The darfield heritage trail.
The Darfield Millennium Heritage
Trail has been created by the Darfield Millennium Committee as part of the
Millennium Commemorations. It is published in leaflet form available free from
the Maurice Dobson Museum & Heritage Centre. This shortened">
The
darfield heritage trail. The Darfield Millennium Heritage
Trail has been created by the Darfield Millennium Committee as part of the
Millennium Commemorations. It is published in leaflet form available free from
the Maurice Dobson Museum & Heritage Centre. This shortened, edited version of the Trail Leaflet has been
prepared to enable visitors to download and print it before visiting Darfield. The Trail follows a
figure-of-eight course starting from the Cross Keys Public House in the Centre
of the village. The sites are marked on the map as footprints; on the ground as
oval, gold on black markers bearing the appropriate number and attached to
lampposts. In this edited version, the map has had to be split into two parts,
each covering one loop of the figure-of-eight. The total walk will take between
one and a half and two hours, the latter part including an uphill stretch. Park your car; enjoy your walk;
glimpse our history; and go carefully. At the end, or en-route, there are
many hostelries which serve good drinks and excellent value
food. A guide can be arranged to take
interested groups or school parties round the whole or part of the Heritage
Trail. If you are interested, contact should be made with A donation would be requested for the
Museum funds. 1. The Cross Keys. Start outside the Cross Keys public house. In pre conquest days, Darfield had both a Vicarage and a Rectory. The old
Vicarage stood on this site alongside the old Cross Keys Inn. The present
Rectory was rebuilt in 1935 and can be seen on the left as you approach the
church. On the right is the Church Hall which was built as a theatre and cinema. 2. All Saints Church and Churchyard. Enter the churchyard through the main gates. At one time the parish of Darfield included the townships of Darfield,
Houghton Parva, Houghton Magna, Billingley, Wombwell, Worsbrough and Ardsley.
This explains the size and importance of the Church. The tower is late Medieval
on a Saxon and Norman base. The earliest of the bells dates from 1616. The Nave
and Chancel are 14th. Century, and there are Jacobean pews and a
locally carved early 20th. Century Chancel Screen . The churchyard contains the remains of a medieval cross; the grave of
Ebenezer Elliott, (the corn law rhymer); an obelisk commemorating the Lundhill
mining disaster of 1857; and the memorial to the Houghton Main Colliery disaster
of 1886. 3. The Church Steps and Fishing Ponds. Follow the main path past the church to the top of the steps leaving the
churchyard. Each of the seven townships in the parish had to contribute to the upkeep of
part of the church wall. At the top of the steps the word `Billingley` carved
into the stone marks that village’s section. At the foot of the steps the
pattern of the willow trees indicates the outline of the now filled in medieval
fishing ponds. 4. The Pinfold and Bridge Inn. Continue on the path toward Pinfold Lane. On the left at the junction of the path and Pinfold Lane lay the walled
enclosure called the pinfold controlled by the Pinder. Here he impounded stray
animals and imposed a fine for their release. The present 1960`s Bridge Inn replaces an earlier 15th. Century
inn demolished because of subsidence. The line of the old road runs in front of
the inn. 5. Darfield Bridge and Toll Bar. Walk toward the main road and turn right along it. The A635 was a turnpike road constructed in 1740. A three arched 18th.
Century stone bridge was demolished to make way for the new constructions.
Remnants of the old bridge may still be found. The toll bar cottage was on land to the west of the main road and was
demolished in the 1990`s. A board showing the scale of charges for using the
turnpike and formerly on the cottage is now displayed on the wall of the park
pavilion. (See No. 12). 6. The Railway and Holly House. Follow the main road until you arrive at the abutments of the former railway
bridge, The railway bridge was removed in the 1990`s, the line having been built by
George Stephenson in 1840. Steps that led to Darfield Station may be found
beyond the Western abutment. The Station was originally at the Broomhill end of
a tunnel but in 1880 was moved nearer to the road when the tunnel was `scalped`
into a cutting. The present Holly House is probably 17th. Century with a
re-fronting in Georgian times. It is likely to be on much earlier foundations.
Beyond Holly House lay Darfield mill. Cross the road with great care! Returning on the Northern side of the A635, a depression at the field edge
indicates the earlier course of the river. A good view of Middlewood Hall is
obtained from here. 7. Middlewood Lodge. Return along the main road for about a quarter of a mile. The 19th. Century lodge marked the drive entrance to the 17th.
