Dinnington
The name Dinnington means Dinna's ton or farmstead with Dinna being a proper name. Possibly also 'Dynes Ton' referring to a local 'barrow'. It is likely to have been founded in Saxon time. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the parish was divided into two estates, one held by Roger de Busli as part of his manor of Laughton and Throapham. The other part was held by William de Warenne and contained sufficient for three plough teams with 3 freemen and 6 villeins.
The Poll Tax return of 1379 indicates that there was no resident lord of the manor. There are 43 names listed, including two carpenters and a tailor. In 1241 Stephen de Segrave bought an estate in Dinnington and surrounding villages from Alice, Countess of Eu, who held the Honor of Tickhill, and became lord of the manor of Dinnington. In the 14th Century John de Segrave married Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk and the manor passed to their son John, Lord Mowbray. The lordship of Dinnington eventually passed to the Talbots, Earl of Shrewbury, and from them to the Howards, Earls of Norfolk.
In 1678 Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk, sold Dinnington to John Athropp. The Athropps which came to be spelled Athorpe were the first lords to reside in the manor. The present Dinnington Hall was erected by Henry Athorpe in 1756.
There was a Wesleyan chapel in Dinnington by the 1850s which was replaced by St Andrew's Methodist Church on Laughton Road in 1902. There was a Primitive Methodists chapel and the Catholic church of St Josephs' built for the many Irish labourers who came to work the mines. The National School, was opened in 1874 when it had only 38 pupils on the roll.
The village of Dinnington was a small very quiet rural place (population 285 in 1900) until the beginning of the 20th Century when the coal deposits beneath the land began to be exploited. In 1902 the sinking of the shafts of Dinnington Colliery begun and changed the settlement forever. By 1911 the population of the village was 4898. The first sinkers and miners were housed in tin huts which rejoiced in the name 'Tin Town'. They were the first houses in the village to be supplied by the colliery generator so perhaps they weren't as bad as you think. The Colliery company them began building and leasing houses for its workers. The school soon became inadequate and a new Council School was opened in 1907. The parish church was enlarged twice in 1906 and 1911. The Lyric Theatre opened in 1910 as a roller skating rink, it was later used as a music hall. The Picture Palace was opened in 1913 and was also used for village dances and, for a time, as the Salvation Army Sunday School. The Chelmsford Mining and Technical Institute was opened in 1928 and the secondary modern school in 1935.
By 1940 the population was about 7500. Due to its central position Dinnington developed a shopping centre, bus station and market and is now the site of Rother Valley College (previously the Chelmsford Mining and Technical Institute). From being a village Dinnington declared itself a town at a date I have been unable to discover but likely to have been late 20th century.
Dinnington Hall
Dinnington Hall was built about 1756 for for Henry Athorpe and was further improved by his nephew and heir Robert. It was later bought by the National Coal Board. I have tried to find it on my maps but failed so either it has gone or I haven't looked hard enough. Dennis has been in touch and let me know that Dinnington Hall was on the corner of Laughton Road and New Road and was certainly there in 1948. I have found Hall Court and Hall Farm on the present day map but no mention of the Hall itself. Stuart has also been in touch and confirmed that Dinnington Hall is definitely still there "on Falcon Way, just below the vets"
. It was used as a hotel up until about five years ago and is now an old folk's home.
Dinnington Hall has been refurbished by BCP Construction.
"So successful has been the approach and attitude of Building Construction Partnership we were asked to carry out the refurbishment and decoration of a clients head office and nurses' quarters at Dinnington Hall, a grade II listed building. Works also included repairs to ornate cornice and ceilings, internal alterations and decoration. The building recently featured on a channel 4 production."
Chrissie has been in touch to let me know that Dinnington Hall was home to the Pickin family from 1959 - 1980 and the the local vet and his wife brought up 13 children there - no wonder they needed a hall.
St Leonard's Dinnington
The parish church in Dinnington was originally dedicated to St Nicholas. It was in existence in by 1139 when the advowson was granted to Lewes Priory. The earliest recorded priest is John in 1240. The church was destroyed by fire in 1318 and a new one built.
In the 1780s Robert Athorpe had the church pulled down because it was in poor condition and had a new church built which was dedicated to St Leonard. This was extended in 1842 but must have been inadequate as it was demolished in 1868 and another new one built. The present church is the third church on this site and dates mainly from 1868. It contains the old church front, beautiful stained glass and the Athorpe family chapel. The church also has an impressive miners' memorial screen.
Address:- Church Lane, Dinnington, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S25 2LT. Tel. 01909 562335 (2009).