HEMSWORTH: Wakefield Parish #27 of 30

Welcome to a one-industry town where the local coal mines employed the vast majority of residents, and the closure of the pits during the 1980s led to huge levels of unemployment and deprivation in the area. However, as one of the lucky ones after the closure of the mines, it was made into a special regeneration area, and fortunes have improved as a result. Meaning “Hymel’s enclosure”, it was a township in the Wapentake of Staincross and is also thought to have been in the honour, or feudal barony, of Pontefract. Enclosure was brought about by an act of parliament in 1803, which ended the tithe system and allocated common land to local landowners, particularly to Sir Francis Lindley Wood and, less so, to Earl Fitzwilliam. Geographically, this one lies at the crossing point of the Barnsley to Pontefract and the Wakefield to Doncaster roads. The junction where these roads cross, Cross Hill, is the heart of the original village, where the parish church and the George & Dragon Inn still face each other. It’s had some characters in it’s time. None more so than Cyril Bruce who was often seen outside Shelton’s bakery and the newsagents opposite. He was a lover of the market here, and he and his dogs were well known to many residents. Once described as a “dirty brown mining town”, it is much more than that now. Water parks, greyhound stadiums and a sense of rejuvenation amongst it’s populous, this is the town of HEMSWORTH. **** My name is Andy. I am armed with a car, a GoPro and an unhealthy amount of time on my hands. Join me as I try to visit every single parish in the City of Wakefield. There are 30. Here's the TWENTY-SEVENTH one – Hemsworth. #Hemsworth, #Fitzwilliam, #Kinsley, #CyrilBruce, #WestYorkshire, #WaterPark, #GreyhoundStadium, #Tesco, #Wakefield, #Pontefract, #Tunnel, #Parish, Cyril Bruce: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/67736... Demographics: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/y... Zoopla: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices... Hemsworth Community Centre: https://www.hemsworthcouncil.co.uk/co... War memorial: http://www.warmemorials.org/search-gr... Fitzwilliam Country Park: https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/sport-he... The George & Dragon: https://whatpub.com/pubs/WAK/000373/g... The Kings Head: https://whatpub.com/pubs/WAK/000374/k... Bullenshaw House: https://hemsworth.cylex-uk.co.uk/comp... Brierley Tunnel: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads... Kings Meadow Academy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Kings Head: https://whatpub.com/pubs/WAK/000131/c... Church of the Resurrection: https://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/west-y... Vale Head Park Pavilion: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/610... Some of the following music tracks may appear in this video: Brendan Perkins - “Foxsnow” (B. Perkins)    • Foxsnow   Brendan Perkins - “Mickey's House” (B. Perkins)    • Mickey's House   The Keyhouse - "Voices" (H. Flunder)    • Voices   The Keyhouse - "Circles" (H. Flunder)    • The Keyhouse - Circles (official audio)   Helen Flunder - "Sun" (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - 'Sun' (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “Angels” (H. Flunder)    • Helen Flunder - Angels (Official Audio)   Helen Flunder - “C Song” (H. Flunder)    • Caistor and the Lincolnshire Wolds   I have me a Facebook page too!   / the-village-idiot-226069228730989   And now an INSTAGRAM - @andythevillageidiot Come and join The Village People! (Subscribers only!)   / 1037756120085304   Please consider buying me a coffee to support the channel! The more I get the faster I'll get to your parish! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thevilla...