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Doncaster

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Doncaster is a town in the English county of Yorkshire, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. The town is located approximately 20 miles from Sheffield and is popularly referred to by some of its residents as Donny. The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster has frequently applied for city status but despite Doncaster's size and history, it has yet to be given the title. Doncaster boasts a new International airport and its centre is undergoing massive regeneration including the development of an Education City campus, the largest budget education investment of its kind in the UK.

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Geography, demographics and regeneration

It is the 15th largest population centre in the UK outside London and its origins lie in Roman times. The borough flourished as a communications centre and expanded dramatically due to the coal mining industry. Following the closure of the coal mines in the 1970s and 1980s, the town is now very much used by new tertiary industries due to its good communications links with the rest of the UK - situated as Doncaster is on the A1(M) and M18 motorways, and within 20 minutes of the key M1 and M62 motorways - and its central location. Doncaster is also a railway town and a GNER hub, serving the East Coast Mainline.

The town has grown from its original size many times over, but since this time, the traditional industrial housing in the town centre has been removed to make way for new commercial ventures. Central Doncaster is now very much a commercial district, and is surrounded by the traditional industrial housing that was once prevalent in the town centre. The town centre has undergone extensive regeneration in recent years with massive private and public investment taking place, this has thus far been deemed a success, however unemployment across the borough, remains higher than the national average.

New developments, both ongoing and completed include the Doncaster Education City - a massive public investment program bringing a new campus to the town for the Doncaster College, the Lakeside redevelopment - an expansion to the Lakeside Village outlet and the Frenchgate Interchange - a huge investment program to unify the bus and rail stations with the Frenchgate centre, Doncaster's largest town centre shopping centre. The extension to the centre and the new bus station opened on 8th June, 2006, from whence all bus routes started to use the station, which provides easy access to rail services and the shopping centre. The new shopping areas are likely to attract new investment.

Doncaster is asserting its weight in the region with developments such as a new international airport, Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield which opened in 2005, and the regeneration of the central business district. Future developments will also include a new community sports stadium for sports teams such as Doncaster Rovers and the Doncaster Belles, to be completed in winter 2006 (projected).

Doncaster is home to one of the oldest and largest racecourses in the country. In 2005, the racecourse closed temporarily to enable the re-development of the stands and facilities by Arena Leisure Plc. The new facility is expected to feature world-class facilities, built in hotels and business capable facilities extending Doncaster's grip both in this sport and corporate leisure.

History

Doncaster is located at [53°31′N 1°8′W] - the site of a Roman fort which was built in the 1st century A.D. at the site of a crossing across the River Don. The Roman empirical command of Ninius called this fort "Caer Daun". Later the commands of Antoninus and Notitia called this fort Danum, from which the town derives the Don part of its name; caster was from the Roman word for "fort". Doncaster was home to the Roman Crispinian horse garrison. The cavalry took its name from Crispus, son of Constantine the Great. Crispus, son of the Emperor, lived at Danum (Doncaster) whilst his father lived 40 miles further north at Eboracum (York). Much of Doncaster's Roman past remains to be discovered. There are several areas of known intense archaelogical interest however many, in particular St Sepulchre Gate, remain hidden under buildings.

The town was rebuilt by the Normans after William I took the throne. The Normans also built a castle at nearby Conisbrough.

As the 12th century approached, Doncaster matured into a busy town and in 1194 King Richard I granted Doncaster national recognition with a Royal Charter. During the Middle Ages Doncaster evolved further and it was then later in 1204 that Doncaster suffered and recovered from a disastrous fire. At this time, buildings were built of wood and fire was a constant hazard.

Today, many Doncaster streets are named 'gate'. The word 'gate' is derived from the old Danish word 'gata' which meant street. During Medieval times, craftsmen or tradesmen with similar skills, tended to live in the same street. Baxter is an ancient word for baker thereby confirming that Baxtergate was indeed the baker's street. It is assumed that 'Frenchgate' may be named after French speaking Normans who settled on this street.

