New homes in Doncaster
Welcome to Doncaster
From museums to art galleries, shopping districts and parks, Doncaster is a market town that’s full of life. If you’re looking for a town with excellent transport links in the beautiful region of South Yorkshire, a new home in Doncaster could be ideal for you and your family.
A quick history
Doncaster began as a village that grew around a Roman fort built in the 1st century. By the 12th century Doncaster was a bustling market town, and it continued to grow throughout the decades despite several devastating outbreaks of the plague.
By the 18th century Doncaster was also a coaching town, with the population reaching 10,000 by 1831. During the Second World War the town was relatively unscathed, apart from two parachute mines that fell in May 1941. Today the town continues to thrive, with a population of more than 300,000.
Business and industry
Historically Doncaster is an engineering town, especially after The Great Northern Railway moved to the town in the mid-19th century, becoming one of the biggest employers in the area. Today employers in the town include UK Coal Mining Holdings and DFS Furniture as well as manufacturing companies such as Ballyvesey Holdings, Polypipe and Pegler Yorkshire.
Things to do in the area
If you enjoy a spot of retail therapy, Doncaster has some great shopping districts including Frenchgate Shopping Centre and Wheatley Retail Park. The traditional Doncaster Market takes place three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and has more than 400 stalls and shops.
There are a number of cultural attractions in Doncaster, including Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, Cast performing arts venue, and Doncaster Dome, where you can watch live music. Popular attractions just a short drive from the town include Ashworth Barracks Military Museum, Conisborough Castle, The Trolleybus Museum and South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum.
For families, there are lots of great child-friendly days out in the local area including Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Potteric Carr Nature Reserve and Boston Park Farm. If you’re a fan of horse racing, Doncaster Racecourse hosts the Doncaster Cup every September. Keepmoat Stadium is home to Doncaster Rovers F.C., Doncaster Rovers Belles and Doncaster R.L.F.C.
Travel and commuting
If you need to commute from Doncaster to surrounding towns and cities, the M18 and A1(M) are close-by for car journeys while the train station has services to Manchester, London and more. The journey to Sheffield takes 35 minutes by car or 30 minutes by train, while Leeds is a 45-minute drive away or 35 minutes travelling by train.
For journeys to Manchester, the train takes around one hour 20 minutes while the car journey is around 5 minutes longer. London is a one hour 30-minute train journey away from Doncaster.
If you’re going abroad, Doncaster Sheffield Airport is only 20 minutes away from the town centre, and there are regular bus services if you want to leave your car at home.
