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66-616: In 1960, the Panthers participated in an International Basketball Tournament in Dublin. In 1961 and 1964, the Panthers played exhibition matches against US Menwith Hill of Harrogate and RAF Bomber Command respectively in the Doncaster Corn Exchange and in 1965 played against St. Germain in France being the start of many twinned basketball visits between the two towns. During the following years,

132-567: A lowland valley in southern Yorkshire. To the west are low rolling hills eventually reaching the Pennines . To the east are the low-lying Isle of Axholme and Humberhead Levels . The south is relatively low-lying, with a large forested area including Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire . The Vale of York lies to the north. The floodplains of the River Don lie to Doncaster's north-east; this area

198-647: A mayor every four years. Additionally, the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is one of twelve districts in the United Kingdom to have a directly elected mayor , currently Ros Jones , who was re-elected in 2021. The local authority applied several times, unsuccessfully, for city status . Its borough population of greater than 300,000 is larger than that of many cities' such as Hull , Southampton and Newcastle . On 28 October 2021, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council announced its bid for Doncaster City for

264-414: A 2011 population of 302,402, while a 2021 estimate was 308,000. The 2011 census figure makes Doncaster's population very slightly larger than that of Rotherham (pop 109,691). Doncaster emerged as an industrial centre in the late 18th to 20th centuries. Its communications, particularly its waterways, meant that it became extremely busy and experienced migration to its centre. Underneath Doncaster lies

330-616: A design by Group Ginger Architects, in October 2022. The work was intended to create studios for artists and pop-up traders. Doncaster Doncaster ( / ˈ d ɒ ŋ k ə s t ər , - k æ s -/ DONK -ə-stər, DONK -ast-ər ) is a city in South Yorkshire , England. Named after the River Don , it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough , and

396-480: A huge natural resource by way of deep seam coal. Doncaster's proximity to major urban centres and motorway/rail infrastructure gives it a number of major distribution centres, including the 420-acre Doncaster International Railport , which dispatches goods to Europe. It also has large warehousing and logistic capabilities for retailers such as Next , Tesco , IKEA , Amazon.com , Lidl and Faberge . A marked proportion of fresh and frozen goods for northern supermarkets

462-519: A limited liability company called Doncaster Basketball Club Limited with a registered nickname of “Panthers”. 1975 was the 21st anniversary of the Club's existence and was celebrated with the staging of an International Club Tournament played at Adwick Leisure Centre. Participating teams were: Pentland (Scotland), Blue Demons (Ireland), Paris Saint Germain (France), Patrarna Helsingborg (Sweden) and The Haarlem Cardinals (The Netherlands). They also participated in

528-516: A sculpture of a female figure and flanked by Doric order columns and pilasters supporting an entablature and a parapet . The bays on either side of the central bay featured three round headed openings on each floor, with the central openings on the ground floor containing niches and the other openings containing windows with architraves . These bays were surmounted by balustraded parapets. The end bays, which also projected forward, featured round headed openings containing doorways with fanlights on

594-471: A tour of Yorkshire by King Charles III and Queen Camilla . Possibly inhabited earlier, Doncaster grew up on the site of a Roman fort of the 1st century CE, at a crossing of the River Don . The 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary and early-5th-century Notitia Dignitatum ( Register of Dignitaries ) called the fort Danum . The first section of road to the Doncaster fort had probably been built since

660-506: Is a shopping centre and transport interchange. Opened in June 2006, it connects with the railway and bus stations. Lakeside Village, a retail outlet with some 45 retail shops and restaurants lies along the A6182 dual carriageway. The Waterdale area of the town centre is currently undergoing rejuvenation, with a new theatre (known as CAST), new civic offices and a new public square having been completed on

726-590: Is about as far north as the 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) average July/August maximum temperature isotherm reaches – Indeed, the August 1990 record high of 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) is the most northerly temperature above 35 °C (95 °F) in the British Isles. The nearby town of Bawtry, slightly further south, still holds the UK's September monthly record high temperature of 35.6 °C (96.1 °F), set in 1906. Typically,