During the 14th century numbers of friars arrived in Doncaster who were known for their religious enthusiasm and preachings. In 1307 Franciscan friars arrived and they were called grey friars because of the colour of their costumes. Carmelites or white friars arrived in the middle of the 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries the town of Doncaster continued to expand. This was despite several outbreaks of plague from 1562 until 1606. Each time the plague struckdown significant numbers of Doncaster's population.

From around the 16th century, Doncaster embraced the wealthy stagecoach trade. This led to horse breeding in Doncaster, which in turn led to the start of horse races there. There is evidence that horse races were held in Doncaster as far back as the early 17th century, but it is the St. Leger Stakes, first held in the 1770s, which makes the town's races famous. Today, Doncaster's St. Leger Stakes remains the Oldest Classic Horse Race in the world!

Saint George's Minster, Doncaster with a floral representation of the saint in front of it
Enlarge
Saint George's Minster, Doncaster with a floral representation of the saint in front of it

12th Century Conisbrough Castle, open to the public and property of English Heritage
Enlarge
12th Century Conisbrough Castle, open to the public and property of English Heritage

Doncaster is traditionally very wealthy. The borough itself was known for its rich land owners with vast estates and huge stately homes such as Brodsworth Hall, Cantley Manor, Nether Hall, Wheatley Hall, Hickleton Hall and Cusworth Hall. This wealth is evidenced in the luxurious and historic gold guilted 18th Century Mansion House which resides on High Street. This land ownership developed what is an ancient Market place and huge 18th Century Corn Exchange building. Perhaps the most striking building is St George's Minster (until recently, a Parish Church).

Doncaster was already a communications centre at this time. Doncaster sat on the Great North Road or A1, due to its strategic geographical importance and essentially Roman inheritance. This was the primary route for all traffic from London to Edinburgh and Doncaster cashed in on its location.

The late 18th Century to 20th Century saw Doncaster emerge as a Industrial Centre. Using its communication links and in particular waterways Doncaster became extremely busy and saw vast migration to its centre. Underneath Doncaster lies huge natural resource by way of deep seam Coal. It was Coal that prompted Doncaster's exponential population growth. The waterways, River Don and Don Navigation were used to transport coal from Doncaster to the Steel Production centres at Rotherham, Sheffield and Scunthorpe.

With coal mining came secondary and tertiary industries:

Continuing the Industrial Revolution, the railway came to Doncaster, and the Great Northern Railway Locomotive and Carriage Building Works was established there. The reasons for this were due to Doncaster's communication links, the necessity to transport coal quickly and efficiently and Doncaster's expertise in specialist metal products. An extensive housing programme was undertaken to cater for the increase in the population. The Chairman of the Great Northern, anxious about their spiritual welfare, persuaded the directors to contribute towards the building of St. James' Church, which became known as the "Plant Church". The railway also built St. James' School. The Doncaster Plant became famous for building LNER 4-6-2 locomotives Mallard and the Flying Scotsman, as well as many thousands more locomotives. Today, the town retains a key station on the East Coast line running from London to Scotland.

During World War I and World War II, the rail industry gave way to munitions building. In the early part of the 20th Century Doncaster became one of the largest coal mining areas in the country, with the industry employing more people in the area than anything else. However, along with many other areas, a large number of mining jobs were lost in the late 1980s, and several pits closed. Today, coal mining has been all but eliminated from the area, with only a handful of collieries surviving. The demise of Coal saw a cascade effect which saw the removal of many other tertiary industries however several companies diversified and can still be seen today. Despite a small scale resurgence, the area remains crippled by unemployment, with a recent TUC survey placing it the joint highest in Yorkshire (with Bradford) at over 8%.

