# Cortonwood > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cortonwood > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cortonwood.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortonwood > Source revision: 1340032418 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Colliery in South Yorkshire, England Human settlement in England Cortonwood Cortonwood Retail Park Cortonwood Location within South Yorkshire Metropolitan borough Rotherham Metropolitan county South Yorkshire Region Yorkshire and the Humber Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town Barnsley Postcode district S73 Dialling code 01226 Police South Yorkshire Fire South Yorkshire Ambulance Yorkshire UK Parliament Wentworth and Dearne List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°30′32″N 1°23′06″W / 53.509°N 1.385°W / 53.509; -1.385 **Cortonwood** was a [colliery](/source/Colliery) near [Rotherham](/source/Rotherham), [South Yorkshire](/source/South_Yorkshire), England. The colliery's proposed closure was a tipping point in the [1984–1985 miners' strike](/source/1984%E2%80%931985_miners'_strike). The site is now a [shopping](/source/Shopping_center) and [leisure centre](/source/Leisure_centre). ## History Cortonwood colliery was sunk in 1873, a year after the formation of the Brampton Colliery Company, which took its name from the local parish of [Brampton Bierlow](/source/Brampton_Bierlow), near Rotherham. By March 1875, two shafts had been dug to a depth of 285 yards (261 m) to work the [Barnsley Seam](/source/Barnsley_Seam) which was at a depth of 218 yards (199 m). The shafts were two of the deepest in the [South Yorkshire Coalfield](/source/South_Yorkshire_Coalfield) at that time.[1] In 1908, the depths of the shafts were increased to 506 yards (463 m) to access the [Parkgate Seam](/source/Parkgate_Seam) which was located at 481 yards (440 m) down.[2] From 1927 onwards, the [Swallow Wood](/source/Swallow_Wood_Seam) and [Silkstone Seams](/source/Silkstone_seam) were being mined and the Parkgate and Barnsley Seams were worked out. During the 1970s, Cortonwood was producing only coking coal for steel plants.[3] The Silkstone Seam which was first developed in 1927, was to become just a few years later, on 9 December 1932 the scene of a tragic explosion in which 4 men lost their lives immediately and 3 more died as a consequence of it later.[4] In March 1984, when the price of coking coal had fallen dramatically,[5] the [National Coal Board](/source/National_Coal_Board) announced that the mine was due to close, due to the large stocks of coking coal that the colliery produced.[6] The proposed closure of Cortonwood became the "final straw" in a series of closures which brought about the long-running [UK miners' strike (1984–1985)](/source/UK_miners'_strike_(1984%E2%80%931985)).[7] The colliery officially closed on 25 October 1985 with full clearance of the stocks and buildings by the end of 1986.[6] The site has now been converted into a shopping and leisure area. It features big names such as [B&Q](/source/B%26Q),[8] [Matalan](/source/Matalan), [Next](/source/Next_(clothing)), [Boots](/source/Boots_Group), [Morrisons](/source/Morrisons), [McDonald's](/source/McDonald's), [Argos](/source/Argos_(retailer)), [Pizza Hut](/source/Pizza_Hut), [Asda](/source/Asda) Living, [Sports Direct](/source/Sports_Direct), SCS, [Halfords](/source/Halfords), [Smyths](/source/Smyths) Toys, [Pets at Home](/source/Pets_at_Home), [TK Maxx](/source/TK_Maxx) and many factories and office buildings. Cortonwood now falls within the Hoober ward of Rotherham Metropolitan Council.[9] It is accessed via the [Dearne Valley](/source/Dearne_Valley) Parkway ([A6195 road](/source/A6195_road)).[10] Work to extend the park began in May 2016. The expansion was expected to see the arrival of retailers such as [River Island](/source/River_Island), [H&M](/source/H%26M), [New Look](/source/New_Look_(company)), [Outfit](/source/Outfit_(store)), [Poundland](/source/Poundland), [JD Sports](/source/JD_Sports), [M&S](/source/M%26S), [Wilko](/source/Wilko) and [Frankie and Benny's](/source/Frankie_and_Benny's) and create up to 300 jobs for the local area.[11] ## Heritage railway future The [Elsecar Heritage Railway](/source/Elsecar_Heritage_Railway) were planning to extend to a proposed new railway station at Cortonwood in the future as finances allow[12] with certification from local councils and the Office of Road and Rail granting level crossing approved status being confirmed in February 2017. As of a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, plans were apruptly disrupted leaving the railway line unfinished of its plans. [13] ## Sport Cortonwood F. C. represented the village in the [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) during the 1930s. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHill2001106_1-0)** [Hill 2001](#CITEREFHill2001), p. 106. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHill2001107_2-0)** [Hill 2001](#CITEREFHill2001), p. 107. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHill2001107–108_3-0)** [Hill 2001](#CITEREFHill2001), pp. 107–108. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Cortonwood Colliery Explosion - Barnsley - 1932"](https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/yorkshire/cortonwood-colliery-explosion-barnsley-1932/). Retrieved 1 August 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Winterton, Jonathan; Winterton, Ruth (1989). *Coal, crisis, and conflict : the 1984–85 miners' strike in Yorkshire* (1 ed.). Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 66–67. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7190-2548-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7190-2548-6). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:NMS:_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:NMS:_6-1) ["Cortonwood Colliery – Northern Mine Research Society"](http://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/coal-mining-in-the-british-isles/yorkshire-coalfield/barnsley/cortonwood/). *Northern Mine Research Society*. Retrieved 8 May 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Shannon, Paul (2006). *Rail freight since 1968 : coal*. Great Addington, Kettering: Silver Link. p. 10. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85794-263-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85794-263-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["New jobs at Cortonwood"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170709054246/http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/news/new-jobs-at-cortonwood-1-608260). *South Yorkshire Times*. 8 January 2003. Archived from [the original](http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/news/new-jobs-at-cortonwood-1-608260) on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Online Planning – Full Details"](http://planning.rotherham.gov.uk/fastweblive/fulldetail.asp?AltRef=RB2017/0476&Scroll=5&Nothing=4&Nothing=3&Nothing=2&Nothing=1&Nothing=2&zzAltRef=RB2017/0097). *planning.rotherham.gov.uk*. Retrieved 8 May 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** "278" (Map). *Sheffield & Barnsley*. 1:25,000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. 2015. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780319244753](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780319244753). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Ten national firms sign up to £36m Rotherham shopping park"](http://www.thestar.co.uk/business/ten-national-firms-sign-up-to-36m-rotherham-shopping-park-1-7915549). *Sheffield Star*. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Elsecar coalfield heritage railway poised to expand"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-22218677). *BBC News*. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Extension to Cortonwood achieves major milestone"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170828011056/https://www.elsecarrailway.co.uk/index.php/blog/143-extension-to-cortonwood-achieves-major-milestone). *www.elsecarrailway.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](https://www.elsecarrailway.co.uk/index.php/blog/143-extension-to-cortonwood-achieves-major-milestone) on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017. ### Bibliography - Hill, Alan (2001). *The South Yorkshire Coalfield; a History and Development*. Stroud: Tempus. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7524-1747-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7524-1747-9). ## External links ### The mine - [BBC News: The decline of the miners' union](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3733028.stm) - [Geography in the news: What killed King Coal?](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003102/http://www.geographyinthenews.rgs.org/news/article/?id=273) ### The retail development - [St. Paul's Developments plc: Asda's 'Living Store' comes to Cortonwood](https://web.archive.org/web/20060506215826/http://www.st-pauls.co.uk/Public/press_releases_detail.asp?idListing=71) - [Brandspace: Our Portfolio – Cortonwood Retail Park](https://web.archive.org/web/20070312234632/http://www.brandspace.co.uk/view-mall.php?mall=129) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cortonwood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortonwood) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortonwood?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.