Skelmanthorpe

The village was recorded as Scelmertorp in the Domesday Book in the year 1086 AD. The name derives from the Norse personal name Skjaldmarr and thorp; thus having the meaning of an "outlying farmstead of a man called Skjaldmarr". Locals know it as "Shat", which appears to be an abbreviation of "Shatterers", the name by which the locals are known. Local labour was taken on during construction of the railway to break or 'shatter' rocks as well as work on the excavations. These unskilled labourers were referred to as Shatterers. Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, who is from Skelmanthorpe, has explained the origins of the term and referred to herself as a "Shat lass". ==History==

The village was probably founded during the Viking invasion in the 9th century, as they moved inland from the North Sea. The entry for Skelmanthorpe in the Domesday Book of 1086 states: A quote from John Taylor, who compiled a biography of Skelmanthorpe-born preacher Isaac Marsden (1807–1882), records that "Public houses were crowded with drunken revellers, who caroused all day and made night hideous with quarrels and disturbances ... Among these scenes of revelry were mountebanks, showmen, fortune telling Gypsies, vagabonds and thieves from every quarter." In 1934 a cinema was built, it was the sole use of the building for almost 30 years. In 1961 wrestling was introduced to increase revenue. A reduction in audiences in 1968 resulted in the cinema closing and the building became a bingo hall until 1970 when the building closed. After five years it reopened as the Savoy Squash Club. In June 2010, part of the club was redeveloped as a Youth and Community Centre with a car park, outdoor 5-a-side court, sports hall with a stage, meeting room and cafe. Industry Similar to many village in the area, agriculture was the primary industry of Skelmanthorpe until the 19th century when weaving took over as the dominant occupation. Many older buildings in the village show signs of having been used as weavers cottages in the past. == Governance ==

Skelmanthorpe was in the Staincross Wapentake, part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and split betwixt the ancient parishes of High Hoyland and Silkstone. Skelmanthorpe became a civil parish in 1876, on 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished and merged into Denby Dale. In 1951 the parish had a population of 3425. ==Buildings and services==

Schools Two schools are in Skelmanthorpe: • St Aidan's Church of England Academy • Skelmanthorpe Academy Both of these are First schools, serving children up to Year 5 (rather than Year 6 like most primary schools). After the first school, children move on to Middle School (usually Scissett Middle School) for 3 years before moving on to Shelley College. Churches Skelmanthorpe has five churches: • Church of St Aidan – (Church of England – Anglican) • Skelmanthorpe Methodist Church • Trinity Evangelical Church • Skelmanthorpe Wesleyan Reform Church (now closed and demolished) • Saville Road Hall (Christian – non-denominational) Fire station The fire station was constructed in 1956. It currently houses one pump and one area support unit along with 21 personnel and is designated as a retained fire station. ==Sports teams and facilities==

The village has had its own cricket team since around 1876; the current cricket pitch dates from 1900. The village also has its own junior and senior football teams that play in the Huddersfield leagues respectively. There are two crown green bowls clubs within the village. One club is based at the Windmill Pub on the outskirts of the village and the other club based in the centre of the village. Each club have their own bowling green. Following a petition from local young people fundraising allowed the construction of a small skatepark which opened early 2006. Residents from the area complained about the noise and the skatepark has since been moved. It is now at the bottom of the football field. Parkgate Sports and Community Trust have won the right for a new sports complex to be built at Parkgate. == Transport ==

Railway For more than 100 years (from 1879 until 1986), Skelmanthorpe had a railway station on the Clayton West branch line that ran along the northern edge of the village. The line was closed to passengers in 1983 and the track was removed in 1986. The disused trackbed of the former branch line was later used for the Kirklees Light Railway, a minimum-gauge railway designed as a tourist attraction, which opened as far as Skelmanthorpe in 1992. The nearest railway stations now are Denby Dale (2.2 miles) and Shepley (3.1 miles); both stations are on the Penistone Line with trains in both directions to Huddersfield, Barnsley and Sheffield Buses Skelmanthorpe is served by bus services to Holmfirth and Wakefield on the X1 service and Huddersfield and Denby Dale on the D1 Denby Darts service. Team Pennine is the bus company that runs these services through the village. Roads The main road through the village is the B6116, which connects to the A629 and A636. ==Notable groups and residents==

Male voice choir and brass band Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choir began in 1934: • To maintain and increase the love of and the interest in music in the village. • To help charitable institutions. • To increase the fame and renown of the village by winning competitions. Since 2009 its director is Jane Hobson. Formed in 1843, the Skelmanthorpe Brass Band is among the oldest ten of such bands in Britain. They rank in the First Section of The National Brass Band Championships. Residents and ex-residents Actresses: • Jodie Whittaker. She has appeared in films including Venus and ''St Trinian's and portrayed the Thirteenth Doctor in the television series Doctor Who''. She mentioned she was a "Shat lass" on Graham Norton's chat show. ==Setting for film or television==

During the mid-1970s, central parts were a set for Yorkshire Television sitcom, ''Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt!'', starring Bill Maynard. ==Nearby places==

Towns and cities: Barnsley, Huddersfield, Wakefield Villages: Denby Dale, Clayton West, Emley, Lower Cumberworth, Scissett, Shelley, Shepley ==See also==