Armthorpe is a large village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the

Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster The City of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough with city status in South Yorkshire, England. It is named after its principal settlement, Doncaster, and includes the surrounding suburbs of Doncaster as well as numerous towns and villages. Th ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...

, England.

Historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

within the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

, it had a population of 12,630, increasing to 14,457 at the 2011 Census.

History

Etymology

The settlement of Armthorpe was first recorded in 1086 as 'Ernulfestorp', showing the influence of the Vikings on the region. Its probable origination means outlying farmstead or hamlet (from the Old Scandinavian - thorp) of a man named Earnwulf or Arnulfr.

Early history

The remains of a Roman village and farm were found on Nutwell Lane and through the centuries Armthorpe was known for its rich farming activities. To some extent the rich crop farming heritage continues today and the area between Armthorpe and the M18 motorway is still dedicated to farming. Armthorpe (Ernulfestorp) was recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

as being the property of the monks of

Roche Abbey Roche Abbey is a now-ruined abbey in the civil parish of Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is in the valley of Maltby Dyke, known locally as Maltby Beck, and is administered by English Heritage. It is a scheduled monument and Gr ...

near Maltby, who had a grange there at which an official resided who managed this part of the estates of the establishment and who was sometimes a brother of the house: they had also an officer called their forester. The parish comprised and included the farm of Holm-Wood. The village at this time consisted mainly of scattered houses.

Coal mining

During the late 19th and for most of the 20th century Armthorpe became known for its

Coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

and a deep seam Colliery was sunk; the pit was named Markham Main. The mining increased the local population dramatically and whole new housing estates were constructed to house the mining workers. These housing estates were famous for their architectural layout. From the air you can see that the houses are formed into rings or crescents, similar examples can be seen in Rossington. After the closure of the mine 1996 the area went through deep depression. The old colliery site is now a large housing estate, with a thriving community with parks and tracks for walking and cycling to the local wood.

Present day

Today, on average, Armthorpe remains one of the more affluent areas of Doncaster.

Places of worship

Armthorpe has three churches (the Methodist Church in Paxton Crescent closed in 2007): *St. Leonard and St. Mary's Church, Church Street, where parish registers record information from the following dates: **Baptisms: 1653-1944 **Marriages: 1653-1939 **Burials: 1654-1946 *Our Lady Of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, Mere Lane *Armthorpe New Life Church, Church Street (meets in the Community Centre)

Sport

* Boxing - Universal Pro/Amateur Boxing Club is on Church Street * Football ** Armthorpe Welfare Football Club are currently members of the

Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division The Northern Counties East Football League is a semi-professional English football league. It has two divisions – Premier Division and Division One – which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football pyramid respectively. History Th ...

** Armthorpe Village Football Club are currently members of the Doncaster & District Sunday Alliance league ** Armthorpe Welfare Junior Football Club, playing at Shaw Wood Academy, have teams in the Doncaster and District Junior Sunday League. There is a walking football section based at the Armthorpe Academy, and a Development Group for 3 to 6 year olds which takes place in the summer months. AWJFC is a FA Charter Standard Club ** Armthorpe Rovers Junior Football Club have teams in age groups from Under 6's up to Under 17's * Motocross - Armthorpe

Motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...

and

Quadbike An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is strad ...

Racing * Rugby -

Doncaster Knights Doncaster Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing the town of Doncaster, England. The first XV are known as the "Doncaster Knights", and play in the RFU Championship. Being the most promoted side in English history has led to ...

play at the Castle Park ground on Armthorpe Road, and currently part of the RFU Championship * Swimming - Armthorpe Kingfishers Swimming Club is based at the village Leisure Centre next to Armthorpe Academy * Dancing - Marilyn Baker School of Dance, Stephanie Phillips School of Dance, Cre8tive Dance Academy * Golf - Wheatley Golf Course, part of a private club, is on the outskirts of Armthorpe

Notable people

Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 a ...

, footballer and manager, born in Armthorpe * Peter Swan, footballer, centre half for Sheffield Wednesday and England in the 1960s * Haydn Griffiths MBE, conductor Armthorpe Elmfield brass band, and first Honorary Freeman of Armthorpe in December 2010

Education

Pre-School *Armthorpe Village Children's Centre provides advice and support for parents and carers. Primary schools *Tranmoor *Southfield *Shaw Wood *Our Lady of Sorrows Secondary schools *

The Armthorpe Academy The Armthorpe Academy (formerly Armthorpe School) is a secondary school located in Armthorpe, Doncaster, England. It has approximately 770 pupils, serves the former mining village of Armthorpe, and is situated to the east of Doncaster and less ...

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Long Distance Walkers Association South Yorkshire Way Central Route
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References

External links

* * {{Authority control Civil parishes in South Yorkshire Geography of Doncaster