at Welham (called 'Wellun' in the Domesday Book). Between Retford and Grove there are a range of earthworks of unknown date. They may be pre-historic and/or Roman. There is evidence of a medieval moated site or possible motte & bailey construction. This site
5292-454: The arms of Rt Hon FJ Savile Foljambe, appointed High Steward 1880. From 1316 Retford was a parliamentary borough (a constituency), entitled to two Members of Parliament , although by 1330 it was begging to be excused the privilege on the grounds of poverty, inability to afford the cost of paying the heavy expenses of the MPs' long journeys to and from the capital. The petition was granted and it
5400-455: The beck that used to cross it. (This beck was progressively contained within a culvert and is no longer visible for most of its course into the Idle.) Carolgate is derived from the ON karla (karl) + ON gate . A karl was a freeman. WP McFarren (1947) also mentions a 'Kynegesgate' (Kingsgate), which is now lost. Piercy mentions Carhillgate (p. 146). Timber piles were found in Retford in 1995 on
5508-524: The borough in 1849. In 1831, the Gas Works was built by James Malam and gaslights were lit in the town for the first time on 22 December 1831. The Square was lit by a cast iron light bearing five gas lamps at that time. The Gas Works became a target on 2 September 1916 when a German Zeppelin dropped 14 bombs on Retford. The Retford Times (8 September 1916) noted that bombs were dropped from Zeppelin L-13 into
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#17327768677905616-552: The boundaries of this territory (maerc means boundary). It is not known if Bernet-seatte extended across the whole of North Nottinghamshire, or whether the Kingdom of Lindsey controlled the East of this area (Retford and Retford rural district). What is known is that this corridor of land was seen as strategic, which is why several notable battles were fought in the area between the kings of Northumbria and Mercia. The strategic Battle of
5724-407: The central part of the parish, including the town. Such townships were also made civil parishes in 1866. Doncaster was also an ancient borough , with its earliest known charter dating from 1194. The borough just covered the Doncaster township, although it exerted some authority over a surrounding rural area known as the soke. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under
5832-667: The conference in Doncaster, UKIP were "now parking our tanks on the Labour Party's lawn", referring to Labour leader Ed Miliband 's Doncaster North constituency. Shortly afterwards in the seat, at the 2015 general election , UKIP won 8,928 votes to Labour's 20,708. In the 2016 membership referendum , 69 per cent of Doncaster voted to leave the European Union. Doncaster forms part of the South Yorkshire Combined Authority , which elects
5940-457: The days of the Roman occupation of Britain, a great Roman Road, or "Strada"— Street— ran from Southampton to Derby, Little Chester, Chesterfield, Castleford, Pontefract, to Eboracum, or York: and from it, at Chesterfield, branched out a "Street" to the Roman Station of Lindum, or Lincoln, which crossed the River Trent at Agelocum, now Littleborough, and the River Idle by a Ford, still used as a watering place for horses, near West Retford Bridge; hence
6048-416: The disenfranchisement of Retford not on the basis that the accusations of corruption were not true, but that it punished the innocent as well as the guilty and ignored the fact that many boroughs were equally corrupt. They thought that East Retford ought to be partially sacrificed, in order to prevent the whole system of corruption from being overturned. Just as in a bullfight a cloak is dropped to turn aside
6156-450: The ducking stool was granted in 1279 by Edward I and was used for the last time to punish a "Scotswoman of violent temperament" called "Dame Barr", who was ducked for offending John White by "throwing the contents of her snuff-box in his face, and uttering opprobrious terms". 19th century In 1801 there were 5,999 people, which rose to 12,340 by 1901. Many improvements were made including the direct London to York railway being routed via
6264-424: The extended boundaries meant Retford could retain its seats until in 1885 the Municipal Borough of East Retford was reformed and the constituency replaced by an identically delineated single-member county constituency - Bassetlaw . Retford and its rural district was removed from Bassetlaw in 1983 and transferred to the redrawn Newark constituency . The boundaries were redrawn again in 2010, with Retford returning to
