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Wortley
Wortley is a small village in the south west of the Borough of Barnsley but closer to north Sheffield. It is a pleasant place with some modern development but there are plenty of old buildings still standing. There is a very nice church, the Wortley Arms with the restored old barn at the back, a post office, guesthouse and tea rooms with Wortley Hall only five minutes walk away. From this you can deduce there is not a great deal to do in the village, pretty as it is. It is good walking country and people picnic in the grounds of the hall so it is very popular. Food is served at the pub, tea rooms and the hall so it is a very good place to eat. The village is situated on the upper reaches of the Don before it become the mucky industrial river further on. Wortley Top Forge a restored water-powered forge not far from the village. I will throw up my hands at this point and say that I have never visited the forge, though I have meant to many times.
Wortley Hall was the ancestral home of the Wortley family. The current house is a Georgian one which replaced an earlier building on the site. I am not precisely sure of its current status though it has not been a family home for some time. I believe that it was owned by a union, the Amalgamated Engineering Workers who may still own it. There is a Reception and a restaurant so there may be hotel and/or conference facilities. The grounds and 11 acres of gardens are open to the public and are particularly nice in the spring.
