Highfields is a former

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

village, located south of the

model village A model village is a mostly self-contained community, built from the late 18th century onwards by landowners and business magnates to house their workers. "Model" implies an ideal to which other developments could aspire. Although the villages ...

of Woodlands, in

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...

Historically History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

part of the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

, it is part of the

City of Doncaster The City of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough with city status in the United Kingdom, city status in South Yorkshire, England. It is named after its principal settlement, Doncaster, and includes the surrounding suburbs of Doncaster as well as ...

. The village is located in the Adwick le Street & Carcroft ward of Doncaster MBC. Although it does not currently have an air of prosperity, Highfields was built so that most houses either overlooked farmland or woodland, the ornamental Highfields Lake, or the greens in the centre of the village. Like its neighbour, Woodlands, Highfields lies between the historic Great North Road and the

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

. The

is a branch of

Ermine Street Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln ('' Lindum Colonia'') and York ('' Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earninga ...

, branching off near Lincoln and rejoining near

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. Although a separate branch, it is also known as

. Locally, this stretch of the road is known as the

Roman Ridge Roman Ridge is a bridleway that was part of the Roman road of Ermine Street, between Scawsby and Redhouse to the north of Doncaster, England. This footpath departs from the A638 road at The Sun junction with the A635 (or Barnsley Road). It ...

, although it is more colloquially known as the Roman Rigg. Hanging Wood, located between Highfields and Woodlands, was one of the 'hold up' spots used by the 17th century highwayman William Nevison (also known as Swift Nick or Black Bob). Half a mile south-east are the surviving earthworks, much overgrown, of Hangthwaite Castle, a medieval

motte-and-bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...

castle. As of 2014, the village had a population of 1,375. For the 2021 census, its population count was combined with Adwick le Street and Woodlands, the latter of which had a confirmed population of 7,100 later in 2023.

Notable residents

David Pegg (1935 - 1958) one of the

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

footballers who died in the

Munich air disaster The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. The aircraft was carrying the Manchester United F.C., Manche ...

, was born in Highfields

References

External links

Villages in Doncaster Adwick le Street {{SouthYorkshire-geo-stub