More recently, the town has sought to reinvent itself, primarily as a commercial and leisure centre. Its horse races remain very famous, and the town also has a men's football club, Doncaster Rovers F.C., and one of the most successful women's football clubs in the country, Doncaster Belles L.F.C.. Its highest ranked men's sport club is the Doncaster Lakers Rugby League Football Club (formerly known as Doncaster Dragons RLFC) who have played consistently in Rugby Leagues' National League One. There is also a new international airport, Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, which opened on April 28, 2005, on the former Royal Air Force station of RAF Finningley, in Doncaster.

In 1995 the Millennium Commission made an award to Earth Centre, Doncaster which became one of its Landmark Millennium projects. A former coal mine and pit tip was chosen to become a visitor attraction based upon the ideals of sustainability. Earth Centre closed its doors to visitors in 2004, having never achieved projected visitor figures.

On March 5, 2004, Doncaster was granted Fairtrade Town status. It is a twin town with Gliwice, Poland and has been a Sister City with Wilmington, North Carolina, USA since 1989.

Aviation

Aviation History of Doncaster

RFC Doncaster/RAF Doncaster/Doncaster Airport

In 1909 Doncaster racecourse was chosen as the venue for an airshow, after the world's first air display in Rheims in 1908. All the world's leading aviators were present. Samuel F. Cody (no relation to William F. (Buffalo Bill)) in an attempt to win a prize offered by The Daily Mail for the first British pilot in a British aeroplane to fly a circular mile signed British naturalisation papers in front of the crowd with the band playing both the Star Spangled Banner and the National Anthem. Unfortunately, he crashed his British Army Aeroplane No.1 whilst taxiing.

During World War I fighters based first from the racecourse, then a temporary airstrip near Finningley (later RAF Finningley and now Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield International Airport) and finally, in 1916, from a newly built airfield alongside the race course, were deployed to defend the east coast against Zeppelins. On a number of occasions fighters took off to search for the intruders but none were ever seen. The RFC station trained pilots for the war in France. Within months of the war ending the entire station was put up for sale and two of its three Belfast hangars, the same type of hangar that now forms the basis for The Royal Air Force museum at Hendon, were sold to a Sheffield motor manufacturing company for storage and assembly at Finningley. The third of the hangars stayed in place, mainly housing buses, until the seventies when they were knocked down and replaced with modern buildings.

In 1920 the Government asked local authorities to assist in the formation of a chain of airfields so this country would not lack behind other nations in the provision of civil air services. Doncaster took heed and with expert advice from Alan Cobham on May 26. 1934 open a grandly called 'aviation centre'. Development of the airfield continued and on July 1, 1936 an international service was open to Amsterdam On November 1, 1938, after long discussions with the Air Ministry, 616 (South Yorkshire) fighter squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force was formed. Shortly after the outbreak of war in 1939 the squadron went to its battle station and played an honourable part in the Battle of Britain. After the departure of 616 squadron its place was taken by the formation of 271 (Transport) Squadron composed mainly of requisitioned civilian aircraft and obsolescent twin engined bombers. 616 squadron should be noted as the first Allied jet fighter squadron, who were equipped with the Gloster Meteor. In 1944 after being re-equipped with Dakotas the squadron moved south to take part in operation 'Overlord' and later in the airborne invasion at Arnhem where Flight Lieutenant David Lord was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. After the war the airfield reverted to civilian flying and finally closed in 1992.

RAF Finningley

RAF Finningley was home to the Finningley Airshow for over three decades. The show was England's premier airshow and featured such aircraft as Concorde, RAF Vulcans and The Red Arrows. The Red Arrows were based at RAF Finningley for many years. For around 20 years it was the largest Aircrew Training facility in the RAF.

Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport is a new airport that commenced operation on April 28, 2005. It followed the re-development of the former R.A.F. base on the site, RAF Finningley, that closed in 1994. The airport serves many destinations through principal carrier Thomsonfly as well as many smaller others. It features one of the longest and widest runways in the Country due to its history carrying Cold War nuclear Vulcan Bombers in its previous life.

During the first year of operation, the airport had handled over 900,000 passengers.

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