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Worsbrough is an area about two miles south of
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Before 1974, Worsbrough had its own
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
council in the West Riding of the historic county of Yorkshire and it is still counted as a separate place from Barnsley by the 2011 Census, but it is often treated as part of Barnsley as the two settlements run into one another.


Geography

Worsbrough includes Worsbrough Bridge, Worsbrough Common, Worsbrough Dale, Worsbrough Village and
Ward Green Ward Green is a part of Worsbrough, which itself is in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in the county of South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county ...
. The River Dove flows east–west through Worsbrough and the reservoir before joining the River Dearne and the area is built on its valley. The A61 traverses this large valley, south of Barnsley, before passing through Birdwell to junction 36 of the M1. A railway line, the former Woodhead Line, passed along the valley as well, which is now the Trans-Pennine Trail. It joined the Huddersfield-Barnsley Line at Silkstone Common to the west and across to Wombwell, a mile to the east, where it met the former Doncaster – Barnsley Line, which also is part of the Trans-Pennine Trail. The B6100 meets the A61 in the centre of Worsbrough, and meets the
A635 The A635 is a main road that runs between Manchester and Doncaster running east–west through Stalybridge, Saddleworth Moor, Holmfirth, Barnsley and the Dearne Valley. The section forming the eastern part of the Mancunian Way is a motorway and ...
to the east at Ardsley. At Worsbrough Bridge, is a Pegasus crossing for horses across the A61 for the Trans-Pennine Trail. The entire area is covered by the Worsbrough ward of Barnsley council. It does not include Birdwell.


Landmarks

Notable landmarks of Worsbrough include
Houndhill Houndhill is a substantial Grade II listed Tudor Farmhouse (part timber-framed) in Worsbrough, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. The present house, which dates from the late 16th century with 17th-century additions, was originally built by ...
, Wigfield Farm,
Worsbrough Mill Worsbrough Mill, also known as Worsbrough Corn Mill and Worsbrough Mill Farm is a complex of buildings including a seventeenth-century water-powered mill and a nineteenth-century steam-powered mill in Worsbrough, Barnsley, England. The mill is ...
and Worsbrough Reservoir, which are in Worsbrough Country Park. There is also a canal which was a branch off the
Dearne and Dove Canal The Dearne and Dove Canal ran for almost ten miles through South Yorkshire, England from Swinton to Barnsley through nineteen locks, rising . The canal also had two short branches, the Worsbrough branch and the Elsecar branch, both about two ...
. There are also several pubs in the Worsbrough area, most notably The Cutting Edge (demolished), The Red Lion Country Inn (previously The Olive Branch, The Button Mill Inn, and before that, The Red Lion), The Greyhound, The Boatman's Rest (known locally as the Pod), the Wharf (Now the Mogul Room Indian Restaurant), The Ship, The Darley, The Masons Arms (demolished), Ward Green WMC, the Dale Tavern and Swaithe Main WMC.


History

Worsbrough dates back to the 7th century, and is listed within the wapentake of
Staincross Staincross is a village in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with West Yorkshire. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it formed part of the defunct Barnsley West and Penistone borough constituency, following the Boundary ...
, West Riding of Yorkshire, in the Domesday Book of 1086:
In Wircesburg Gerneber and Haldene had five carucates of land and a half to be taxed where there may be four ploughs. Gamel and Chetelber now have it of Ilbert, themselves two ploughs, and four bordars, and one mill pays two shillings. Wood pasture half a mile long and half a mile broad. Value in King Edward's time four pounds, now thirty shillings.
The name 'Worsbrough' means 'Weorc's fortified place'. The village name was spelt Worsborough before the 19th century and through the 20th century. Coal mining was central to the productivity of the area for centuries. Seventy five miners who were killed in the 1849 Darley Main Colliery disaster lay buried in the parish churchyard. The Great Central Railway's Worsborough (or Worsbrough) Branch was a goods only branch running from West Silkstone Junction on the
Penistone Penistone ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 22,909 at the 2011 census. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is west of Barnsley, n ...
to
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
line to Wombwell Main Junction on the South Yorkshire Railway. Numerous coal mines were served along the route, but principally it was a bypass route to relieve congestion at Barnsley and there were no intermediate stations. The line was an engineering nightmare. There were two tunnels—Silkstone No. 1, 289 yards and Silkstone No. 2, 74 yards—and the grades were quite horrendous. The 7-mile Worsborough Bank included a 3-mile section at an average grade of 1 in 40. With the mining subsidence that took place over the years the grade was in places even worse, making this the steepest incline on a main line in Great Britain. The line opened to traffic on 2 August 1880. It was electrified as part of the Manchester to Sheffield and
Wath Wath may refer to: Places in England * Wath, Cumbria, a U.K. location * Wath (near Ripon), a village in Harrogate district, North Yorkshire * Wath, Ryedale, a village in North Yorkshire * Wath-in-Nidderdale, a village near Pateley Bridge in Har ...
electrification of the 1950s, but closed with the rest of that system in the 1981.


