South Yorkshire's Best Kept Secret

Advantages: History/ Beauty
Disadvantages: Unambition/ Lack of vision, funding/ Very poorly managed

.... The massive, well preserved keep was added in the twelth century. Other additions were made in and around this time. By the fourteenth century a 'Warenne' died without issue which meant ownership passed to the Crown. But by 1537 the Castle was abandoned and in ruins. A survey records that the gates, barbican, walling structures and some of the keeps floors had collapsed. This ruinous state is probably why the castle was left alone in the Civil war and why it is so well preserved today. Most castles in that era were demolished to prevent them from being used. TODAY Doncaster Council own the land the Castle sits on but it falls upon English Heritage to upkeep it who in turn use the Ivanhoe Trust to manage the property. The castle is seen as a primary tourist spot in South Yorkshire and it sees 30,000 visitors a year. This Castle is one...

WormThatTurned 23.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Conisbrough Castle, South Yorkshire

The South Yorkshire Transport Museum

Advantages: Nostalgic, Historical
Disadvantages: Admission Charges, Limited Opening Hours

...The South Yorkshire Transport Museum can be found at Aldwarke, near Rotherham in South Yorkshire. Until recently this Transport Museum was located in the former Tinsley Tram Sheds between Sheffield and Rotherham. I visited here about 4 years ago and it was then called the Sheffield Bus Museum. Now it has relocated, it has been given a new name, the South Yorkshire Transport Museum. The former Sheffield Bus Museum first opened its doors to the Public ten years ago, in 1997. In December 2006 this Museum closed, re-opening at its present location a few weeks ago, in the Spring of 2007. This Museum has a collection of Trams and Buses that were once in use in Sheffield and the surrounding area. All of these have been fully restored and are in pristine condition. Almost all of them are also in full working order and when the weather is...

micksheff 29.05.2007 · Read review
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Firsby Reservoirs, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Tranquil, free to visit
Disadvantages: Difficult to find, no circular footpath all the way around

...Firsby Reservoirs lie approximately 4 miles (7 Kilometres) to the north east of Rotherham town centre in South Yorkshire. They consist of two separate bodies of water that were created between 1874 and 1880 to provide a supply of fresh drinking water to Rotherham and the surrounding area. Their secondary purpose was to also to act as holding reservoirs for the nearby Thrybergh Reservoir. However, it seemed that the odds were stacked against these reservoirs right from the start. It soon became apparent that both reservoirs leaked badly and despite numerous repairs the problem was never really solved. In the early 1970's the M18 Motorway had been built close to the site and by 1974 the whole area was so heavily polluted that Firsby Reservoirs were no longer viable as a source of drinking water and they became redundant...

micksheff 26.03.2008 · Read review
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Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Lots of history
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...Euros) Charges for the gardens only are: Adults - £5.00 (7.5 Euros) Children - £2.50 (3.75 Euros) Concessions - £4.00 (6 Euros) Entry is free for English Heritage members. Brodsworth Hall Brodsworth Doncaster South Yorkshire DN5 7XJ Telephone: (01302) 724969 Fax: (01302) 337165 Overall I think Brodsworth Hall makes for a great day out. It is always good to see how the other half live (or lived)....

micksheff 23.09.2008 · Read review
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The Elsecar Heritage Centre, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Free, Lots Of History
Disadvantages: Admission Charges For Some Exhibits

...The Elsecar Heritage Centre is situated in the small, former Mining Village of Elsecar about seven and a half miles to the South of Barnsley in South Yorkshire. It is described as a Heritage and Craft Centre and since it opened it has won numerous awards. I often try and make a point of visiting such attractions as I find that it is an excellent way to learn about the local area and since entry into the Centre is free there really is no excuse to not visit this place whilst in the area. The Centre is located within an old Colliery Workshop and Ironworks that once belonged to the Earl Fitzwilliam whose residence was the nearby Wentworth Estate and the magnificent Wentworth Woodhouse Country House. The Elsecar Heritage Centre includes various carefully restored Buildings, many of which are positioned alongside the attractive...

micksheff 10.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Elsecar Heritage Centre, South Yorkshire

