South Kirkby & Moorthorpe

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South Kirkby & Moorthorpe, as the name suggests are 2 villages merged into one, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. (Grid ref: SE449108) It is an old coal mining town, however the textile industry also had large a presence.

In history the villages were mentioned in 1086 for the first time. For some centuries they were farmers' villages until the Industrial Revolution started. In 1881 the coal mine "South Kirkby Colliery" was founded. The coal mining caused an increase in population and the villages extended more and more. In the blossom 3000 workers were employed in the mine. 1984 was the year of the miners' strike to stop the dying of mines', but in vain. In 1988 "South Kirkby Colliery" was closed and later razed to the ground.

Most Coal Mines in and around the immediate area closed in the late 1980's - early 1990's, they consisited of South Kirkby-Ferrymoor Riddings drift, Frickley Colliery (Carlton Main) Kinsley Drift (formerly Hemsworth Colliery) and Grimethorpe colliery. Nearby Upton Colliery closed in 1964 due to Explosions, fires, and serious geological faults leading to loss of life.

South Kirkby towns motto is "Friendship, Unity & Progress, and is twinned with Sprockhovel in Germany since 1981. The establishment of "Sprockhövel InterNational Friendship Circle" led to the same named organisation in South Kirkby & Moorthorpe. Mrs Sylvia Harrison is secretary to "South Kirkby & Moorthorpe International Friendship Circle".

Since that time the Sprockhövel IFK and the South Kirkby & Moorthorpe IFC have organized exchange visits to Germany and to England once a year. The visitors stay with private families each time and an interesting programme with many day trips is organised for the groups. Amongst the IFK's members the accommodation mostly is easy done because many guests have made friends already and have been knowing their hosts for many years.

Although South Kirkby & Moorthorpe has its own town council, it is part of the City of Wakefield Metropolitan District. (WMDC) South Kirkby is recorded in the doomsday book, and houses a saxon settlement site (Grid ref: SE434104) The "All Saints Church" in South Kirkby is worth seeing with its tower 30 metres in height. In its foundations parts of the walls are historical ones from Anglo Saxon and Norman times.

South Kirkby, South Elmsall and the village of Moorthorpe, have all but merged into one. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Elmsall.