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792-402: Is an ancient word for baker: Baxtergate was the bakers' street. Historians believe that Frenchgate may be named after French-speaking Normans who settled there. The medieval township is known to have been protected by earthen ramparts and ditches, with four substantial gates as entrances to the town. These were located at Hall Gate, St Mary's Bridge (old), St Sepulchre Gate and Sunny Bar. Today

858-402: Is controlled throughout the town by the local planning authority , Doncaster Council. It reduces urban sprawl , prevent areas in the conurbation from further convergence, protects outlying communities, encourages brownfield reuse, and protects nearby countryside by restricting development in the designated areas and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. It surrounds the side of

924-520: Is dispatched by road from Doncaster. On 5 March 2004, Doncaster was granted Fairtrade Town status. Over the last few years the Doncaster Lakeside , as home to the Doncaster Rovers ground, has undergone modernisation. Doncaster has a bowling alley and a cinema near Lakeside. The Dome, opened in 1989 by Princess Diana , contains a swimming pool, gym, ice rink and café. The Frenchgate Centre

990-402: Is part of a Grade II* listed complex . The first corn exchange in Doncaster was a structure erected by Onions, Wheelhouse & Co at a cost of £900 and completed in 1844: it was a simple two-bay structure with iron columns supporting some girders and a pitched roof. In the late 1860s, civic leaders decided that the original structure was inadequate and should be replaced with a new structure:

1056-404: Is regularly flooded, notably in 2007 and 2019. Thorne and Hatfield Moors , east of Doncaster, is the largest area of low-lying peat bog in the United Kingdom. It is protected as a national nature reserve. Potteric Carr , including Potteric Carr Nature Reserve , lies to the south. Doncaster is within a green belt that extends into the surrounding counties. First defined in 1966, the policy

1122-710: Is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield . Noted for its racing and railway history, it is situated in the Don Valley on the western edge of the Humberhead Levels and east of the Pennines . It had a population of 87,455 at the 2021 census , whilst the wider metropolitan borough had a population of 308,100. Adjacent to Doncaster to its east is the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire , which contains

1188-588: Is thought to have lain on the site now taken by St George's Minster , beside the River Don . The Doncaster garrison units are named in a Register produced near the end of Roman rule in Britain : it was the home of the Crispinian Horse, presumably named after the tribes living near Crispiana in Pannonia Superior (near present-day Zirc in western Hungary ), but possibly after Crispus , son of Constantine

1254-483: The Antonine Itinerary . The itinerary includes the same section of road between Lincoln and York and lists three stations between these two coloniae . Routes 7 and 8 ( Iter  VII & VIII ) are entitled "the route from York to London ". Several areas of intense archaeological interest have been identified in the town, although many such as St Sepulchre Gate remain hidden under buildings. The Roman fort

1320-525: The First English Civil War , King Charles I marched by Bridgnorth , Lichfield and Ashbourne to Doncaster, where on 18 August 1645 he was met by numbers of Yorkshire gentlemen who had rallied to his cause. On 2 May 1664, Doncaster was rewarded with the title of Free Borough as a way for the King (Charles I's son, King Charles II ) to express gratitude for the allegiance. Doncaster was connected to

1386-541: The Latin castra (military camp; fort). It was mentioned in the 1003 will of Wulfric Spott . Shortly after the Norman Conquest , Nigel Fossard refortified the town and built Conisbrough Castle . By the time of Domesday Book , Hexthorpe in the wapentake of Strafforth was said to have a church and two mills . The historian David Hey says these facilities represent the settlement at Doncaster. He also suggests that

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1452-486: The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries were enlarged several times, notably in 1914 when it absorbed Balby with Hexthorpe and Wheatley. By 1927 the borough was considered large enough to run its own county-level services, and so it was made a county borough , independent from West Riding County Council . The county borough

1518-509: The Panthers from 1954 to 2011. Doncaster Panthers Basketball Club All-time playing record 1954–1985 Panthers (Men) In the 32 campaigns the Panthers played 1601 games winning 1147 and losing 454. Doncaster Corn Exchange The Corn Exchange is a trading space and events venue in Doncaster , South Yorkshire , England. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange ,

