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Carcroft is a rural village, which falls within the Adwick ward of Doncaster, at it's Northern edge. Recently the Borough was awarded new status, as the City of Doncaster.     Historically, until 1974, it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

It borders woodland to the North which separates it from the neighbouring village of Owston. To the West, the village merges seamlessly with Skellow having subsumed the areas previously known as Hobcroft and Bullcroft. Just to the North-West is the historic village of Burghwallis.

From 1912 until 1970, the village hosted Bullcroft Colliery, which mined coal seams 600 metres below ground level. This was until these deep seams were worked via the nearby colliery of Brodsworth, which itself closed in 1990. Once Bullcroft colliery closed, the major employer became the large Asda supermarket.

The memorial wheel for the Bullcroft Colliery is pictured.

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St Andrew's Presbyterian Church was opened in 1916.  It stood on Owston Park Road, opposite the School.  

It was designed by Mr. T. Brownlow Thompson, architect, of Hull and built by Messrs. Quibell, Son & Greenwood, also of Hull. It was the first rural Presbyterian Church to be built in Yorkshire and was a free gift fromMr. Andrew Cockrane of Hull and Selby, who defrayed the entire costof nearly £4000. Miss MacKay, daughter of the late Minister of trinity Church, Doncaster, laid the foundation stone.

The design was a simple treatment of 14th Century Gothic in red stock bricks and Christie patent stone, roofed with slates. It was cruciform in plan, and had a simple arrangement of sliding and folding partitions by which the North and South aisles could be transformed into classrooms. The was seating accommodation for 350, without the choir.

Now demolished.

The Bullcroft Colliery Company was formed in April 1908 for the purpose of working an area of minerals comprising of around 12,000 acres.  

The sinking of the two 16'6"  wide shafts commenced in 1909. Difficulties were encountered when water up to 6000 gallons per minute burst into the shafts. Eventually a German firm was brought in who used a method that froze the strata in and around the shafts. As sinking proceeded, circular steel plates were fitted around the shafts as a water barrier, to a depth of 122 yards. When the two shafts reached 128 yards, freezing was dispensed with and normal sinking commenced with no more difficulties.

The two shafts were sunk to the Dunsil seam 648 yards in depth, intercepting the Barnsley seam at 660 yards, the pit bottom being formed at this level. Coal was reached by December 1911.  By the week ending 6 Jan 1912, about 1000 tons were turned and output rose steadily to around 20,000 tons per week.

Bullcroft joined 'Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Ltd.' on 9 Feb 1937. In 1941, D.A.C. decided to create a research department into safety matters, particularly into the problems with spontaneous combustion in the Barnsley seam. As a result of investigations, it was decided to adopt pneumatic stowing of the gate side packs as a measure to prevent ventilation leakage from the gob. This was put into operation in 1944 and continued successfully. Production of the Dunsil seam commenced in 1943, with power loading being introduced in 1945.

on 1 Jan 1947, all collieries were nationalised. Diesel locomotion replace rope haulages on the southeast sides of the working and men riding from the pit bottom. In 1951, pithead baths were built, much to the delight of the miners and their families.

Bullcroft continued to turn coal until it merged with Brodsworth Colliery in 1970 with some of the Bullcroft workforce being transferred to Brodsworth. Operations in Bullcroft ceased and in 1872 the shafts were filled.

A memorial to all who worked and died in Bullcroft is situated near to where the main entrance gate was.  There is half of a winding wheel, a plaque on the wall and a seat.

Skellow is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Scanhalla.  
There were 5 Manors. Gluniarnn, Northmann, Alsige, Adelo and Leofkoll had four Caracutes of land for geld. Now, William has it of Ilbert. In the desmesne one plough and ten villanes and five bordars having three ploughs. Eight acres of meadow are there. Wood, pasturable, half a leuga in length and four quaranteens in breadth. T.R.E. it was worth sixty shillings, now forty shillings.
Land of Ilbert de Laci.

On the OS map of 1854, shown left, Cromwell's Batteries are shown, to the East of Skellow Old Hall. Between these, is a motte, the site of the Norman castle of William Pictavus who was given Skellow and Burghwallis after the Norman conquest. Cromwell's soldiers reused the site to control passage along the Great North Road.

Green Lane Temporary Council School

This was opened in 1913 as a temporary school for infants and mixed juniors, taking children from Skellow and nearby hamlets.

The site was near the top of Green Lane, (about a hundred yards/metres East of the A1M,  at Grid Ref. SE520111).

This Location was quite a long walk for younger children. It closed in 1934 and the children were transferred to Skellow and Carcroft Council Schools.


Skellow Primary School

The school on Lodge Road was opened in 1927 to accommodate the children of miners coming into new housing in the area.

During the 1940'and 1950's, infants occupied one hald of the building and seniors the other; juniors were sent to boys and girls departments at Carcroft School.

It now takes pupils from entry to eleven years.