Century Middlewood Hall . The hall was remodelled in the 19th.
Century and then converted into dwelling units in 1980. The course of the
turnpike may be seen in front of the lodge. 8. The Wayside Shrine, Milestone and Old Smithy. Cross the road once more to find the Shrine set behind a stone boundary wall. The Wayside Shrine was erected by the Taylor family to mark the names of men
killed in the 1914-18 War. The mound behind the shrine is reputed to be part of
roman earthworks. A little further up the hill is an 18th. Century milestone
probably dating from the first legislation for the erection of milestones. On the left of the path in front of the row of stone cottages are the remains
of a smithy. The circular stone tyring platform may still be found. 9. School Street. Enter and walk along School Street from the pathway called Park Hill. The new bungalows on the left occupy the site of Shroggs Head School which
replaced a School at the far end of School Street built in 1842. The Conservative Club on the right was formerly a Wesleyan Chapel. The Darfield Cricket Club was founded in 1858, playing on land in Cliffe Road
from 1865, then in Vicar Lane from 1869 before moving to the present ground on
the left of the street in 1909. 10.The Church School. Continue along School Street. Built by public subscription, this school opened in 1902. In 1906 the school
was associated with the `Darfield Judgement` ;when in a House of Lords ruling, a
child who attended an Ascension Day Service in church could have the rest of the
day off and still receive their mark. 11. The Reading Room and Museum. Returning to where you started, be ready now to turn right up Church Street. On the left at the end of the street is the former Reading Room donated to
the village by the then Rector in 1879. The museum is essentially Georgian on much earlier foundations. It was used
as a corner shop for many years before it was willed to the village in 1989 by
its previous owner Maurice Dobson. 12. Thornhill House and the Council Offices.
These properties may all be seen as you walk up Church Street. Proceeding up Church Street, on the left are two 19th. Century
stone houses, the first formerly the Police Station, the other a doctors
surgery. On the right is Thornhill House which was the home of the village doctor. The
Council Offices of the old Darfield Urban District Council were previously known
as `The Poplars` and had extensive gardens and orchards. Immediately beyond the
Offices is the Park Pavilion at the entrance to the Miners Welfare Park. 13. Snape Hill. Snape Hill is a continuation of Church Street and then becomes the road to
Wombwell. Look for Field House, (1850), on the left almost hidden now that it is
surrounded by later housing. There is a fine late Victorian shop front on the right hand corner of Church
Street and Garden Street. On the right at the top of Snape Hill is Cambridge House and College Terrace,
so called as they are built on land that belonged to one of the Cambridge
Colleges. A little further down the hill on the right are the remains of a sandstone
quarry, now largely filled in. 14.Low Valley Chapels and Schools. Continue following the Road in the Wombwell direction and turn into Pitt
Street after the left hand bend in the road. You are now in Low Valley. A high density of housing developed here in late
Victorian times to provide homes for mine workers. On the right is the Primitive
Methodist Chapel, (1909), and on the left the Darfield Elementary School,
(1906). On the sharp bend in the road is the old Astoria Cinema. In Pitt Street was one of the earliest schools in Darfield. Many of the Low Valley houses have now been demolished and the open spaces
are now being redeveloped. 15. Darfield Fault Open Space. Return to the bend in the road and take the footpath through the housing
estate that will lead to Barnsley Road. Emerging from the housing estate, the undeveloped green area marks the line
of the Darfield Fault. In the distance to the left may be seen Upperwood hall,
(1835), one of the five halls that lay around Darfield. 16. The Nurses Home. Continue on the pathway until Barnsley Road is reached. The large house on the right was built as the residence for a District Nurse
in 1913. Small voluntary subscriptions enabled families to have the services of
the nurse in times of sickness or accident. Look for the inscription over the
front door. 17. Site of Woodhall. Walk down Barnsley Road back toward the Centre of Darfield. Where the new bungalows now stand across the road from the Nurses Home, was
the site of Woodhall Farm. 18. Top Chapel and Roman Coin Hoards. Continue down Barnsley Road. In the land to the left of Barnsley Road, whilst the housing was being
developed, two hoards of silver Roman coins were found during building work. A
beehive quern stone was also discovered. Toward the end of the road is the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built in 1886. Continue your walk now to the Cross Keys Inn where your walk started.