1584-576: The Pilgrimage of Grace ended in Doncaster. This rebellion led by the lawyer Robert Aske commanded 40,000 Yorkshire people against Henry VIII, in protest at the Dissolution of the Monasteries . Many of Doncaster's streets are named with the suffix "-gate", after the old Danish word gata , meaning street. In medieval times, craftsmen or tradesmen with similar skills tended to live in the same street. Baxter

1650-615: The West Riding of Yorkshire in 1899. Under the Local Government Act 1972 it was drawn into a new metropolitan borough in 1974 and became part of the new county of South Yorkshire. Doncaster has traditionally been prosperous within the wapentake of Stafford and Tickhill . The borough was known for rich landowners and huge stately homes such as Brodsworth Hall , Cantley Hall , Cusworth Hall , Hickleton Hall , Nether Hall and Wheatley Hall (demolished 1934). This wealth appears in

1716-621: The 1960s. Perhaps the most striking building to survive is St George's Minster , built in the 19th century and promoted from a parish church in 2004. Doncaster was already a communication centre by this time. It straddled the Great North Road or A1 , gaining strategic importance, as this was the main route for traffic between London and Edinburgh . Doncaster is represented in the House of Commons by three Members of Parliament (MPs). Sally Jameson represents Doncaster Central , Ed Miliband ,

1782-453: The 19th-century Doncaster Corn Exchange building (1873). The Corn Exchange was much rebuilt in 1994 after a major fire. During the 14th century, numerous friars arrived in Doncaster who were known for their religious enthusiasm and preaching. In 1307 the Franciscan friars ( Greyfriars ) arrived, as did Carmelites (Whitefriars) in the mid-14th century. Other major medieval features included

1848-583: The Club continued to develop with the Men's team being winners of the Yorkshire Premier League (1962–1981) and Yorkshire Cup (1961–1982) on numerous occasions. During this period they also played for one season in the US Menwith Hill Base ‘Trick’ League. In 1967, the Club was successful in organising and participating in a World Record attempt, playing basketball non-stop for 28 hours 10 mins. 1968 saw

1914-509: The Don Valley, in the lee of the Pennines, and inland from the North Sea, mean daytime summer temperatures are no lower than parts of South East England, despite the more northerly location. The nearest weather station is RAF Finningley, now known as Doncaster Sheffield Airport , about 5.5 mi (8.9 km) to the south-east of Doncaster city centre and at a similar elevation. The Doncaster area

1980-535: The European “Radivoj Korac” Cup (1975–76) playing against Berck, France. After competing professionally over the next 12 years, the team withdrew from the NBL in 1985 due to a lack of finance. In the NBL the Panthers played initially out of Worksop Sports Centre, Adwick Leisure Centre, Doncaster and from 1982 out of Concord Sports Centre, Sheffield . During their time in the NBL the Panthers (Men), playing as Team Ziebart, won

2046-676: The Great , who was headquartered there while his father was based in nearby York . The Register names the unit as under the command of the " Duke of the Britons ". In 1971 the Danum shield , a rectangular Roman shield dating to the 1st or 2nd century CE, was recovered from the site of the Danum fort. An inscribed altar, dedicated to the Matres by Marcus Nantonius Orbiotalus, was found at St Sepulchre Gate in 1781. This

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2112-650: The Hospital of St Nicholas and the leper colony of the Hospital of St James, a moot hall , a grammar school and a five-arched stone town bridge with a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Bridge. By 1334, Doncaster was the wealthiest town in southern Yorkshire and the sixth in Yorkshire as a whole, even boasting its own banker. By 1379, it was recovering from the Black Death , which had reduced its population to 1,500. In October 1536,

2178-451: The Levett monopoly. Doncaster's Levet Road is named after the family, as are nearby hamlets of Hooton Levitt and the largely abandoned Levitt Hagg , where much of the town's early limestone was quarried. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Doncaster continued to expand, but it suffered several outbreaks of plague between 1562 and 1606. Each struck down significant numbers of victims. During

