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Northfield & Thornhill
Northfield & Thornhill are northward continuations of Masbrough. The names
here are easy to interpret as the hill of thorns and the north field. The north field was one of the fields outside the town owned in common by the townspeople and farmed under the
strip system in Mediaeval times and later. There is some poor quality housing in Thornhill north of the recreation ground and B&Q but the rest of the area contains factories, works,
and depots. Up here can be found clothing factories, glass works, chemical works, distribution depots, oil storage facilities and of course steelworks.
Although it does not have its own appellation on my map just west of Thornhill and Northfield is the the area called The Clough or in Yorkshire, T'Clough of 'Up t'Clough on t'third
nail', an expression much beloved by old Rotherhamites. Some would have it this refers to the recreation ground for whatever reason but I think it is more likely to refer to refer to
Clough Hill. Clough Hill and Constitution Hill rise to the north of the housing and have never been incorporated into the housing sprawl.