6372-469: The first houses built in what would become Wheatley Hills. Originally known as the Hills Lane Estate, it centred on The Grove with the eastern edge being marked by Boundary Avenue. Wheatley Hills reached its present size during the 1950s with the development of the Ennerdale Estate to the south of the original Hills Lane Estate, and the Greenleafe Estate east of Boundary Avenue. North 1 East Rugby Union team, Wheatley Hills RUFC are named in conjunction with
6480-408: The following day to Lord Danecourt's in Newark .(Wilmshurst 1908) In 1657 there was a Great Storm, which destroyed the steeple and Chantries of St Swithun's Church. This was restored in 1658 at a cost of £3,648. 18th century Retford was more troubled during the Jacobite rising of 1745 . Cornelius Brown records that in 1745 an army of 6,000 English and Hessian troops camped on Wheatley Hills and
6588-635: The former Labour Party leader , represents Doncaster North , and Lee Pitcher represents the Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme . From 2023 , the Don Valley constituency will be renamed Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme , and will cover part of North Lincolnshire . A new Rawmarsh and Conisbrough constituency will be created covering the south-western suburbs of Doncaster and parts of Rotherham. Doncaster Central and Doncaster North will see minor boundary changes. In September 2014, UKIP held an annual party conference at Doncaster Racecourse . UKIP party leader Nigel Farage claimed that by holding
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#17327768677906696-510: The gates at Sunny Bar are commemorated by huge "Boar Gates"; similarly, the entrance to St Sepulchre Gate is commemorated by white marble "Roman Gates". The boundary of the town mainly extended from the Don along a route known now Market Road, Silver Street, Cleveland Street and Printing Office Street. Access to the town was restricted and some officeholders secured charters to collect tolls. In 1605, King James I granted to William Levett of Doncaster, brother of York merchant Percival Levett ,
6804-428: The green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests, with rural landscape features, greenfield areas and facilities including the River Don and valley west of Hexthorpe; Hexthorpe Park; Cusworth Hall , museum and country park; Potteric Carr and Huxter Well Marsh; and the Trans Pennine Trail . Doncaster has a maritime climate lacking extreme temperatures, like much of the British Isles. Its low elevation in
6912-407: The intention was for East Retford "to compete with the trading privileges of Blyth Priory and to exploit the market opportunities of north Nottinghamshire". In 1225, the burgesses of Retford are said to have taken over the collection of 'river tolls' from Blyth Priory. The first town hall or 'moot hall' was built in 1388 and demolished in 1754. It is believed that this may have been situated in what
7020-417: The luxurious, historic gilded 18th-century Mansion House in High Street . This land ownership developed over what is an ancient market place and large buildings were erected in the 19th century, including the Market Hall and Corn Exchange . The old Doncaster Guildhall in Frenchgate was designed by John Butterfield with a tetrastyle portico and completed in 1847: it was demolished in the redevelopment of
7128-557: The main route Ermine Street involved parties breaking up to cross the Humber in boats. As this was not always practical, the Romans saw Doncaster as an important staging post. The Roman road appears on two routes recorded in the Antonine Itinerary . The itinerary includes the same section of road between Lincoln and York and lists three stations between these two coloniae . Routes 7 and 8 ( Iter VII & VIII ) are entitled "the route from York to London ". Several areas of intense archaeological interest have been identified in
7236-485: The name East Retford, but the Ordnance Survey now labels the town Retford on its maps, and the post town is likewise just Retford . The first land settled was on the western side of the ford, this area being less liable to flooding. However, as the community grew it spread to occupy land on the other bank of the river, and it was this eastern part of the town that eventually became more important; hence Retford's alternative name of East Retford . The centre of Retford