2244-709: The Mid-West USA (1981 and 1982), won the British Championship (BIBF) in 1981–82, organised and participated in the South Yorkshire International Club Basketball Tournament for 9 years (1976 to 1984), played in a pre-season International Tournament in West Berlin, West Germany (1984) and various other international tournaments throughout the UK and Ireland during the 70's and early 80's. The Club withdrew from further competition at

2310-539: The NBL Division 2 in 1989 and were promoted within a year to the NBL Division 1, the second-tier league level after the newly established BBL (formerly NBL). In 1992, Doncaster Eagles with the co-operation of Morris Wordsworth, renamed the team to Doncaster Panthers and the following season (1993) were admitted to the BBL. After three years in the elite League, the team withdrew due to financial difficulties and never returned to

2376-653: The NBL and National Cup in season 1978–79, and were National Cup finalists playing as John Carr Panthers, for the next three seasons. They also participated in the Philips WICB (1977 to 1983). They represented Basketball England (BE) in the “William Jones Cup” International Tournament in Taiwan (1980), participated in the European Cup Winners Cup (1979–80 and 1980–81) playing as Austin Morris Panthers, made two tours of

2442-686: The Panthers become the North of England Champions after beating Liverpool Police in the Vaux final. The EBBA, now named Basketball England (BE) established the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1972 and the club playing as Wilson Panthers (Doncaster) gained entry to this elite competition for the 1973–74 season. This was the NBL's second year of its existence and in 1987 it became the British Basketball League (BBL). The Club also registered as

2508-758: The Queen's Platinum Jubilee . This has been supported by the Doncaster Labour Group and the Doncaster Conservative Association. All three MPs for Doncaster expressed support for city status, with Don Valley 's Nick Fletcher speaking for it in Parliament. Alongside seven other areas, Doncaster was announced to have succeeded in its bid to gain city status on 20 May 2022 as part of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II . The city status applies to

2574-407: The central part of the parish, including the town. Such townships were also made civil parishes in 1866. Doncaster was also an ancient borough , with its earliest known charter dating from 1194. The borough just covered the Doncaster township, although it exerted some authority over a surrounding rural area known as the soke. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under

2640-640: The conference in Doncaster, UKIP were "now parking our tanks on the Labour Party's lawn", referring to Labour leader Ed Miliband 's Doncaster North constituency. Shortly afterwards in the seat, at the 2015 general election , UKIP won 8,928 votes to Labour's 20,708. In the 2016 membership referendum , 69 per cent of Doncaster voted to leave the European Union. Doncaster forms part of the South Yorkshire Combined Authority , which elects

2706-572: The early 50s, while a route through the north Derbyshire hills was opened in the later 1st century, possibly by Governor Gn. Julius Agricola in the late 70s. Doncaster provided an alternative land route between Lincoln and York , while the main route Ermine Street involved parties breaking up to cross the Humber in boats. As this was not always practical, the Romans saw Doncaster as an important staging post. The Roman road appears on two routes recorded in

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2772-503: The end of the 1984–1985 season. The Doncaster Panthers Juniors (Men) were successful in winning the National Cup in 1972 and 1975 after being Finalists in 1970 and 1971. The Doncaster Panthers Women's Section was formed 1965, participating in the National Basketball League at various levels. They have now withdrawn from competition. Doncaster Eagles 1989–1992 / Doncaster Panthers 1992–1996 – England The Doncaster Eagles joined

2838-738: The former Labour Party leader , represents Doncaster North , and Lee Pitcher represents the Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme . From 2023 , the Don Valley constituency will be renamed Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme , and will cover part of North Lincolnshire . A new Rawmarsh and Conisbrough constituency will be created covering the south-western suburbs of Doncaster and parts of Rotherham. Doncaster Central and Doncaster North will see minor boundary changes. In September 2014, UKIP held an annual party conference at Doncaster Racecourse . UKIP party leader Nigel Farage claimed that by holding

2904-556: The gates at Sunny Bar are commemorated by huge "Boar Gates"; similarly, the entrance to St Sepulchre Gate is commemorated by white marble "Roman Gates". The boundary of the town mainly extended from the Don along a route known now Market Road, Silver Street, Cleveland Street and Printing Office Street. Access to the town was restricted and some officeholders secured charters to collect tolls. In 1605, King James I granted to William Levett of Doncaster, brother of York merchant Percival Levett ,

