Stainforth, South Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stainforth |
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| Town and civil parish | |
 The New Inn on the bank of the Stainforth and Keadby Canal |
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 Stainforth
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| Area | 3.47 sq mi (9.0 km2) |
| Population | 6,282 (2011 census) |
| • Density | 1,810/sq mi (700/km2) |
| OS grid reference | SE646115 |
| Civil parish |
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| Metropolitan borough |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DONCASTER |
| Postcode district | DN7 |
| Dialling code | 01302 |
| Police | South Yorkshire |
| Fire | South Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Stainforth is a town and civil parish in the City of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is about 7 kilometers (4 miles) north-east of Doncaster. The town is close to Hatfield and Thorne. In 2011, about 6,282 people lived there.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Stainforth means 'stony ford'. This comes from old English words. Stanig meant 'stony' and ford meant a shallow place to cross a river.
The town's name was written as 'Stenforde' in the Domesday Book in 1086. Later, in 1428, it was called 'Staneforde'.
A Look Back in Time
Stainforth began in the Anglo-Saxon period. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. This book was a big survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. At that time, Stainforth was a small village with only seven homes.
Before the Normans arrived, Earl Harold owned the land. After William the Conqueror won, he gave Stainforth to William of Warenne.
Market Town Days
In 1348, Stainforth received a special permission called a Royal Charter. This allowed the town to hold a weekly market every Friday. It also meant they could have a ten-day fair each year.
For a short time, Stainforth became a busy trading place and a port. Traders came from far away, even from the Isle of Axholme. However, the market soon became less important. This happened as the nearby town of Bawtry grew bigger.
Famous People
George Porter was a famous chemist born in Stainforth in 1920. He later became Lord Porter of Luddenham. He even won a Nobel Prize for his work in chemistry!
Railways and Racing
Stainforth railway station opened on 7 July 1856. It closed a few years later, on 1 October 1866. Today, people in the town use the Hatfield and Stainforth railway station.
Speedway racing also took place in Stainforth in 1930. This happened at the Greyhound Stadium in the town.
Mining History
More recently, Stainforth was a mining village. The Hatfield Main Colliery was a very important part of the town. The coal mine was open for about 90 years. It started full production in 1921 and closed in 2015.
During a national miners' strike in 1972, a miner from Hatfield Colliery, Freddie Matthews, sadly died during a protest. Many people attended his funeral.
The colliery started to reopen in 2006. It began full production again in January 2008. However, the mine closed for good in June 2015. After it closed, the mine shafts were filled in.
There were plans to build a new power station called Hatfield Power Park. This station would have used coal to make electricity. It would also have tried to capture carbon dioxide. But with the mine closed, these plans are now unlikely to happen.
Stainforth on Screen
The old colliery and the area around it have been used in TV shows and movies. Some famous ones include Dalziel and Pascoe and Brassed Off. More recently, the film Faith also filmed there.
See also
In Spanish: Stainforth (Yorkshire del Sur) para niños