7344-401: The name is that the river water was tinged red due to the frequent crossing of people and livestock disturbing the clay river bed. Other traditions include that it refers to the reeds that are plentiful in the river, or that the name references the Battle of the River Idle which was said to tinge the Idle red with blood. Wilmshurst proposes another theory as to the origin of the name: "In
7452-464: The official name of the borough remained East Retford until its abolition in 1974. The borough was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 to become part of the wider district of Bassetlaw, named after the historic Anglo-Saxon Bassetlaw Wapentake . Charter trustees were established on the abolition of the borough to maintain Retford's civic traditions. The town's coat of arms consists of two rampant choughs , which were taken from an old seal of
7560-470: The orchard that surrounded the Gas Works, and although there wasn't a direct hit, shrapnel hit the sides of the gasometers setting them on fire. This fire was said to be so intense that according to the Retford Times "apples [were] baked on the trees, and roosting wild birds roasted alive". The Nottingham Daily Express (8 September 1916) reported that the Zeppelin then departed "at great altitude and terrific speed". The manager and his family were said to have had
7668-422: The parliamentary borough's boundaries (which had previously matched the borough's municipal boundaries) to encompass the Wapentake of Bassetlaw, which included the whole of the northern end of Nottinghamshire, including the town of Worksop. All those within this area who were qualified to vote in the county elections were given votes for East Retford. Within a year, Parliament was debating the Great Reform Bill , but
7776-483: The part of Clarborough within the borough was made a new parish of North Retford. The four parishes in the borough were then East Retford, North Retford, Ordsall and West Retford; as urban parishes they did not have parish councils but were directly administered by the borough council. The four parishes within the borough were merged into a single parish called East Retford covering the whole borough in 1921. Despite including both East Retford and West Retford from 1878,
7884-504: The place would be known as the Street-Ford, or Streteford." The historical importance of the town as a river crossing is underlined by the fact that one of the main streets is named 'Bridgegate'. The town is generally known as Retford, although the borough was officially called "East Retford" right up until its abolition in 1974, despite West Retford having been absorbed into the borough in 1878. The town's charter trustees still use
7992-535: The rage of the mad animal, while his assailant prepares more securely to destroy him. If the public were ignorant of the undue means by which a large majority of the Members of that House obtained their seats in it, they might declaim against the venality of the voters of East Retford; but, notorious as these circumstances were, he thought it better to pass over the present case in silence till they were prepared to deal with others equally flagitious. The 1830 Act extended
8100-410: The rail network in 1848 and a plant and carriage works for Great Northern Railway was constructed in the town in 1853. The Doncaster Carr rail depot was opened in 1876. The area to the east of Doncaster started developing settlements where coal miners lived from the 1850s onwards, exploiting coal near Barnsley . One such settlement is Deneby. Doncaster and surrounding settlements became part of
8208-537: The rest of the UK. The Doncaster skyline is overlooked by the minster in the middle of the city. The Frenchgate Shopping Centre is in a similar position in the skyline, along with the Doncaster College Hub building. After the old Doncaster College and surrounding buildings were demolished, the new Doncaster Civic Office designed by Cartwright Pickard was built for Doncaster Council at a cost of £20 million and completed in 2012. Doncaster lies in
8316-499: The right to levy tolls at Friar's and St Mary's bridges. Having served as mayors and aldermen of Doncaster, the Levetts probably believed they could control a monopoly. In 1618 the family began enforcing it, but by 1628 the populace revolted. Capt. Christopher Levett , Percival's son, petitioned Parliament to enforce the tolls, but Parliament disagreed, calling them "a grievance to the subjects, both in creation and execution," and axing
