Mexborough and Swinton Times July 22, 1927
The Growth of Thurnscoe
The development of Thurnscoe has kept pace with that of the neighbouring mining town of Goldthorpe. Here again we have seen the rapid and almost bewildering transformation of a charming old agricultural village into a busy, crowded colliery town.
Thurnscoe is now almost totally dependent on the one great industry in its midst – coal mining – represented by the Hickleton Main Colliery, which is one of the finest in the hall of the British coal industry, employing about 5000 men, all of whom are housed either at Goldthorpe or in Thurnscoe.
The Urban District Council, which was formed in 1908, began to deal with the housing problem immediately after the war. Prior to that, houses had been provided either by the Colliery Company or by individual enterprise.The council have themselves erected nearly 500 houses and the Colliery Company, through a public utility society, call the Industrial Housing Association provided probably 800 more. Here again, ample provision has been made for healthy recreation, outdoor and indoor.
The Colliery Company at an early stage in its career endowed the village with the splendid athletic ground, around this gone up an extensive pleasure ground, including one of the prettiest public parts to be found in the district, and a children’s playground.
The Lord of the Manor, the late Rev T Thornley Taylor, took the most active and benevolent interest in the welfare of Thurnscoe, serving on its Parish Council, made many generous gifts of land, including the site of the part which bears his name.
Practically all the modern houses have been provided with gardens. Large sums have been spent on the water supply and drainage of this modern town, and shops and amusement have been added as required.
Tramcars and bus services have done much to facilitate intercommunication with this outlying part of the coalfield area with other centres of traffic and business. Although three railway line, two of them constructing the period under review, pass through this district, they have done little or nothing to cater for the population which has arrived. The Swinton and Knottingley branch line (L.M.S.) passes through the district to Pontefract and York, there is also branch line from Wath to Kirk Smeaton, connecting with Hull and Barnsley, and there is the Dearne Valley railway from Edlington to Wakefield, primarily constructed for mineral traffic. There is a station on the Swinton and Kilnhurst line at Bolton, and the Dearne Valley line at Goldthorpe, on the Hull and Barnsley line at Thurnscoe: but none of these services meet the particular needs of the district, and, with the possible exception of the Dearne Valley line, to Wakefield, are not greatly used.
Looking back, it is astonishing to note how large a proportion of the development of the district has been through the collieries, which are at the base of all the activity an extension, and which have gathered together the large and growing population now settled in that area, have been sunk in some cases more than 50 years ago, and in other cases since before the war.
The transformation which has taken place in the last few years is so great that one cannot attempt to predict what the district will be like in 50 years hence. It is certain, however, that it will still be busy and thriving, for the large collieries of this area between them a life which will guarantee for a much longer period the maintenance of a large coalfield population.