2970-489: The green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests, with rural landscape features, greenfield areas and facilities including the River Don and valley west of Hexthorpe; Hexthorpe Park; Cusworth Hall , museum and country park; Potteric Carr and Huxter Well Marsh; and the Trans Pennine Trail . Doncaster has a maritime climate lacking extreme temperatures, like much of the British Isles. Its low elevation in

3036-470: The ground floor and oculi with tracery and archivolts on the first floor. The end bays were surmounted by parapets. Internally, the principal room was the main hall, which is described by Historic England as "very elaborate", with a three-sided gallery on the first floor. The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in

3102-585: The late 19th century. However, the building was also extensively used as an events venue: in the early 20th century, the future Prime Minister , Winston Churchill , gave a talk in the corn exchange about his experiences during the Second Boer War , and, in 1909, the composer , Edward Elgar , conducted the London Symphony Orchestra there. After the First World War , speakers there included

3168-460: The league. They played out of The Dome Leisure Centre , Doncaster and competed professionally from 1993 to 1996. A fund raising Reunion Match was played at The Dome Leisure Centre , Doncaster in 1992 between players of the original Panthers and the then current Panthers team (formerly Eagles). An Official Reunion was held in 2011 at the Regent Hotel, Doncaster for all those associated with

3234-576: The luxurious, historic gilded 18th-century Mansion House in High Street . This land ownership developed over what is an ancient market place and large buildings were erected in the 19th century, including the Market Hall and Corn Exchange . The old Doncaster Guildhall in Frenchgate was designed by John Butterfield with a tetrastyle portico and completed in 1847: it was demolished in the redevelopment of

3300-410: The politicians, Oswald Mosley and Aneurin Bevan , and, after the Second World War , the corn exchange became a municipal restaurant and dance hall. It was integrated into the main market hall in 1967. Following a major fire in 1994, the floor of the corn exchange was raised and the building re-opened in 1997. The building closed for a major refurbishment, to be carried out at a cost of £5 million to

3366-410: The rail network in 1848 and a plant and carriage works for Great Northern Railway was constructed in the town in 1853. The Doncaster Carr rail depot was opened in 1876. The area to the east of Doncaster started developing settlements where coal miners lived from the 1850s onwards, exploiting coal near Barnsley . One such settlement is Deneby. Doncaster and surrounding settlements became part of

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3432-464: The rest of the UK. The Doncaster skyline is overlooked by the minster in the middle of the city. The Frenchgate Shopping Centre is in a similar position in the skyline, along with the Doncaster College Hub building. After the old Doncaster College and surrounding buildings were demolished, the new Doncaster Civic Office designed by Cartwright Pickard was built for Doncaster Council at a cost of £20 million and completed in 2012. Doncaster lies in

3498-444: The right to levy tolls at Friar's and St Mary's bridges. Having served as mayors and aldermen of Doncaster, the Levetts probably believed they could control a monopoly. In 1618 the family began enforcing it, but by 1628 the populace revolted. Capt. Christopher Levett , Percival's son, petitioned Parliament to enforce the tolls, but Parliament disagreed, calling them "a grievance to the subjects, both in creation and execution," and axing

3564-542: The site of the Waterdale car park. The old council house and civic theatre have been demolished and new housing is being built in the town itself, opposite Doncaster Racecourse, and in out-of-town suburbs. During the 19th and 20th centuries, confectioners based in Doncaster included Parkinson's the Butterscotch inventors, Nuttalls Mintoes and Murray Mints. In August 2011, Parkinson's put its 190-year-old trademark up for sale on eBay. The waterways, River Don and Don Navigation were used to transport coal from Doncaster to

3630-445: The site they selected was at the centre of the market hall in the Market Place which had been built to a U-shaped plan. Their intention was to use the new corn exchange to infill, and to project forward from, the "U" of the market hall. The foundation stone for the new corn exchange was laid by the mayor, Arthur J. Smith, on 22 September 1870. It was designed by William Watkins in the neoclassical style , built in ashlar stone and

