Stainforth, South Yorkshire

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude = 53.5958
longitude = -1.0253
official_name = Stainforth
population = 4,000 (approx)
static_

static_image_caption = The New Inn on the bank of the
Stainforth and Keadby Canal.
map_type = South Yorkshire
metropolitan_borough = Doncaster
metropolitan_county = South Yorkshire
region = Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster = Doncaster North
post_town = DONCASTER
postcode_district = DN7
postcode_area = DN
dial_code = 01302
os_grid_reference = SE6411 Stainforth is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly north-east of Doncaster, close in locality to Hatfield and Thorne.

Etymology

The place-name means 'stony ford' from Old English "stanig" 'stony' and "ford" 'ford'. Its name was recorded as Staneforde in 1428.

History

In 1348, Stainforth received a Royal Charter, entitling it to hold a weekly market on Fridays and an annual ten-day fair. The town briefly thrived as a commercial centre and port and attracted traders from as far afield as the Isle of Axholme, but the market soon slumped as Bawtry grew in importance. [David Hey, "Medieval South Yorkshire"]

Stainforth railway station opened on 7 July 1856 and closed on 1 October 1866. The town is now served by Hatfield and Stainforth railway station.

Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in the town in 1930. The original "professional" promotion failed and a few meetings organised by a riders' co-operative were staged at the venue.

More recently, Stainforth was a mining village, with the Hatfield Main Colliery at its centre. The colliery was open for around 80 years, from when it entered full production in 1921 up to it closing in August 2001. The colliery began reopening in 2006 and resumed full production in January 2008. Work is also due to begin on a new 900MW coal-fired power station [http://www.powerfuel.plc.uk/id4.html] and industrial estate, called Hatfield Power Park.

The colliery and the surrounding area have been used in a number of television series and films, most notably Dalziel and Pascoe and Brassed Off, and more recently [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436294/ Faith] .

References

ee also

* [http://www.stainforthonline.co.uk/ Stainforth Online]
* [http://www.stainforthcommunitypartnership.org.uk/ Stainforth Community Partnership]