Barnsley
Geography
OS Grid Reference:
Administration
Borough:	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Region:	Yorkshire and the Humber
Nation:	England
Other
Ceremonial County:	South Yorkshire
Traditional County:	Yorkshire (West Riding)
Post Office and Telephone
Post town:	Barnsley
Postcode:	S70, S71, S72, S73, S74, S75
Dialling Code:	01226

Barnsley is a large town in South Yorkshire, England, lying on the River Dearne, approximately twenty kilometres north of Sheffield. It is between junctions 36 and 37 of the M1 motorway and has a railway station served by the Hallam and Penistone Lines. It is the main town in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley. It has three MP's - Eric Illsley for Barnsley Central, Michael Clapham for Barnsley West and Penistone and Jeff Ennis for Barnsley East and Mexborough. They are all members of the Labour Party. The town itself has a population of just over 72,000 and the borough of around 223,500.

History

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The first historical reference to Barnsley occurs in 1086 in the Domesday Book, in which it is called 'Berneslai' with a total population of around 200. The exact origins of the name Barnsley is still subject to debate, but, Barnsley Council claims that its origins lie in the Saxon word Berne, for barn or storehouse, and Lay, for field. In 1249 a Royal Charter was granted to Barnsley permitting it to hold a weekly market and annual fair. Left undisturbed by the Civil Wars of the 17th century Barnsley was allowed to develop into a prosperous market town and was profiting from its privileged position on the route between Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffield and London. The traffic generated as a result of this location fuelled trade with hostelries and related services also prospering. A principal centre for linen weaving during the 18th and 19th century Barnsley grew into an important manufacturing town. Barnsley also has a long tradition of glass making, but is most famous for its coalfields. The town is briefly mentioned in The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell. Orwell spent a number of days in the town living in the houses of the working class miners while researching for the book. He wrote very critically of the council's expenditure on the construction of Barnsley Town Hall and claimed that the money should have been spent on improving the housing and living conditions of the local miners.

Industry

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The town is famous for coal mining, although most of the pits were actually in the surrounding villages, rather than in the town itself. The proportion employed in mining varied hugely, even before recent times^*. The "Barnsley Main" colliery was in the town, but was fairly small; it closed in 1991. All of the mines in the borough are now closed; Goldthorpe was the last to close in 1994. Wire, linen and glass making were also major industries but only glass making remains with two large companies still operating. Barnsley is twinned with Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany, and Gorlovka in Ukraine. The coat of arms for the town includes a coal miner and a glass-blower. It is now moving towards a service economy.

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