8424-659: The site of the Waterdale car park. The old council house and civic theatre have been demolished and new housing is being built in the town itself, opposite Doncaster Racecourse, and in out-of-town suburbs. During the 19th and 20th centuries, confectioners based in Doncaster included Parkinson's the Butterscotch inventors, Nuttalls Mintoes and Murray Mints. In August 2011, Parkinson's put its 190-year-old trademark up for sale on eBay. The waterways, River Don and Don Navigation were used to transport coal from Doncaster to
8532-594: The soldiers marched through Retford and used East Retford (St Swithun's) church as a stable. This was The Derbyshire Blues , which had been formed to protect Derby under the aegis of the Duke of Devonshire, but which retreated 50 miles to Retford when reports reached Derby that the Jacobites had a 9,000 strong army. On 23 August 1750, an earthquake struck Retford. In 1757 the Town Clerk successfully petitioned for
8640-603: The steel production centres at Rotherham , Scunthorpe and Sheffield . Retford Retford ( / ˈ r ɛ t f ər d / ), also known as East Retford , is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire , England. It lies on the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal . Retford is located 26 miles (42 km) east of Sheffield , 23 miles (37 km) west of Lincoln and 31 miles (50 km) north-east of Nottingham . The population at
8748-464: The street name Frenchgate indicates that Fossard invited fellow Normans to trade in the town. Doncaster was ceded to Scotland in the Treaty of Durham and never formally returned to England. With the 13th century, Doncaster matured into a busy town. In 1194 King Richard I granted it national recognition with a town charter . It suffered a disastrous fire in 1204, from which it slowly recovered. At
8856-551: The suburb. They are based at Brunnel Road in the York Road Industrial Estate just outside Doncaster Town Centre. Notably the training ground is not actually in the Wheatley Hills area. The club was originally formed as Wheatley Secondary Modern Old Boys in the 1960s but very soon became an 'open club' still playing its home games at the school and using the nearby Wheatley Hotel as its headquarters. In
8964-417: The surrounding area was also a centre of Nonconformism . The origins of the town's name are unknown and have been subject to much debate, but consensus seems to conclude that it gets its name from an ancient ford crossing the River Idle. There is considerable variation in how its name has been spelt historically, although in early usage it is usually styled as Redeforde or Redforde . A common explanation of
9072-554: The time, buildings were built of wood, and open fireplaces used for cooking and heating. In 1248, a charter was granted for Doncaster Market to be held in the area surrounding the Church of St Mary Magdalene, which was built in Norman times. In the 16th century, the church was adapted for use as the town hall . It was finally demolished in 1846. Some 750 years on, the market continues to operate, with busy traders located under cover, at
9180-707: The town, although many such as St Sepulchre Gate remain hidden under buildings. The Roman fort is thought to have lain on the site now taken by St George's Minster , beside the River Don . The Doncaster garrison units are named in a Register produced near the end of Roman rule in Britain : it was the home of the Crispinian Horse, presumably named after the tribes living near Crispiana in Pannonia Superior (near present-day Zirc in western Hungary ), but possibly after Crispus , son of Constantine
9288-517: The town. The surrounding region was often flooded in the times before the River Don was rerouted and extra drainage channels dug, and lies on the old floodplain of the Don, which peaked at today's Thorne Road. Originally the suburb was part of the Wheatley, but due to the expansion of housing during the post-war era and boundary changes, Wheatley Hills became a separate area in its own right. The 1930s saw
9396-587: The town. These include Ordsall and Babworth . Evidence of early human activity around Retford stretches back to the Mesolithic period, with archaeological evidence of human activity in the area including a Mesolithic flint tool found in Ordsall, an axe from the Neolithic era (New Stone Age) from Little Morton, and a Neolithic polished flint axe discovered near the River Idle at Tiln. A Bronze Age spearhead
9504-468: The urban area was growing beyond the historic borough and parish boundary of East Retford, but they were not implemented. Instead, both the parishes of Ordsall and West Retford were made local board districts in 1850. The borough was finally enlarged in 1878 to take in all of the parishes of Ordsall and West Retford and parts of the parish of Clarborough. The Local Government Act 1894 said that parishes could no longer straddle borough boundaries, and so
