Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express – Saturday 19 August 1922
Proposed New Roads Linking Mexboro’ & Conisboro With The North Road.
The report recently presented by Professor L. P. Abercrombie and Mr. T. H. Johnson, architect, on the town planning of the new Doncaster coalfield contains interesting suggestions with regard to Mexboro and Conisboro,’ under the heading “Proposed New Roads and Connections.”
The Mexboro’ Urban District, (says report), although small in area is already a large industrial centre and in the future will play an important part in the industrial development of Don Valley, owing to its numerous railway and waterway connections and the fact of its being the shopping centre for the immediate district, embracing a large number of villages served by buses and trams running into the town. With regard to the question of dealing with the congested state of the main street of Mexborough, it is felt that the natural difficulty of the levels made this impossible on the South side of High Street, so that it must be widened entirely on the North side, and continued on the same side of the road Main Street.
At the present time the through traffic entering and leaving Mexborough must travel a long way round before reaching the trunk reads.
The Northern Route.
To deal with this, and to connect Mexboro up with the surrounding districts the better, it is felt that the best course would be to connect Mexboro’ up, with the main roads running north and south. It is proposed to utilise the existing roads (which follow the old pack-horse tracks) as far as possible, the only new sections of road necessary (including the by-pass ‘road at Conisboro’) being about one mile between Mexboro’ and Road No. 1 (North Road) and one mile between Mexboro’ and Road No. 8 (Sheffield to Doncaster). Leaving’ Mexboro’ on the site of the old Roman Road, now used as a footway running due north and utilising Harlington Lane at Harlington Mill, a new section of road about three-quarters of a mile long would be necessary after leaving Harlington Mill: the road would follow Mill Lane to Harlington Village. At this point the Melton Road intersects and would require corners widening out. After leaving Harlington the road would pass over the Dearne Valley Railway by an existing bridge and continue forward to Barnburgh where a short length of new road would be required to bypass of Barnburgh Village. On leaving Hickleton it would cross the Barnsley Road (No. 7) and proceed to Bilham Grange, by Brodsworth, through Pigburn, to the Red House, where it would intersect the Leeds and Bradford Road. (No. 3) and connect up with the Great North Road.
The Southern Route.
Leaving Mexborough to the South, the road would proceed along Ferry Boat Lane and cross the canal by the existing bridge . A new bridge would be necessary to carry the road over the river Don (on the site of the ferry there), afterwards passing over the Great Central Railway by the existing level crossing. The road would, be carried through Old Denaby to a short section of new road and be curved slightly to use up the hill, following the old road through Denaby “Thick” (Wood) where a short length of new road would connect to the Sheffield road (No 8) at a point between Hill Top and Mount Pleasant, where the proposed Conisbrough backpass by Road intersects Road No. 8. From here the proposed road would run on the Conisboro’ passby to Clifton Hill and Carr Lane, and would continue forward to Old Edlington, where it intersects the Doncaster to Maltby Road. At Maltby, connection would be obtained with the Worksop Road.
The Conisorough Pass-By.
The Sheffield Road (No 8) after leaving Doncaster keeps to the high ground at Conisboro,’ where a very dangerous hill with cross roads entering a steep gradient exists. Both sides of the road are built up and any widenings would be costly, and at the same time would not do away with the dangerous character of the hill. It is proposed to construct a bypass two miles long. The proposed bypass would leave the Sheffield Road just west of the railway bridge crossing the Dearne Valley Railway, and would hold to the high ground, intersecting the Conisboro’ to Edlington Road on the level. Proceeding forward it would pass at the rear of the brickyard and cemetery and would again connect with the main road at a point halfway between Mount Pleasant and Hill.
Conisboro’ To Mexboro
This rood, leaving the Sheffield Road at the foot of the steep Conisborough Hill, where a dangerous turn and corner exist, requiring immediate attention, proceeds round the foot of the Castle, past Conisboro’ Railway Station, over a level crossing at Denaby, and into Mexboro’. The road is altogether too narrow for the traffic it carries, and owing to the natural obstacles, it would necessitate a very expensive widening, being built up upon both sides, and forming the main street of Denaby. It is suggested that the road should be left as at present, and a new road be constructed to take the traffic from Mexboro’ and Denaby to join the Sheffield Road at a point half a mile west of Conisborough.