3696-412: The street name Frenchgate indicates that Fossard invited fellow Normans to trade in the town. Doncaster was ceded to Scotland in the Treaty of Durham and never formally returned to England. With the 13th century, Doncaster matured into a busy town. In 1194 King Richard I granted it national recognition with a town charter . It suffered a disastrous fire in 1204, from which it slowly recovered. At

3762-448: The time, buildings were built of wood, and open fireplaces used for cooking and heating. In 1248, a charter was granted for Doncaster Market to be held in the area surrounding the Church of St Mary Magdalene, which was built in Norman times. In the 16th century, the church was adapted for use as the town hall . It was finally demolished in 1846. Some 750 years on, the market continues to operate, with busy traders located under cover, at

3828-517: The towns of Haxey , Epworth and Crowle , and directly south is Harworth Bircotes in Nottinghamshire . Also, within the city's vicinity are Barnsley , Wakefield , Pontefract , Selby , Goole , Scunthorpe , Gainsborough , Retford , Worksop and Rotherham , to which Doncaster is linked by road and rail. As part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours , Doncaster received city status by Letters Patent . A ceremony to confer city status took place at Mansion House on 9 November 2022 as part of

3894-416: The urban area west of the East Coast Line, preventing suburbs such as Sprotbrough , New Edlington , Old Edlington , Scawsby and New Rossington merging. As a result, open rural land can be very close to the town centre at some points (for example the wide undeveloped valley of the River Don is adjacent to the town centre), while at other points the urban sprawl rolls on for up to five miles. Another aim of

3960-447: The warmest day of the year reaches 29.1 °C (84.4 °F) and 12 or 13 days report a daytime maximum of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The lowest known temperature is −13.5 °C (7.7 °F), set during December 1981. Online records only go back to 1960, and lower temperatures may have been recorded earlier. During the 1971–2000 period, an average of 51.9 nights of the year recorded an air frost. Typically 106.9 days of

4026-427: The whole metropolitan borough rather than just the built up area of Doncaster. Doncaster formally received the letters patent and became a city when a ceremony took place on 9 November 2022 as part of a royal visit. Doncaster was an ancient parish , which was subdivided into six townships : Balby with Hexthorpe , Langthwaite with Tilts , Long Sandall , Loversall , Wheatley and a Doncaster township covering

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4092-459: The year report 1 mm or more of rainfall. Total annual precipitation is slightly below 560 mm (22 in), which is comparable to the driest parts of the UK, due to Doncaster's location in the rain shadow of the Pennines. In the 2011 census the town of Doncaster (identified as the "built-up area subdivision") had a population of 109,805, while the wider " Built-up area " had a population of 158,141. The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster had

4158-430: Was abolished in 1974 and replaced by the larger Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , which also took in the abolished urban districts of Adwick le Street , Bentley with Arksey , Conisbrough , Mexborough , Tickhill , the rural districts of Doncaster and Thorne , and (from Nottinghamshire) the parish of Finningley and part of the parish of Harworth (the latter being added to the parish of Bawtry ). The borough

4224-441: Was donated to the Yorkshire Museum in 1856. Doncaster is generally identified with Cair Daun listed as one of 28 British cities in the 9th-century History of the Britons traditionally ascribed to Nennius . It was certainly an Anglo-Saxon burh , and in that period received its present name: "Don-" ( Old English : Donne ) from the settlement and river and "-caster" ( -ceaster ) from an Old English version of

4290-451: Was officially opened by the mayor, William Cotterill Clark, on 17 April 1873. The design involved a main frontage of five bays facing northeast onto the Market Place. The ground floor was rusticated . The central bay, which projected forward, featured a recessed doorway flanked by pairs of red sandstone Doric order columns supporting an entablature . On the first floor, there was a Diocletian window with an archivolt , surmounted by

4356-408: Was raised to city status in 2022. Doncaster is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire and the largest metropolitan district in England by area . It expanded dramatically in population with the development of coal mining. Closure of coal mines in the 1970s and early 1980s caused economic difficulties; the town then developed its service industry , drawing on the good communication links with

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