9612-481: The urban area west of the East Coast Line, preventing suburbs such as Sprotbrough , New Edlington , Old Edlington , Scawsby and New Rossington merging. As a result, open rural land can be very close to the town centre at some points (for example the wide undeveloped valley of the River Don is adjacent to the town centre), while at other points the urban sprawl rolls on for up to five miles. Another aim of
9720-539: The war virtually unscathed. The Great North Road was diverted around the town in 1961 and part of the old route through the town is now pedestrianised. The 1971 census showed the population to be 18,407. By 2001 the population had grown to 22,000 (Nicholson, 2008), with a large proportion living on housing estates in Ordsall, Hallcroft and Spital Hill. John Shadrach Piercy was born in Rillington, near Malton, North Yorkshire , and moved to Retford in 1822 to teach at
9828-447: The warmest day of the year reaches 29.1 °C (84.4 °F) and 12 or 13 days report a daytime maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The lowest known temperature is −13.5 °C (7.7 °F), set during December 1981. Online records only go back to 1960, and lower temperatures may have been recorded earlier. During the 1971–2000 period, an average of 51.9 nights of the year recorded an air frost. Typically 106.9 days of
9936-546: The western bank of the Idle at Bridgegate, which were dated to 947-1030 AD. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Retford was recorded as Redforde, and joined to Odesthorpe (now unknown). It was held by the Archbishop of York and Roger de Busli , a Norman baron who was granted large amounts of land in what had been Anglo-Saxon Mercia. The Domesday Book does not distinguish between East Retford and West Retford, and it
10044-427: The whole metropolitan borough rather than just the built up area of Doncaster. Doncaster formally received the letters patent and became a city when a ceremony took place on 9 November 2022 as part of a royal visit. Doncaster was an ancient parish , which was subdivided into six townships : Balby with Hexthorpe , Langthwaite with Tilts , Long Sandall , Loversall , Wheatley and a Doncaster township covering
10152-459: The year report 1 mm or more of rainfall. Total annual precipitation is slightly below 560 mm (22 in), which is comparable to the driest parts of the UK, due to Doncaster's location in the rain shadow of the Pennines. In the 2011 census the town of Doncaster (identified as the "built-up area subdivision") had a population of 109,805, while the wider " Built-up area " had a population of 158,141. The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster had
10260-430: Was abolished in 1974 and replaced by the larger Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , which also took in the abolished urban districts of Adwick le Street , Bentley with Arksey , Conisbrough , Mexborough , Tickhill , the rural districts of Doncaster and Thorne , and (from Nottinghamshire) the parish of Finningley and part of the parish of Harworth (the latter being added to the parish of Bawtry ). The borough
10368-412: Was an outbreak of plague , which caused 300 deaths in East Retford and killed half the people of West Retford. A fire in 1585 was so profound that the people of Worksop raised money for 'the poor men of the late burned town of Retford'. Yet another fire struck in 1631 and caused £1,300 worth of damage. 17th century The Civil War seems to have largely bypassed Retford, although W.E. Doubleday wrote in
10476-468: Was bombed six times during the Second World War – on 26 September 1940, 30 October 1940, 16 December 1940, 15 March 1941 (2 injuries), 15 August 1941 and 25 August 1941. Although it was on the bombing route to larger targets such as Sheffield and Rotherham , was surrounded by airforce bases, and had the intersection between two railway lines, no-one was killed in the raids and the town escaped
10584-434: Was connected to North Sea gas in the 1970s. 20th century One of the main changes in Retford during the 20th century was the opening of King's Park in 1938. The park commemorated the reign of George V and the coronation of George VI . The site was presented to the Borough by Mrs M J Huntsman of West Retford Hall, with £2000 towards the cost of the park layout raised by public subscription. According to war records, Retford
