A short history of Wombwell.
Wombwell is a former mining town in the Dearne Valley between Barnsley and Mexborough. The Wombwell Main and Mitchell Main collieries dominated the area's economy for well over a century, and the town's population grew from a few hundred in 1800 to over 18,000 by the 1920s. The Main pit closed in 1968 and Mitchell Main followed in 1989, but the town's identity remains rooted in those mining decades.
Modern Wombwell has around 16,000 residents and a high street that retains independent shops alongside the chains. Housing is overwhelmingly red-brick — long terraces in the older parts, council semis built between the wars, and more recent infill developments along the edges towards Brampton, Darfield and Aldam.
Wombwell areas we cover
- Town centre
- High Street
- Hough Lane
- Barnsley Road
- Aldham
- Brampton
If you're not on this list, don't worry — we cover a 30-mile radius from Rotherham. Visit our areas page for the full picture, or just give us a ring.