A LOOP AROUND BARNSLEY, THEN FLYING OFF AT A TANGENT

 We follow the GCR route towards Penistone for a short distance to Summer Lane station.

Just off Summer Lane itself is the Moulders Arms.

And on Summer Lane, the George & Dragon.

Not far away, the Miners Rest, a former John Smith's house.

We skirt around Barnsley town centre to the junction of the Sheffield and Doncaster roads. This is where the Dearne District trams terminated, not having a connection with the Barnsley system.

A Yorkshire Woollen District car on loan to Barnsley & District on Sheffield Road.

A "proper" Barnsley tram, no. 10, further along, heading into town.

Upper Sheffield Road was the home of Yorkshire Traction, who maintained a large depot there. Seen here is no. 130c, an ex Camplejohn Sentinel.

Now, a rebuilt Leyland PS2 proudly showing off its new Roe body.

Here are a few scenes from the early 1970s, when NBC red had begun to take over.

Moving forward to 1979 and a Leyland Atlantean had been converted to a trainer bus.

The Old White Bear was a great real ale pub, but has long closed.

Not far away was the famous Barnsley Brewery, sadly brewing no more.

Here's my tribute to Barnsley Brewery.

Down into the Dearne Valley (see the map here) and we would have found Oaks Colliery many moons ago.

The Barnsley British Cooperative Society ran a small fleet of coaches and had a depot around here, where this fine Foden is seen in 1963 (Les Flint).

Our next stop is the Keel Inn, not far from the Dearne & Dove and Barnsley Canals.

The Barnsley Canal crossed the Dearne Valley by means of this aqueduct seen in 1910.

A year later - a little problem!

I had a wander around here in 1991 and here is the former junction of the two canals.

The remains of the old junction lock.

A short section of the canal is still in water. The winding gear of Barnsley Main Colliery can be seen in the distance.

At Stairfoot, the Great Central Railway crossed the Dearne & Dove Canal.

GCR 0-6-2T no. 1607 rests between shunts at Stairfoot.

Another 1911 mishap.

Here's Stairfoot Junction station in pre-grouping times.

Stairfoot Junction in 1935. The Midland Railway crosses over the top, while the Hull & Barnsley veers off to the right.

Doncaster Road, Stairfoot, in the 1920s.

To the north, Cundy Cross, where the 900 year old Mill of The Black Monks no longer serves cask beer.

More monastic history at Monk Bretton - the ruins of the priory.

Here's a bit of old Monk Bretton.

Monk Bretton Colliery, long gone, of course.

Monk Bretton once had a small Midland Railway station, served by Cudworth to Barnsley trains.

That's where I'll end this post. Next time, a return to West Yorkshire.

BARNSLEY - THE BUSES AND THE ATTRACTIONS

Many moons ago, we could have arrived in Barnsley by Booker's charabanc. 

We would have found Barnsley & District's trams in operation.

This one came a bit of a cropper!

Barnsley & District became Yorkshire Traction.

This Leyland Titanic had been new to Doncaster Corporation and had entered the "Tracky" fleet after the takeover of Cawthornes, one of several vanished Barnsley area independents.

By the early 1970s the old livery was being replaced by standard NBC red.

More photos in NBC days, with a good variety of buses.

Some more modern Yorkshire Traction buses in its later days.

Yorkshire Traction had a low cost subsidiary called Barnsley & District.

Yorkshire Traction was taken over by Stagecoach and this Olympian is still in the old red colours but has received Stagecoach stickers.

Stagecoach is, today, the major operator in Barnsley.

It's nice to see that Stagecoach have painted no. 15414 into the former "Tracky" livery.

Other NBC operators to be seen in Barnsley have included West Riding, Yorkshire Woollen District and West Yorkshire Road Car.

 South Yorkshire PTE also served Barnsley.

Firstbus inherited many former PTE routes.

The last traditional Barnsley independent to go was LP Coaches of Thurnscoe.

Post deregulation, various companies tried running services into Barnsley. These included SUT, Veolia and Shearings.

Smaller operators were Jowitts, Aldham Coaches, Tates, Clarksons and Pride of The Road.

Two surviving independents are Globe and Watersons.

Right, that's enough buses. Time for a look around the town centre. Here's the top of Market Hill before the Town hall was built.

And here is that Town Hall.

A postcard of Cheapside and Queen Street.

One of Barnsley's town centre attractions is The Arcade. seen here in 1910 and 2016.

Within The Arcade, a micropub, the Arcade Alehouse, since renamed as the Jolly Tap on The Arcade.

A purpose built Wetherspoons was the Silkstone Inn, but they closed it down.

There was once a brew pub called the Orchard Brewery. 

The Orchard Brewery has transformed into a Wetherspoons, the Joseph Bramah.

One's best bet for real ale in Barnsley town centre is the Old No. 7.

It would have been nice to have concluded this tour at the Wheatsheaf, a great Tetley pub, but they pulled it down shortly after my visit in 1989.

Next time, we'll take a tour around the edges of the town then, head off in a northerly (ish) direction.