Grimethorpe
- Not to be confused with Grimesthorpe
| Grimethorpe | |
| Yorkshire West Riding | |
|---|---|
 Brierley Road | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SE413091 |
| Location: | 53°34’39"N, 1°22’36"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 4,672 (2011) |
| Post town: | Barnsley |
| Postcode: | S72 |
| Dialling code: | 01226 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Barnsley |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Barnsley East |
Grimethorpe is a village in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the east of Barnsley,. As of the 2011 census it has a population of 4,672.
For much of the 20th century Grimethorpe's economy was rooted in coal mining. Since the 1984–85 miners' strike, the downscaling of British coal mining accelerated and international cheap open-cast mining provoked closure of its colliery in May 1993. In 1994 it was regarded as the poorest village in Europe.[1]
Revival came swiftly with new business. Roads link the village to some of the country's biggest arteries, and the village is home to approximately 50 businesses, including the online fashion retailer ASOS.
History
The name Grimethorpe is not from the grime of the coal mines: it originates from "Grimes Þorp", a Norse name meaning ‘Grim’s Village’. The village stads at the foot of the hill upon which Brierley village stands.
Following the Norman conquest, the Brierley-Grimethorpe area came under the rule of the De Laceys of Pontefract, a local Saxon. In 1066, the village's owner was Ernui who was said to have six carucates of land at ‘’Brerelia’’ and ‘’Hindelia’’, valued at forty shillings.
This land was given after the Norman conquest to Airic who was given the whole of Staincross Wapentake by Ilbert de Lacey of Pontefract.
A stone cross called Ladycross was erected near Grimethorpe by the monks of Monk Bretton Priory.
On a well-hidden site between Brierley and Grimethorpe stood the fortified Manor of Hall Steads, which belonged to the early Brearley estate. The name of Hall Steads first appears in 1284 in connection with a later Lord of Brierley Manor. Hall Steads was surrounded first by a high, stone wall and then by a moat. The site covered an area of approximately five acres. The building was mainly of local sandstone and many of the stones can still be seen in the soil. Fragments of 14th and 15th-century pottery have been found amongst these stones.[2]
Mining
The 1981 census recorded that 44% of all workers in Grimethorpe were miners. The two pits in the village were 'Grimethorpe' and 'Ferrymoor' which merged with 'Riddings' in 1967, which in turn merged with 'South Kirkby' in 1985. Grimethorpe colliery was one of the deepest pits in Britain and, following similar mergers with 'Houghton Main' and 'Dearne Valley', employed 6,000 men at the time of its closure in May 1993. During mid-October of the 1984–85 miners' strike, there was a series of riots in Grimethorpe and local residents complained that the policing was too heavy-handed. Relations between the community and the police remained cold for the next decade.
St Luke's Church was built in 1904 after St Paul's Church, the church of Brierley, was deemed insufficient to accommodate the village's growing population.[3]
Closure and beyond
After the closure of the mines and other local industries, Grimethorpe entered a period of decline. Unemployment was above 50% for much of the 1990s. Long-term deprivation was identified by local social workers, the public sector, and charities by the 2000s. This sparked a period of regeneration and much of the denser basic housing was demolished and replaced with new housing stock.
Historically Grimethorpe had road links in all direcrtiosn without natural barriers but was distant to major cities and its public transport was represented by long-distance bus routes, not trains as oter minig villages had.
Several regeneration projects have taken place in the village over the years. The Dearne Valley link roads have been constructed and Park Springs Industrial Estate has been developed. This has brought many jobs to the area especially the construction of a huge unit occupied by South Yorkshire-based furniture company Symphony. The ex-regional NCB Offices have been converted into managed workshops and offices for small businesses and named 'The Acorn Centre', The largest employer on site is Honest Home Care Ltd which employs over 40 people. The village has seen the construction of four private housing estates, a medical centre, a dental surgery, and a village hall.
Since this time regeneration work has continued with the opening of the large ASOS distribution centre, and many other industrial units on the Park Springs Industrial Estate.
Society
Grimethorpe is known for its past as a mining village, its brass band, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and its use as the location for the film Brassed Off – a black comedy which tells the plight of the village and the effect on its band. In 2010 Grimethorpe Colliery band recorded a version of the hymn "Jerusalem" which was played when the English team won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Grimethorpe) |
References
- ↑ "Grimethorpe, the mining village that hit rock bottom – then bounced back". 3 March 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/03/grimethorpe-hit-rock-bottom-then-bounced-back. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ↑ Brereley – A History of Brierley, by M. R. Watson & M. Harrison, First Edition 1975, Reprinted 1976, Anchor Press, Barnsley Road, Cudworth [1]
- ↑ "St Luke". https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8275/about-us/.