Thrybergh
Thrybergh is situated to the north-east of the town of Rotherham. It is on the old route between Rotherham and Doncaster situated on three hills at the edge of the floodplain of the River Don.
Thrybergh has some of the qualities of a nice old village but the main road passing through the middle of it is a pain. I'm told that the traffic is nowhere near as bad as it used to be when it was a trunk road but I still find it off-putting. Another downer is that there does not seem to be a pub in the older part, and an old hostelry or two are the making of a village. Third downer is that the village green has disappeared under housing.
Thrybergh is very much a village of two halves or some other proportion. The old village with the ancient church of St Leonard's, the magnificent Old Rectory and most of the older buildings are situated to the north. The Rectory is a substantial building so the Rectors of Thrybergh must have enjoyed a very good income from their tithes. Also found here is the the stump of a 12th Century cross called the Butter Cross on what used to be the village green (now housing) and St Leonard's Cross in the churchyard. There are some 16th and 17th Century buildings including various barns; Fosters Garden Centre and another granary barn with stables which was very dilapidated last time I looked. The footings of the old hall are supposed to exist but are probably covered by the brambles and nettles 'cause there was nothing I could identify. Thrybergh Hall and Manor House dated from about 1820.
There are some very nice and very substantial houses along the main road through Thrybergh. I went to look at one (only a semi) many, many years ago when I was first entering the property market. I did not buy it because it was at the upper end of my budget, needed a lot of work on it and I did not like the main road. I still don't like the main road. Pity really 'cause the house is probably worth a fair few bob these days.
South of the old village, and for the most part south of the Doncaster road, the new village has developed during the 20th Century. It consists largely of housing estates and schools. Much of the old terraced housing has gone but some of the estates have unenviable reputations. Many of the residents worked in the nearby Silverwood Colliery and in industries associated with mining, but these have all closed so I expect that there may be a whole generation about largely unused to work. The Silverwood tips have been opencast and parts have been cleaned up and transformed into, you've guessed, housing estates with some recreational areas.
Much of the area around St Peter's church has been cleared for re-development in 2010 and is called St Peter's Regeneration Area.
Thrybergh Churches
St Leonard's, Thrybergh
Parts of St Leonard's date back to about 900 including the blocked doorway in the south nave wall. It is a simple structure of nave and chancel. The eastern end of the nave is Norman but was extended shortly after Norman times. The chancel dates from 1349 and the upper parts of the tower, spire and clerestory are Perpendicular. Inside the church is a remarkable number of monuments to members of the Reresby family and their successors. The present St Leonard's Church dates mostly from about the 1430s. The church is open to visitors alternate Sundays.
Because of its venerable age St Leonard's is need of rather a lot of tender, loving care. The fabric of the church is now in need of considerable renovation. English Heritage have given a stage one grant of £23,000 towards this with an ‘in-principle’ offer of £116,000 for 2012.
Visit the Facebook entry for St Leonard's Church, Thrybergh.
St Peter's, Thrybergh
A new church, St Peter's, was erected on Oldgate Lane in 1909 to serve the growing population. The chancel was added in 1914. It is a very ugly building. At present it is situated rather precariously in the middle of an area that is being largely demolished. The old Fosters supermarket and warehouse have gone.
Visit the Facebook entry for St Peter's Church, Thrybergh.
The two churches are now under the wardship of one vicar.
St Gerard's Roman Catholic Church, Thrybergh
I really don't know much about this church.
Thrybergh Methodist Chapel
There was a Methodist chapel on Whinney Hill. I don't know if it is still there.
Thrybergh Schools
At some point an educational establishment was founded in Thrybergh as there are records from 1714 which indicates that the building that is now the Post Office was then a school. In 1819 John Fullerton funded the building of a new school later known as the Fullerton Church of England School. This survived with alterations and additions until 1972 when the school moved to new buildings nearby. A Catholic primary school, St Gerard's was opened in 1928, the £8,000 cost being raised by local Catholics. Thrybergh High School opened in 1956 and became a comprehensive in 1971. There is also another primary school off Oldgate Lane.