Grimethorpe

Grimethorpe

Brierley Road
Grimethorpe
 Grimethorpe shown within South Yorkshire
Population 1,873 (2001)
Civil parishBrierley
Metropolitan boroughBarnsley
Metropolitan county South Yorkshire
RegionYorkshire and the Humber
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Barnsley
Postcode district S72
Dialling code 01226
Police South Yorkshire
Fire South Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK ParliamentBarnsley East
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°34′N 1°23′W / 53.57°N 1.38°W

Grimethorpe is a large village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 1,873.[1] It is believed the name Grimethorpe originates from "Grim's Torp", a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Viking names, meaning a torp or hamlet owned by a Viking named Grimey.

It is located to the east of Barnsley and south of Hemsworth; until the local government reorganisation of 1974, it was part of the Hemsworth district and constituency.

Historically Grimethorpe was economically dependent on mining, but since the closure of its colliery in 1992 the village has gone into decline.

Mining

Remediation of a slag heap in 2006; left from Grimethorpe's mining days.

The 1981 census recorded 44% of Grimethorpe workers as miners.[2] 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 UK miners' strike (1984–85), 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 very cold for the next decade.

Deprivation

Grimethorpe has gained a reputation as the most long-term deprived community in Great Britain and many houses from its coal-mining days have been demolished. In 1994, the European Union's study of deprivation named Grimethorpe as the poorest village in the country and amongst the poorest in Europe. Levels of crime and drug abuse have been chronically high. Unemployment was above 50% for much of the 1990s and a large proportion of the population are disabled, having suffered injuries in the coal mines.

The deprivation of the area has been exacerbated by its lack of transport links; while other similar mining villages nearby such as Fitzwilliam and South Elmsall have rail links to Leeds, Grimethorpe has none.

Regeneration projects

New private housing being built in Grimethorpe as part of its regeneration in 2005.

Several regeneration projects have taken place. 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 village has seen the construction of three private housing estates, a medical centre, dental surgery, and village hall. Regeneration was praised by former Deputy PM Lord Prescott on his visit in March 2010.

Education

There are two junior schools, Milefield and Ladywood. Willowgarth High School was demolished and a new superschool, Shafton Advanced Learning Centre (SALC), is the secondary school for pupils from Grimethorpe, Shafton, Brierley, Cudworth, Monk Bretton & Lundwood. Former schools include Springvale Junior and Middle school, which burned down in the 1980s.

Band

Grimethorpe is known for its past as a mining village, its brass band, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and was used 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.

Sport

Grimethorpe has had two senior football clubs – Grimethorpe Athletic, who played in the FA Cup from 1904 to 1953, and Grimethorpe Miners Welfare, who competed in the FA Vase.

References

  1. ↑ "Usual Resident Population", Census 2001: Urban Areas (MS EXCEL) (table), Office for National Statistics, KS01, retrieved 26 August 2009
  2. ↑ Barnsley MB report (PDF).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grimethorpe.