|
Coordinates: 53°35'06?N 1°31'57?W? / ?53.585, -1.5325
Darton is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley (part of South Yorkshire, England), on the border with West Yorkshire. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 16,000. Formely part of the now defunct Barnsley West and Penistone borough constituency, following the Boundary Commission for England's report on South Yorkshire's Parliamentary constituencies in 2004 and the subsequent inquiry in 2005, it is now part of the Barnsley Central borough constituency.
[edit] Geography
Darton lies on the River Dearne, directly to the east of Kexbrough, and about 5 miles north of the town of Barnsley. It is served by the A637 road and is bisected by the M1 motorway (junction 38 being a mile to the north). Its location is approximately 53°35'6?N 1°31'57?W? / ?53.585, -1.5325Coordinates: 53°35'6?N 1°31'57?W? / ?53.585, -1.5325, at an elevation of around 80 metres above sea level.
[edit] History
The name Darton is believed to be an amalgamation of "Dearne" and the Anglo-Saxon word "ton" (meaning 'town'). Hence, in ancient times it was known as 'the town on the Dearne'. However, other sources dispute this explanation and claim that the name originates from a description given to a deer enclosure or something similar.
A church was built in the village in 1150, but an official register of baptisms, deaths and marriages did not begin until several centuries later in 1539.
[edit] Present day
Darton has its own railway station which links train journeys between Sheffield and Leeds. It is especially included in the "West Yorkshire Metro". The reason for this is that the West-South Yorkshire boundary historically ran between the village and its main source of employment - Woolley Colliery.
[edit] 2007 Flooding
On 15th June 2007, Darton hit the headlines after 48 hours of torrential rain caused the River Dearne to burst its banks leading to heavy flooding in the village.[1][2] The main road through the village was impassable by car or foot and damage was caused to many homes and businesses, notably the village Post Office which as of February 2008 has yet to re-open. The Darton Carvinal and a local music festival were also delayed by a month.
[edit] External links
- The Darton page (contains a gallery of old and new photographs of the village)
[edit] References
(Source: Wikipedia) |