Skellow Hall stands in the vicinity of the remains of the Motte and Bailey castle, most likely erected by William Pictavus, who in 1086 held the manor from Ilbert de Laci.  The manor passed through several families including Adams, Dawson and Parsons, but by the early 1600's Leonard Byard was living at Skellow Hall.  he most probably built the Hall, which has many features suggestive of a 17th Century date.  The buildings are of 'coursed rubble' plastered over, with hood mouldings over mullioned windows.  Roofing is a mixture of slate, tile and pantiles with slabbed eaves and coped gables.

Leonard's son, George Byard, became an officer in the Parliamentarian army during the civil war, during which time Cromwell was entertained and slept at the Hall. He was there to solve the problem of how Cavaliers were bypassing the town of Doncaster and found that they were leaving the North Road at Skellow and crossing the Don at Barnby Dun. His soldiers would be stationed at Skellow during his time there and apparently re-used the old bailey earthworks to build mounds on which to stand their cannon.

George Byard, being childless, left the estate to his wife's nephew, William Rokeby; his descendant Thomas l'Anson lived there at the end of the 17th Century. members of the Davis-Cooke family resided at the Hall at the end of the 19th and early 20th Century, Captain R.C. Davies-Cooke, a Doncaster magistrate, being the last one.

In 1949, the Hall was acquired by Doncaster Council and became a children's home, mainly for orphaned boys or those in need of care.  It is now a residential care home for the elderly.

1086 Domesday entry for Austun (modern Owston)

In Austun, Gluniarnen, Ulfkil and Skotkollr had 4 carucates of land to the geld, where three ploughs may be.  Now, Alvred has it of Ilbert.   Himself one plough, and twelve villanes and five bordars having four ploughs.  Eight acres of meadow there. Wood, pasturable, half a leuga in length and half (a leuga) in breadth.  T.R.E. it was worth sixty shillings; now forty shillings.

Map c.1772 by Thomas Jeffries

Showing a lane with buildings either side running from between the Church and Hall towards the Lodge on Owston Lane.

O.S. Map of 1854

Note the original size of the Churchyard and also a fishpond to the South of the Vicarage.

The earliest parts of the Church, nave, North aisle, tower and belfry date from the 12th century.  The nave has sections of herringbone masonry that is typical in the area during the early Norman period.  It is a feature of the use of building with the material from the thin upper beds of the local limestone.

The three Western bays of the North aisle are of the 13th Century, but the Eastern bay dates to the 15th Century, probably inserted when St. Mary's Chapel was built.

The South aisle, clerestory and chancel are of 14th Century date. There is an Easter sepulchre in the Chancel, also a stone bench for the priests, a double piscine and a mediaeval altar stone. The chancel was partially rebuilt in 1872-3 to the design of George Gilbert Scott and the floor is laid with beautiful Victorian tiles. The tower had to be partially reconstructed in 1898 and the nave was re-roofed in 1938.

The gates of the rood screen have the initials W A on them, those of William Adam, Lord of the Manor of Owston, although he is buried in Burghwallis Church.

Two beautiful marble monuments by Chantrey are in the chancel. Thee wall mounted one is to Bryan Cooke who died in 1821; he is depicted siting with his face resting on his hand. That to his wife depicts a lady kneeling, with head bowed and arms crossed; she is set on a pedestal.

A brass depicting Robert of Hatfield and his wife holding hands is under an archway of the nave close to the South aisle.  He founded a Chantry in the church just prior to his death in 1417.  (See below)

The brass depicts Robert of Hatfield and his wife Ada.

Robert's will is dated 15 October 1417, proved in November of that year.
He desired to be buried in the chapel of St. Mary, which had been 'newly constructed'.

They both wear the SS collar, which was the insignia of a noble order established by John of Gaunt for his Lancastrian retainers in 14th Century England.

The oldest part of the Hall is said to date back to 1604 when the manor belonged to the Duchy of Lancaster.  This would have part of the house lived in by the Adams family when they were tenants in the 16th Century; they purchased the estate from the Duchy during the 17th Century.  In 1698, John Adams sold the estate to henry Cooke of South Bramwith, third son of Sir Henry Cooke,, 2nf Baronet of Wheatley Hall.

In 1785, Bryan Cooke succeeded to the estate and proceeded to improve the house and grounds. Designs were prepared by William Porden but apparently weren't used and William Lindley, a prominent Doncaster architect, carried out the alterations. The two wings of the house are cornered to the South so taking maximum advantage of the sun. The style is neo-classical, the frontage having two Ionic pilaster framing each side of the main entrance. In 1793, Humphrey Repton was commissioned to draw up plans for landscaping the grounds and presented them in a 'Red Book', but these do not seem to have been carried out. A conservatory was added to the South-West side in 1840.

The Cooke family inherited through marriage and estate in Gwysaney in Wales and eventually this became their main residence. from about the 1880's, Owston Hall was let to tenants, including Mr. Ripley, (a dyer from Bradford), Mr. Charlesworth, (colliery owner) and Mr. Pawson, Registrar of the County Court.