10692-507: Was donated to the Yorkshire Museum in 1856. Doncaster is generally identified with Cair Daun listed as one of 28 British cities in the 9th-century History of the Britons traditionally ascribed to Nennius . It was certainly an Anglo-Saxon burh , and in that period received its present name: "Don-" ( Old English : Donne ) from the settlement and river and "-caster" ( -ceaster ) from an Old English version of
10800-465: Was foul with the blood of Englishmen". A variant local tradition says this was the origin of the name "Redforde". Placename evidence in Retford does suggest Viking settlement. Many of the streets in the centre of town are -gates, deriving from the Old Norse gata , which means street. In Retford there are streets named Moorgate , Bridgegate , Chapelgate , Churchgate and Carolgate . Grove Street
10908-578: Was found near Whinney Moor Lane, and Romano-British crop marks are visible around Babworth . The area Retford is situated in was on the border of the territories of the Brigantes and the Corieltauvi during the Iron Age period. It is likely that the existence of Retford is partly owed to its water resources, in the form of both the river Idle (and its crossing) and the wells that are dotted around
11016-615: Was later reinforced during the English Civil War . The wood here is known as Castle Hill Wood. Roman-era artefacts are rare in Retford, although 1st–2nd century items were found at a site on Carolgate in 1922. The remains of a group of 1st–3rd century buildings were found at Babworth in 1981. A coin hoard was found at Little Morton that was dated to the 3rd century, and Roman artefacts and pottery fragments have been found at Tiln (Stroud, 2001). Evidence of Roman field patterns were identified by Derrick Riley of Sheffield University in
11124-408: Was previously known as Newgate and Lidgett Lane was originally Hildgeat or Hildgate. The Reverend WP McFarren (1947) wrote that Bridgegate was previously spelt Briggate (1340) suggesting the river had a bridge from a very early date. Moorgate contains both Anglo-Saxon (AS) and Old Norse (ON) elements, deriving from AS mor and ON gate . Its literal meaning is 'miry street'. This is a reference to
11232-463: Was raised to city status in 2022. Doncaster is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire and the largest metropolitan district in England by area . It expanded dramatically in population with the development of coal mining. Closure of coal mines in the 1970s and early 1980s caused economic difficulties; the town then developed its service industry , drawing on the good communication links with
11340-527: Was rebuilt on stone arches, according to Wilmshurst, with Moss adding that it was thirty-one feet wide at this time. Moss notes that before 1776 a toll was charged to cross the river and that to the north side were the corn mills mentioned in the Domesday Book that were once owned by Hubert de Burgh. The 1794 bridge was later to be replaced in 1886 with the current bridge, which Wilmshurst says was because of floods: "In consequence of these continuous Floods
11448-458: Was reported that the town was a "borough by prescription", indicating that an exact date of it being made a borough was not known. The borough corresponded to the parish of East Retford. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836, giving it the right to appoint a mayor. In 1837 proposals were considered to enlarge the municipal borough to take in parts of the neighbouring parishes of Clarborough, Ordsall and West Retford, where
11556-662: Was served by the Doncaster Tramway from the town to the terminus on Thorne Road. A trolleybus service in the 1950s became available further into the suburb when the tram service became defunct in the late 1920s to mid-1930s. Today, Wheatley Hills is well served by public transport links to Doncaster city centre. Leading bus company First South Yorkshire operate Service 65 to Wheatley Hills, running regularly every 30 minutes during peak time journeys, via Intake. Doncaster Doncaster ( / ˈ d ɒ ŋ k ə s t ər , - k æ s -/ DONK -ə-stər, DONK -ast-ər )
11664-477: Was to be several generations (1571) before Retford was represented again. The East Retford constituency gained a reputation as one of the most corrupt rotten boroughs , being effectively controlled by the Duke of Newcastle . There were vigorous debates in Parliament over whether to transfer Retford's franchise to one of the larger unrepresented towns such as Manchester or Birmingham . Hansard records that during
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