Mexborough is a stone’s throw from Swinton, and is another town built on the banks of the River Don, albeit one slightly larger than its neighbour. Like so many of the town’s we will visit, it has suffered post-industrial decline, with the coal mines, brickworks and – in this case – ceramics manufacture on which its fortune was built long gone. But its history predates the Industrial Revolution by quite some measure: its name (which comes from the Old English burh, meaning fortified place, and an Old English or Old Norse personal name) is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Mechesburg, and it boasts the remains of an eleventh century motte and bailey Norman castle.
Mexborough station opened in 1871, at the height of the town’s status as an important railway junction, and happily has retained its handsome stone original station building, which has gained Grade II-listed status. From the station turn right and walk to the end of the car park to follow a footpath through trees to the towpath of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation. This particular section, like the one we briefly walked along in Rotherham, is canalised. Turn right and follow the towpath, passing the former Co-Operative Flour Mill on the opposite side of the canal, a sadly neglected Victorian brick behemoth that one suspects would long ago have been converted into very expensive flats, were it only located on a waterside in London. Shortly after passing this we reach Mexborough Top Lock, where down a cobbled slope to the right an old stone flood level marker can be seen.
Cross the bridge over the canal just in front of the lock to reach Ferry Boat Lane. Walk to the junction with Church Street; the building on the corner on your left is the former Ferryboat Inn, one of Mexborough’s oldest buildings, which has now alas succumbed to the fate of many pubs, served its last orders, and been converted into a house. Take a detour past this to the left to visit St. John the Baptist Church, one of South Yorkshire’s few Grade I listed buildings, which dates from the twelfth century (it has, of course, been extended and rebuilt since then). Otherwise, turn right and follow the road past The George & Dragon and stay on Church Street until it ends at a junction with Doncaster Road, then turn left, passing the former Miners Lodge on the corner.
Church of St. John the Baptist.
Follow Doncaster Road, shortly reaching Mexborough Castle Gardens, which houses the remains of the aforementioned castle as well as Mexborough War Memorial. Like many of the motte and bailey castles dotted around the country (and indeed the county), you could be forgiven for missing this if you didn’t know it was there, since the only visible remains are the grass and tree-covered motte, which may once have been topped by a long-vanished stone tower. After visiting the gardens, continue along Doncaster Road, passing Doncaster Road Junior School on the left; this has a blue plaque erected in memory of Donald Watson, founder of the Vegan Society. Just past this, down Pitt Street on the right, is another Victorian school, New Pasture Primary School. Continue along Doncaster Road, then turn right into Hall gate, and then left into Cross Gate and look out for a blue plaque dedicated to Sapper William Hackett VC on the wall of a house on the left. Turn left at the end of the road and follow Montagu Street back to Doncaster Road.
Turn right, passing Clayton Park on the left hand side of the road, then at a roundabout turn right and follow Adwick Road for nearly half a mile. Turn left along Cemetery Road, passing Montagu Hospital on your right; this small NHS hospital started out as a cottage hospital built in 1890 on Bank Street, which was moved to its current site in 1905 and now provides rehabilitation service. Shortly after this, pass Mexborough Cemetery on the right; this relatively small cemetery has a chapel and is worth exploring. Soon after this, the Blessed English Martyrs Roman Catholic Church appears on the left. After passing this, turn left and walk down park Road until it ends at Dolcliffe Road, then turn left again and follow it until it ends at Bank Street. Directly opposite is the former library, to the left of which the former Majestic Cinema can be seen. Next, turn right and follow Bank Street, shortly passing the Natwest Bank, the old Market Hall (now a pub) and the Montagu Arms. We are now entering Mexborough’s small town centre, which has retained many of its handsome Victorian buildings, including the former Mexborough Congregational Church, which can be seen to the right along Garden Street at the next fork. Take the left fork along High Street, passing the Bulls Head on your left, and proceed to where the pedestrianised High Street ends at a crossroads. Turn right along Main Street, continuing straight ahead at a roundabout; the former Mexborough Working Men’s Club & Institute can be seen on the corner with Lower Dolcliffe Road. Stay on Main Street until it ends at a junction with Wath Road and continue straight ahead along this.
Turn left into White Lea Road, which soon crosses a bridge over the railway line. Just after passing the crumbling industrial edifice that is the Hattersley building on the right, bear left at a junction and follow Marriott Road until it ends at Rowms Lane. The former Swinton Bridge School can be seen on the left, another Victorian school which, as it name suggests, is in Swinton rather than Mexborough. Cross Rowms Lane and continue straight ahead along Talbot Road, which crosses a bridge over both the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation and another railway line before ending at Meadow Way. Cross the road, turn left and then immediately right along a public footpath to the River Don. Turn left and follow the footpath along the riverbank, which here forms part of the Don Valley Way. The path follows the river’s meanders for a short distance, and depending on what time of year one does the walk may be overgrown, muddy, or both. When the path turns left, continue straight ahead under the railway bridge to return to the railway station, the tour of Mexborough now complete.
Thus far, we have passed close to the buried foundations of Sheffield Castle, and have now visited the innocuous remains of Mexborough Castle. However, at our next stop on this railway tour of Yorkshire, we will encounter the first of several really impressive castles scattered across the county, at another town on the banks of the River Don…
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