South Elmsall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 53°35′45″N 1°16′21″W / 53.595900°N 1.272603°W
| South Elmsall | |
  South Elmsall shown within West Yorkshire |
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| Population | 18,425 (with South Kirkby) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | City of Wakefield |
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PONTEFRACT |
| Postcode district | WF9 |
| Dialling code | 01977 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| European Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Hemsworth |
| List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire | |
South Elmsall is a small town to the east of Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, England. It is on the B6422 and B6474 (which leads to North Elmsall and Upton). It neighbours South Kirkby, and the two towns are often grouped together as one town. It is difficult to know where one stops and the other begins. The town is close to the southern boundary of West Yorkshire, being about one mile from South Yorkshire (borough of Doncaster). The A638 Doncaster - Wakefield road runs close to the north of the town, which leads to junction 38 of the A1(M) about three miles to the south-east.
South Elmsall is served by rail, the nearest station being South Elmsall railway station.
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[edit] Coal mining
The town is most famous for its coal-mining past; it was the site of Frickley Colliery, which was one of the largest in the whole country and a key source of union radicalism. During the UK Miners' Strike (1984-1985), there were numerous disturbances in the area. It was one of the last pits to return to work after the strike, seeing as it was picketed by a group of hardliners from Kent who continued to picket Frickley after the NUM had called off the strike. The Frickley miners refused to cross the hardliners' picket.[1]
The colliery was closed on 26 November, 1993 - following closures of nearby pits like Ferrymoor-Riddings (1985), Kinsley (1986), South Kirkby (1988) and Grimethorpe (1992). The area around Hemsworth was long one of the most depressed areas of the whole European Union, although fortunes have improved recently.
The town hosts a number of key landmarks that have a place in the wider history of the labour movement in the UK. In addition to the coal mine, the Miner's Institute served as a nerve centre during the strikes of the 1970s and 1980s. The Moorthorpe Empire WMC played a key role in the exchange of ideas, the maintenance of morale and the harnessing of community spirit during 1984. During this period, the Empire became a place for the celebration of unshackled unionism, internationalism, feminism, and even a sympathy for non-violent Irish republicanism.
Several clubs in the area still bear the colliery's name. There is Frickley Colliery Brass Band, a famous football team named Frickley Athletic and a cricket club named "Frickley". Frickley Athletic F.C. now play in the UniBond Premier Division and nearly gained promotion in 2006.
[edit] Local economy
The market is a central feature of the village; it is currently undergoing renovations. The market plays host to approximately 105 trading stalls. It has a train station on the Wakefield line which is remarkable for a provincial market. Towards South Kirkby is Moorthorpe railway station on the line to Sheffield and Rotherham.
There is also the High Street (Barnsley Road) which includes many common high street names such as The Post Office, Superdrug, Hallmark Cards, Boots Group, Blockbusters, Greggs, Heron, Farmfoods, Sainsburys and also many other individual shops such as The Paint Pot, The Jewellery Centre, Les & June Price Carpets & Furnishings, Allstar Teamwear, Dennis Price carpets, Pebbles schoolwear, Mode Clothing, Parade clothing among many others. The discount supermarket chain Netto has its British headquarters on Elmsall Way in the village on the Dale Lane Industrial Estate. There is a Co-op on Barnsley Road in Moorthorpe.
Also present on the Dale Lane industrial estate are 4 Next Distribution warehouses (Stadium Way One, Stadium Way Two, Elmsall Way and Elmsall Drive), Superdrug, Del Monte and Finlays. The estate itself reflects the changing fortunes of the area being one of the key expansion areas since the closure of the local collieries.
[edit] Education
The local secondary school is Minsthorpe Community College which has a sixth-form and also covers South Kirkby and Upton. In 2008 Minsthorpe Community College gained its best ever results at all levels - KS3/GCSE/A-Level, the college GCSE results are higher than the local and national averages. People who have an association with Minsthorpe include playwright John Godber, actors Adrian Hood and Chris Walker, comedy hypnotist John Caulton and footballer Glynn White. There are also several primary schools in the South Elmsall area: Carlton, Moorthorpe, Ash Grove and St Joseph's. There are many more in the neighbouring towns of South Kirkby and Upton. South Elmsall library houses the UK's largest collection of Bobby Brewster novellas.[citation needed]
[edit] Town Twinnings
[edit] External links
- Frickley Colliery Brass Band
- Frickley Athletic FC
- Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express
- Minsthorpe Community College
- S.E.S.K.U. Boxing Academy
- South Elmsall Parish Church
[edit] References
- ^ Wakefield Express The Miners' Strike 25th anniversary special edition, page 3, Friday 6th March 2009
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