Monk Bretton Priory, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Free to visit
Disadvantages: Within an urban enviroment, now only ruins

...I thought that that my trusted satellite navigation system had let me down when I recently visited Monk Bretton Priory near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. I knew that I was very close to the remains of this 12th century monastery as I had been following a string of road signs for a couple of miles. Suddenly after a quick left turn onto a housing estate at the back of a row of shops my Sat Nav proudly announced that I had reached my destination. I looked around at the rows of houses and was just about to curse under my breath when I noticed that I was on Abbey Lane, which seemed rather promising. I parked up and peered over a stone wall that ran along the length of this road and there it was, nestled somewhat uncomfortably adjacent to a modern, post war sprawling housing estate. Of course, nine and a half centuries ago when this Cluniac...

micksheff 13.06.2008 · Read review
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Thrybergh Country Park, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Lots Of Wildlife, Free Entry
Disadvantages: Footpaths Can Get Messy

...Thrybergh Country Park lies approximately 3 miles to the North West of Rotherham Town Centre and about 9 miles to the West of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire and is one of the largest Country Parks in the region. At the centre of this Park lies a Reservoir, created in 1880 to supply Water to Doncaster and the surrounding area. However throughout its history this Reservoir never met the demands that were put on it, largely due to leakage from the reservoir floor. During the 1940's this Reservoir was producing 490,000 gallons of Water a day, but losing 100,000 gallons of this every day. By the 1960's it was only producing 350,000 gallons a day, but still losing 100,000 gallons every day, so it no longer became commercially viable. In September 2000 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council purchased Thrybergh reservoir from Yorkshire...

micksheff 27.01.2007 · Read review
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Conisbrough Castle, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Lots Of History
Disadvantages: Not Free To Look Around

...Conisbrough Castle has often been described as South Yorkshire's best kept secret. It is located in the Village of Conisborough, six miles West of Doncaster and seven miles East of Rotherham. It is thought that Conisbrough Castle dates from around the year 1070 although very little is known about the early days of the Castle other than it was built for Earl William, the Son in Law of King William the first. He had supported King William, his Father in Law during his famous Battle of 1066 and it is possible that Conisborough Castle was given to him as a Gift for this support. The Earl William was given the title Earl Warrene and had two other Estates at Castle Acre in Norfolk and at Lewes in Sussex. It is believed that he did not spend very much time at his Yorkshire Castle. When he died in 1088 his three Estates, including Conisbrough...

micksheff 25.01.2007 · Read review
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South Yorkshire - A Summary In Under 1800 Words.

Advantages: Lots of contrast, Plenty of attractions and history
Disadvantages: Quite Industrial in areas

...It is over a year since I suggested "South Yorkshire in General" as a product for Ciao, but despite it being added to the Product index quickly I have not, until now, been able to bring myself to the task of writing the review I originally intended. Since no one else has taken up the challenge it would appear that it is still down to me to complete this review, and hopefully, do justice the County of my birth, where I was born and bred, and where I still live. I have written so many individual reviews on places within the County of South Yorkshire that I felt that it would be hard to compose such a general account or not duplicate some of the things that I have written about previously. It is therefore my intention to take a slightly different approach. South Yorkshire covers an area of 1,552 Square Kilometres making it the 38...

micksheff 01.03.2007 · Read review
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Bolsterstone Village, South Yorkshire

Advantages: Lovely Views, Lots Of History
Disadvantages: A Little Off The Beaten Track

...of Bolsterstone has a history that goes back much further that of Stocksbridge, which is now the dominant settlement in this area. It is known that there was an Anglo Saxon settlement here and the Village also lies on one of the main Salt trading routes between Yorkshire and Cheshire. There are several theories regarding how Bolsterstone derived its name. One of the more plausible ones being that it was from a corruption of the name Walder. Walder was a local Saxon Chief that was prominent in this area and there is a mound of earth to the South East of the Village that is called Walder's Low. Another possibility is that its name come from two large Stones (or Boulders) that are now located in the Churchyard. The locals generally refer to these as the "Bolster Stones." For such a small Village there is a surprisingly lot to see and do...

micksheff 18.03.2007 · Read review
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