Sprotbrough
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Parish of Sprotbrough and Cusworth lies three miles to the north west of Doncaster town centre in South Yorkshire, England and is split by the A1(M) motorway.
[edit] Origins and history
It is believed that the name Sprotbrough originates from a mix of English and Scandinavian names, with "Sprotte" being a shoot and "Brough" being Scandinavian for a defensible place.
The early Parish contained six settlements:
- Sprotbrough (Sproteburg)
- Cadeby (Catebi)
- Wildthorpe (Widentorp)
- Cusworth (Cuzenworde)
- Skinthorpe (Scinestorp)
- Newton, first mentioned in 1379 when it was called New Farmstead
Those early hamlets would have been ringed by vast areas of agricultural land and many of the open fields still present today have names that can be traced back to early maps of the area.
The area, and almost all of the land around it, was owned by the Fitzwilliam family for many years. Sir John Fitzwilliam erected a cross next to the church during the reign of Henry V of England. There are also a number of statues and memorials to the Fitzwilliams and Copleys in St Mary's Church.
Much of the village was built on the site of Sprotbrough Hall, a magnificent stately home built for the Copley family in 1670. The Hall was demolished in the latter part of the 19th century and little evidence of it remains except some of the street names. Copley Junior School in Sprotbrough village is named for the Copley family.
Second World War hero Sir Douglas Bader grew up at the parsonage in the village when his father was Rector of St Mary's. The old Rectory is currently a conference centre and bears a plaque commemorating Bader's residence. Sir Walter Scott completed Ivanhoe in the village, which is remembered in the name of the village's pub and a small housing estate off Sprotbrough Road.
Cusworth Hall, which overlooks the parish to the north, was built by William Wrightson between 1740 and 1755 and was the home of the Battie-Wrightson family until 1952. It is now owned by the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster and houses the Museum of South Yorkshire Life.
[edit] Town End
The eastern part of Sprotbrough, from where Sprotbrough Road meets York Road, (the A638) to the bridge over the A1(M) is colloquially known as Town End. It was developed from farm land in around 1926 and was part of Bentley with Arksey Urban District until the formation of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster under the Local Government Act 1972. The church of St Edmund on Anchorage Lane was built in a converted barn on the former farm land when the area was being developed.
Town End was formerly the home of Fowlers forge, which among other things provided parts for tanks and other military vehicles. The works closed in the early 1980s and the site is occupied by a housing estate whose roads bear the names of some of the machines that were built there.
[edit] Local government and amenities
Sprotbrough and Cusworth Parish Council meets at the Goldsmith Centre on Sprotbrough Road. The council covers Sprotbrough, Cadeby, Cusworth and Scawsby.
A key focal point of Sprotbrough is St Mary's Church, founded in 1190, with its magnificent working clock tower that has commanding views of the Don Valley.
Schools in the parish include Copley Junior School, Orchard Junior School and Richmond Hill Primary School. The nearest secondary schools are Ridgewood School, Don Valley High School and Adwick School (North Doncaster Technology College).
Local pubs include the Newton, the Ivanhoe, the Boat Inn and the Cadeby Inn. Sprotbrough Country Club is a C&IU affiliated Working Men's Club in the village.
