Birdwell
| Birdwell | |
| Yorkshire West Riding | |
|---|---|
 The Birdwell Obelisk, built in 1775 | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SE342012 |
| Location: | 53°30’26"N, 1°29’4"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Barnsley |
| Postcode: | S70 |
| Dialling code: | 01226 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Barnsley |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Barnsley East |
Birdwell is a village in the West Riding of Yorkshire, about four and a half miles south of Barnsley, twelve miles north-east of Sheffield, and twenty miles west of Doncaster. Neighbouring villages include Worsbrough, Tankersley and Hoyland Common.
The A61 (Sheffield Road) passes north–south through the length of Birdwell, and at the southern end is Birdwell Roundabout which is the junction between the M1 motorway at Junction 36 and the A61. The roundabout also marks the start of the Dearne Valley Parkway, a relatively new dual carriageway which links the M1 at Junction 36 to the A1 at Marr (near Doncaster).
Towards the southern end of Birdwell stands a large obelisk which was erected in 1775 (according to the plaque) to mark the distance (three miles) to Wentworth Castle at nearby Stainborough. It was built by William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford (1722–1791). The obelisk was struck by lightning on 6 June 1906.
History
The origins of the village of Birdwell date back to the time of the Civil War, around 1642, when the village name is first mentioned.
In the years following the Second World War, open cast mining took place on much of the land to the northern end of Birdwell, and in some areas the remains of the quarries can still be found. Much of the land was subsequently restored to agriculture, mainly pasture with a little low key arable production and since the 1970s was owned by a local farming company. A small pocket of woodland called Parkinson Spring' survived the mining activity and whilst little is known of its history, the name 'spring' could infer it was coppiced for the production of spring wood. The predominantly ancient woodlands of Miller Hill and Wigfield Wood are thought to be remnants of the once extensive woodland of the Wortley Park estate, an area through which the M1 motorway was subsequently built.
Hangmanstone Depot was the site of Allan Finlay's diesel engine export company Hartwood Exports, where a great number of British buses and other commercial vehicles ended their lives.
Birdwell & Hoyland Common railway station, was a railway station on the South Yorkshire Railway's Blackburn Valley Line between Westwood. Yorkshire|Westwood and High Royds.[1] The station was intended to serve Birdwell, Pilley and Hoyland Common, although the original chosen site was moved half a mile nearer towards Barnsley to serve the purposes of the Earl of Wharncliffe who was, at that time, sinking Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery nearby. This move away made the station less convenient for most of the population. The station was opened in February 1855, the building having an ornate canopy over its entrance and containing a private waiting room for use by the Earl of Wharncliffe. The station was closed on 7 December 1953.[2]
Sport
Two football teams from the village have played in the FA Cup: Birdwell F.C.[3] and Birdwell Primitive Methodists F.C.[4]
Birdwell played in 11 FA Cup competitions between 1907 and 1928 whereas Birdwell Primitive Methodists played in just the one FA Cup competition, losing their one and only FA Cup game.[5] The game on 11 September 1909 was against Atlas and Norfolk Works. The Sheffield side had originally been drawn at home but the game was played at Birdwell. The 'Primitives', as they were often known, took the lead and were level with the visitors at half-time but the latter proved too strong and ran out 4-1 winners, Nuttall scoring all four goals.[6]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Birdwell) |
References
- ↑ Disused Railway Stations in South Yorkshire: Sheffield Victoria Railway Station, Rotherham Masborough Railway Station. General Books LLC. 2010. ISBN 9781155876252.
- ↑ "The History of Birdwell". Birdwell, Tankersley & Hoyland Common Community Portal. http://www.birdwell.org.uk/?q=node/5.
- ↑ "Birdwell FC: FA Cup statistics". http://wildstat.com/p/1/club/ENG_Birdwell_FC. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ "Birdwell Primitive Methodists FC: FA Cup statistics". http://wildstat.com/p/1/club/ENG_Birdwell_Primitive_Meths_FC. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ Brown, Tony (1999). The FA Cup Complete Results (First ed.). Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 176. ISBN 1 899468 72 2.
- ↑ Barnsley Chronicle 11 & 18 September 1909