In the 1920's part of the ground floor became headquarters to the Robin Hood Gold Club. The Hall was requisitioned by the Army during WWII and afterwards was converted into flats, the Cooke family retaining one for their own use. In 1976, the estate was purchased by Mr. P. Edwards and has now been converted into a hotel with 15 en-suite bedrooms.

On the c.1772 Map of Thomas Jeffries, top, the Mill is shown by the circular ring on the Mill stream.

Mr. Duncombe had purchased the manor of Adwick le Street from Anthony Eyre in 1762.

The main alterations to Adwick le Street between 1772 and on the second map of 1854 are:

1.    The closing of the road continuing from Red House Lane across the SW of the Hall and Rectory and the removal of two buildings in order to enlarge and landscape the garden belonging to the hall.

2.   The coming of the railways and building a Railway Station to the NW.

Also on the 1854 map, note the moated site of an early manor house along Church Lane, South West of the Mill Stream.

In the Domesday Survey of 1086, Adwick le Street was the property of Roger de Busli and was held of him by Fulk de Lizours.

The line of Lizours ended with an heiress, Albreda, who married a Fitzwilliam of the Sprotborough family and so Adwick passed to them. Although the manor seems to have stayed with the Fitzwilliam family for several generations until purchased by James Washington, Hunter (1830) mentions several others who held Adwick; it may be that Adwick was split into more than one 'manor' for a time.

In 1304 'Alice Lund held the manor of Adwick of Payne de Tibetot as one knight's fee. In 1309 John de Tibetot of Bentley and John de Tours (Evers) were named as the Lords. In 1317 the manor of Adwick was held by Stephen de Evers. By 1368, Adwick was divided into two moieties, held by Peter Evans and John Fitz-William.

In 1459, Nigel Fitz-William, second son of Sir John of Sprotborough, was living at Adwick and applied for a licence to make an Oratory (private chapel) there. Several of the Fitz-Williams are buried in the Church at Adwick; John Fitz-William who died in 1498 endowed a Chantry in the Church where his Mother was buried. The last of the Fitz-William family at Adwick was John, who died in 1512 leaving a two year old daughter as his heir; she died within three years. The manor passed to the nearest relative, William Fitz-William of Sprotborough and was eventually sold to a son of the Washington family.

In 1555, James Washington, second son of Richard Washington of Grayrigg near Kendal, inherited hampole priory. His acquisitions over the next few years included the manor of Adwick le Street, where he built an impressive hall with a a 5 gables front. (See below).
James married Margaret Anlaby and had 12 children. Margaret died aged 35 and James a year later aged 44. Their altar tomb is in St. Laurence. Effigies of James and Margaret are incised on the alabaster lid, as are their 12 kneeling children.  (See pictures, left).

Only two sons married; Richard inherited the estates and Bartholomew became Rector Of Burghwallis.

Richard had nine children, of whom the eldest son, Darcy, inherited. Darcy lived during the time of the Civil War and saw two of his sons die before him, supporting the Royalists; because of this it was Richard's grandson, also Richard, who inherited Adwick.

Richard's eldest son, another Richard born 1673, became heir apparent on his father's death in 1678 and inherited when he became of age. He was the last of the Washington's to live at Adwick le Street; some time before his death in 1719 he sold the manor to Sir George Cooke of Wheatley.

Sir George Cooke sold the manor to Anthony Eyre whose son Anthony inherited. This Anthony sold to Charles Duncombe, of the family who owned Duncombe Park in North Yorkshire. In 1790, Charles Duncombe sold to Thomas Bradford of Doncaster, who chose not to live at the Hall in Adwick and built a new hall on the estate at Woodlands.

In 1791, Thomas Bradford sold the manor of Adwick, the mansion and part of the lands to George Wroughton, who had acquired his fortune in India. His widow leased the Hall in 1821 and the Lordship of Adwick seemed to be abeyance from this time.

In October 2004, the title of Lord of the Manor of Adwick le Street was put up for sale for the sum of about £7,500.

The Old Rectory was built by the reverend Joshua Brooke in 1682 upon his becoming the incumbent of the Church of St. Laurence at Adwick le Street on 29th July of that year.  

He lived there for nearly 40 years, digging a well to provide water for the Rectory and planting an orchard of apple and walnut trees.

In the early 20th century, a new Rectory was built and in April 1952, the Old Rectory was purchased by the local authority to be used as a Town Hall.

The building has suffered damage to woodwork from the ravages of time, (and beetles), so all old timbers had to be removed and were replaced by concrete beams and floors.

The building was officially opened as the Town Hall on 6 December 1955.

Although the railway line and Station are shown on the OS map of 1854, the Station was not officially opened until March 1866 as an intermediate stop on the West Riding and Grimsby Railway's main line from Wakefield Westgate to Doncaster.  

The stone building, on the Doncaster bound 'up' platform, comprised a Booking Office, Waiting Room and Station Master's house.

In 1880, it became 'Carcroft and Adwick le Street Station'.

In June 1965, the old station was closed to goods traffic and in 1967 to passengers.

In 1993, a new platform and Station was built to the South-East of tthe old Station, by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.