Did You Know?

South Yorkshire, metropolitan county in north-central England. It comprises four metropolitan boroughs:  Barnsley,  Doncaster,  Rotherham, and the city of  Sheffield. South Yorkshire lies within the historic county of Yorkshire, except for three areas.

Although the modern county of South Yorkshire was not created until 1974, the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic "house" (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC.

The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area.

Sheffield is home to the oldest football club in the world that plays association football. Sheffield FC was founded in 1857 by members of a cricket club based in Sheffield. The team adopted the official FA rules in 1878 and they now play in the Northern Premier League.

It contains green belt throughout the county, surrounding its four districts to large extents. It was first drawn up from the 1950s. The western edge of the Sheffield and Barnsley districts directly form with the boundary of the Peak District National Park.

In the 19th century the proximity to coal supplies and the arrival of railways stimulated the region’s industrial growth. The Don valley became the focus of a belt of ironworks and steelworks extending eastward from Sheffield. Today South Yorkshire includes most of England’s main coalfield, but mining declined dramatically in the late 20th century.

For nearly 40 years, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, It has been home to the World Snooker Championship, the leading professional snooker tournament with regards to prestige, prize money and points available. Since the tournament has taken place at the Crucible.

The oldest regulated horse race in the world stems from Doncaster! The Doncaster Cup was run for the first time in 1766 after the racing track was established 150 years earlier.

Louis Tomlinson is Doncaster's most famous export, but Jeremy Clarkson comes a close second. Best-known for presenting Top Gear from October 2002 to March 2015 and now enjoying his time on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The most famous train in the world, Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in 1923. It was last restored in 2016 costing £4.5million.