Swinton, South Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swinton |
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 Swinton Bridge School |
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 Swinton
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| Population | 15,559 |
| OS grid reference | SK454992 |
| • London | 145 mi (233 km) SSE |
| Metropolitan borough |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Mexborough |
| Postcode district | S64 |
| Dialling code | 01709 |
| Police | South Yorkshire |
| Fire | South Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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Swinton is a town located in South Yorkshire, England. It sits on the west bank of the River Don. In 2011, about 15,559 people lived here. Swinton is about 5 miles north-northeast of the larger town of Rotherham. It is also directly west-southwest of Mexborough.
Contents
Discovering Swinton's Past
Swinton has a rich history! It was once a very important place for making ceramics. People also dug for coal, made glass, built canal boats, and worked in engineering.
Famous Pottery: Rockingham and Don
Swinton is famous for being the home of the Rockingham Pottery. This factory made beautiful porcelain that was known all over the world. Even though the factory closed in 1842, its name is still used to describe a special style of porcelain.
There were other pottery factories in the area during the 1800s. One of the original kilns (a type of oven), a small part of the factory, and a gatehouse still exist today. You can find them in a small park called Pottery Ponds. Another important, but less known, pottery in Swinton was the Don Pottery.
Roman Connections in Swinton
Swinton is located between two ancient Roman routes. One is called the Roman Ridge, and the other is a Roman road from Doncaster. This suggests the Romans were active in the area.
In 1853, a collection of Roman coins from the early 200s AD was found in Swinton. This was an exciting discovery!
Even more recently, in June 2014, a local resident named Andrew Allen found many pieces of Roman pottery while gardening. These pieces included fancy pottery called Samian ware, along with everyday cooking pots. This discovery made people wonder just how important Swinton was to the Romans.
Digging Up History: Archaeological Finds
Because of these exciting finds, an archaeological dig started in October 2014. This was the first time such a project in South Yorkshire was paid for by the public! During the dig, archaeologists found signs of a Roman ditch and possibly an old Roman field system. They also found many pieces of pottery from the late 100s to the mid-200s AD.
More digging happened in spring 2015. Experts also used special equipment to map what was underground at Swinton Fitzwilliam school playing fields. More work is planned to learn even more about Swinton's Roman past.
Swinton's Landscape
The town of Swinton is built on a hillside. The older houses are usually found higher up. Newer homes are built in the lower parts of the town. At the very bottom of the town, you can find two main railway lines. The River Don also flows through this area. There are also two canals: the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation canal and the old, unused Dearne and Dove Canal.
