A Quick History of Tinsley

Tinsley’s location above a bend in the River Don contributed to its use in prehistory, evidenced by the fascinating Bronze Age Boat found here in 1963:  “the oldest British logboat from any river draining into the North Sea” (Prehistoric Yorkshire 52, 2015 pp 110) and likely Roman links to the nearby fort at Templebrough. Later, this location made Tinsley a vital part of the 18th and 19th century industrialisation of Sheffield.

First written mention of Tinsley is as ‘Tirneslawe’ or ‘Tineslawe’ in the Domesday Book of 1086. It gained local prominence post conquest when it became a thriving farming community as demonstrated in the Tinsley Court Rolls which date between 1284 and 1805.  Tinsley was subfeuded to Tickhill post 1066 and only later came under the authority of Rotherham and then Sheffield. A turnpike road opened from Sheffield to Doncaster going through Tinsley in 1764.

The river was made navigable to Tinsley in the mid 18th century; goods would be transferred at Tinsley wharf. The opening of the Sheffield to Tinsley Canal in 1819  enabled more rapid industrialisation. In the same year  Earl Fitzwilliam’s Tinsley Park Colliery opened, connected to the canal first by a wagon way and then a short railway.  By 1900 Tinsley had two railway stations, some evidence of these remaining.

The current Supertram uses part of the old route. The area became a major industrial centre known for its collieries, iron, steel and wire works.In the mid 1950’s people, particularly from Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, were encouraged to come to the UK to fill post- war labor shortages. More recently there is a significant growing population of Slovak and Czech Roma new arrivals.The transition from an agrarian to industrial settlement was slow.  For over 200 years the farming community coexisted alongside the increasing industrialisation and the last farm in Tinsley closed only as recently as 1953.Our project has people at its heart.  Tinsley’s story is one of resilience and adaptability to change, not only physical and economic change, but also changing populations.