Rotherham did not exist until the middle ages. It grew as a Saxon settlement by an ancient ford across the river Don. Rotherham’s prosperity grew out of it’s position in the South Yorkshire coalfield, but it was the use of coal that was important for this is a town built on iron and steel. Not for Rotherham the delicacy of silver plate produced in neighbouring Sheffield .
Here was the heavy industry on which Britain’s wealth was made. Yet Rotherham has a softer side, tiny villages, secret valleys, wetlands and country parks. It has a thriving shopping centre and vibrant nightlife, all centred around the 15th century Minster. And don’t miss the excitement of it’s industrial museums.
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