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{{short description|Village in South Yorkshire, England}}
{{About|an English village|people with the name|Darton (surname)|other uses|Darton (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| official_name            = Darton
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.585|-1.5325|display=inline,title}}
| static_image_name        = Darton Church.jpg
| static_image_caption     = [[All Saints Church, Darton]]
| population               = 21,345
| population_ref           = (Wards. Darton East + Darton West. 2011)
| metropolitan_borough     = [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]]
| metropolitan_county      = [[South Yorkshire]]
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| constituency_westminster = [[Barnsley Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Barnsley Central]]
| post_town                = BARNSLEY
| postcode_district        = S75
| postcode_area            = S
| dial_code                = 01226
| os_grid_reference        = SE309099
}}
'''Darton''' is a large village in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley]] (part of [[South Yorkshire]]), on the border with [[West Yorkshire]], England. At the time of the [[2001 United Kingdom census|2001 UK census]], it had a population of 14,927,<ref name=stats/> increasing to 21,345 for both Darton Wards (East & West) at the 2011 Census.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689486&c=Darton&d=14&e=62&g=6353418&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1457016536467&enc=1|title=Population of Darton East Ward Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council|accessdate=3 March 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|archive-date=15 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315092044/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=13689486&c=Darton&d=14&e=62&g=6353418&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1457016536467&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadSByASelectScotNI.do?a=7&c=Darton&d=14&i=1001x1002&m=0&r=1&s=1457016698482&enc=1&areaId=13689487&OAAreaId=6353443|title=Population of Darton West ward Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council|accessdate=3 March 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|archive-date=15 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315090354/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadSByASelectScotNI.do?a=7&c=Darton&d=14&i=1001x1002&m=0&r=1&s=1457016698482&enc=1&areaId=13689487&OAAreaId=6353443|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Parliamentary representation==
Formerly part of the now defunct [[Barnsley West and Penistone]] [[borough constituency]], following the [[Boundary Commission for England]]'s report on South Yorkshire's Parliamentary constituencies in 2004 and an inquiry in 2005, it is now part of the [[Barnsley Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Barnsley Central]] borough constituency.

==Geography==
Darton lies on the [[River Dearne]], directly to the east of [[Kexbrough]], and is situated about {{convert|1|mi}} west of [[Mapplewell]], {{convert|5|mi|0}} north of [[Barnsley]], {{convert|9|mi}} south-west of [[Wakefield]], {{convert|14|mi}} south-east of [[Huddersfield]], {{convert|19|mi}} south of [[Leeds]],  and {{convert|21|mi}} north of [[Sheffield]]. It is served by the [[A637 road]] and is bisected by the [[M1 motorway]] (junction 38 being a mile to the north). Its location is approximately {{coord|53|35|6|N|1|31|57|W|display=inline}}, at an elevation of around {{convert|260|ft|m}} above [[mean sea level]].

==History==
The name ''Darton'' is believed to be an amalgamation of ''"Dearne"'' and the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] word ''"ton"'' (meaning 'town'). Hence, in ancient times it was known as ''{{'}}the town on the Dearne{{'}}''. However, other sources dispute this explanation and claim that the name originates from a description given to a deer enclosure or something similar. In 1086 the hamlet of ''Dertone'' was in the [[wapentake]] of [[Staincross Wapentake|Staincross]].<ref>http://opendomesday.org/place/SE3109/darton/ Open Domesday Online: Darton</ref>

The hamlet grew to become a village so the Parish of Darton was founded in 1150, when the first church was built.<ref name=nhle/> As elsewhere in England, an official register of baptisms, deaths and marriages did not begin until later, in 1539. The parish was historically within the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]] and became a part of the former county of South Yorkshire upon its creation in 1974.

==Present day==
Darton has its own [[Darton railway station|railway station]] on [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]]'s [[Hallam Line]] which links train journeys between [[Sheffield]] and [[Leeds]]. The railway station is in South Yorkshire but [[West Yorkshire Metro]] tickets are also valid to and from this station.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Haigh |first1=A J |title=Railways in West Yorkshire : Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield & the West Riding : an illustrated general history of the railways in the West Riding from the grouping to the present time |date=2012 |publisher=Xpress Publishing |isbn=978-1-901056-44-0 |page=76 |edition=2}}</ref> The reason for this is because the West-South Yorkshire boundary ran between the village and its main source of employment, [[Woolley Colliery]].

On 15 June 2007, Darton hit the national headlines after 48 hours of torrential rain caused the River Dearne to burst its banks leading to heavy flooding in the village.<ref name=flood/><ref name=yp/><ref name=dfloods/> The main road through the village was rendered impassable and many homes and businesses were damaged, including the village [[post office]], which re-opened in June 2008. Further flooding occurred in January 2008, although the damage and disruption caused this time was not as bad as the previous year's.

== Education ==
Darton has its own primary school and a secondary school called [[Darton Academy]] actually in [[Kexborough]] which opened in 2011.<ref name=school/> The new building (and rebranded school) replaced Darton High School -previously Darton Hall Senior School - that had been on the site since 1957.

==Sport==
*Darton cricket club plays in the Pontefract and District Cricket League.
*North Gawber Colliery F.C. are based in the village and play in the [[Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League]] Premier Division.

==Notable people==
*[[Dave Booth|David Booth]] — manager of [[Laos national football team]]
*[[Thomas Brackin]] — English first-class cricketer
*[[Ian Butler (footballer)|Ian Butler]] — English professional footballer
*[[Michael Clapham]] — [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician
*[[Jack Grainger (footballer, born 1924)|Jack Grainger]] — English professional footballer
*[[Ken Knighton]] — professional footballer, former manager of Sunderland and Orient
*[[Alan Ogley]] — professional [[goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]
*[[Jill Scott (racing driver)|Jill Scott]] — [[racing driver]] and [[aviator]]
*[[Alban Turner]] — English first-class cricketer
*[[Anna Cotton]] — nonconformist ironmaster<ref>Awty, B. (23 September 2004). Cotton family (per. c. 1650–1802), ironmasters. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 28 December 2017, see [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-49045 link]</ref>
*[[John Braine]] — author

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Darton]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=stats>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls Office for National Statistics : ''Census 2001 : Urban Areas : Table KS01 : Usual Resident Population''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208210730/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls |date=8 February 2007 }} Retrieved 26 August 2009</ref>
<ref name=flood>{{cite book|last1=Lamond|first1=Jessica|title=Flood hazards: Impacts and responses for the built environment|date=2012|publisher=CRC Press|location=Boca Raton|isbn=978-1-4398-2626-3|page=39<!--|accessdate=2 May 2015-->|chapter=4}}</ref>
<ref name=yp>{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news?articleid=2959811 |title=Worst deluge in decades |newspaper= Yorkshire Post|accessdate=27 August 2007}}</ref>
<ref name=dfloods>{{cite web|title=Darton Floods - 25th June 2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUHmM0AOY1o|website=Youtube.com|accessdate=3 May 2015}}</ref>
<ref name=school>{{cite web|title=£1billion of new schools open to pupils in Barnsley|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/council/education/1billion-of-new-schools-open-to-pupils-in-barnsley-1-4913083|website=The Star|accessdate=3 May 2015|date=10 September 2012}}</ref>
<ref name= nhle>{{NHLE|num=1286515|desc=Church of All Saints|accessdate=14 June 2015}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Darton}}
* [http://www.darton.org.uk/ Darton village] 
* [http://www.dartonprimary.com/ Darton Primary School]
* [http://dartoncollege.co.uk/ Darton College]
* [http://darton.play-cricket.com// Darton Cricket Club]

{{South Yorkshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley]]