The Unofficial
Website
Harthill
Harthill is the most southerly village in Yorkshire, close to the boundaries of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. This name probably means the hill with the hart (deer). For a very long time it must have been primarily agricultural until the 1770s when the header reservoirs for the Chesterfield Canal were built there. The quarries and pits were a mile or two up the road at Kiveton.
Harthill is a reasonably sized village spread out over several main roads. Properties on the main road are often in nice little yards or alleys away from the traffic. I'm no expert about buildings but the earliest I noticed seemed to date from the Eighteenth Century, or even possibly a bit before that. Harthill is a great mixture of styles and types from mansions to cottages, from old to very modern. There are a few shops, didn't notice a Post Office (its on Winney Hill), and a couple of pubs. There is a lovely parish church with the Old School Room in the grounds, and a Methodist church which was very busy the Sunday we visited. There's a Junior and Infant School, extensive playing fields and a village car park. In fact the only real down side was the traffic through the village but that is the usual complaint everywhere these days.
Harthill-with-Woodall was the parish for the area. Sir Thomas Osbourne who became the 1st Duke of Leeds is buried in the family vault at Harthill All Hallows Church.
Yorkshire in Bloom 2007
Harthill wins Silver Gilt in the Large Villages Section
All Hallows Church, Harthill
Little is know of the history of the church but in the Fifteenth Century it was massively extended. A chancel, tower, north and south aisles and chapels were added at this time. In the Seventeenth Century the north chapel was used as a mortuary chapel by the family of the Duke of Leeds. The gauntlets and funeral pall of the Duke are on display. Parts of the church were rebuilt in 1850 and 1897.
Harthill & Pebley Reservoirs
Close to Harthill are Harthill and Pebley Reservoirs which were build as holding ponds for the Chesterfield Canal. Harthill Reservoir is home to Rotherham Sailing Club www.rotherhamsailingclub.org.uk and is still I think temporary home to Ulley Sailing Club. There is also carp and coarse fishing available here Tel. 07724 076050 or 07717 835844. When we visited in December 2007 the levels in Harthill Reservoir were very low; don't know the reason why - I've found out repairs are being made to the spillway. There is an Access for All walk around Harhill Reservoir.
North Farm
Now the area of North Farm is a real blot on Harthill's landscape and it isn't Harthill's fault. The properties here are, I believe, owned by businessman and builder Glen Saint. They have been partly built or done up for a very long time: they are in fact derelict. The Pedant and I has a little dispute about this: he reckoned it was at least ten years; I thought it was more like fifteen. In their present state they are worth a small fortune, in a completed state a large fortune. It beggars my belief that they can be left in such a state for such a long time and that the powers that be appear to be able to do nothing about it.