Places of Worship


Church of England

The Worsbrough Dale (St Thomas) and Worsbrough Common (St Luke) parish churches are part of the same group. Worsbrough Common parish covers the western fringes of the village including Ward Green. Worsbrough Dale parish covers the majority of the population of Worsbrough north of the river including Swaithe. It stretches up ''Hunningley Lane'' (B6100) as far as ''Birk Avenue''. Worsbrough Village (St Mary) church, south of the river near Worsbrough Hall, is part of the same group as Elsecar, and the parish covers most of the sparsely-populated area of Worsbrough south of the river and includes Birdwell and most of the M1 between the river and junction 36.


St Thomas and St James' Church

On Bank End Road in Worsbrough Dale. The church was built in 1858 and consecrated in 1859. The Wentworth family of Wentworth Castle gave a donation of £2,000 and other people provided donations of smaller amounts or helped in other ways. The total cost of the church building was about £3,000. Listed as Grade II by English Heritage.


St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building in Worsbrough Village.


St Luke's Church

At Worsbrough Common.


Roman Catholic

On West Street (B6100). Our Lady and St James Church. Built 1902 by T. H. and F. Healey of Bradford. Listed as Grade II by English Heritage.


Community Church

On High Street. The stonework on the east-facing frontage has the following inscriptions "AD 1903" (near the gable-end apex) and "Ebenezer Wesleyan Reform" (halfway down). There are also foundation stones (two either side of the doorway) inscribed with "EBENEZER CHAPEL 1854". This suggests that the chapel was built in 1854 and extended upwards in 1903.


Education

The Barnsley Academy, before 2006 formerly
the Elmhirst School The Elmhirst School was a comprehensive school on the B6100Ardsley Road in Worsbrough Dale, south of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. History It was the Worsbrough High School, which became known as Elmhirst School in the 1990s. The buildi ...
, provides secondary education to the area. It moved to a new site on ''Farm Road''. Primary schools include Worsbrough Common Primary School, Ward Green Primary School, The Mill Academy formerly The Edmunds Primary School, Worsbrough Bank End Primary School and Worsbrough St Mary's C of E Primary School. Worsbrough St Mary's C of E Primary School closed on 31 December 2007 as a consequence of falling pupil numbers.


Sport and recreation

Worsbrough Bridge Athletic F.C. Worsbrough Bridge Athletic Football Club is a association football, football club based in Worsbrough, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Park Road. History The club was formed as Worsbrough Brid ...
are based in Worsbrough, next to the River Dove and currently play in the Northern Counties East Football League. The
Trans Pennine Trail The Trans Pennine Trail is a long-distance path running from coast to coast across Northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients (it runs largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths). It forms part of ...
runs through Worsbrough along the path of a disused railway line. Outdoor
bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...
can be played at High Street Bowling Club in Worsbrough Dale and Kendal Vale Bowling Club in Worsbrough Bridge. Adjacent to
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic F.C. Worsbrough Bridge Athletic Football Club is a association football, football club based in Worsbrough, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Park Road. History The club was formed as Worsbrough Brid ...
and Kendal Vale Bowling Club is Worsbrough Bridge Cricket Club who compete in the
Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League The Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League, known until 2020 as the Yorkshire South Premier League, was formed in early 2016, as part of the restructuring of club cricket in Yorkshire, and is an ECB Premier League. Of the twelve initial tea ...
. Worsbrough Bridge Cricket Club are based next to the River Dove and play in divisions 3 and 8 of the YCSPL.


Arts

The Worsbrough Mystery Plays are held at St Mary's Church. Worsbrough Brass are the local brass band.


Notable residents

* Arthur Scargill, b. 1938, trade unionist, was born and went to school here. * Mick McCarthy, b. 1959, football manager, was born in Worsbrough Bridge and attended Worsbrough High School.


See also

*
Listed buildings in Worsbrough Worsbrough is a ward in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. The ward contains 46 listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of ...


References


External links


Barnsley Family History Society website

Worsbrough Brass

The Barnsley Academy
{{authority control Villages in South Yorkshire Unparished areas in South Yorkshire Geography of Barnsley