IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Manvers Park, ROTHERHAM, S63 7EW

The college was established in 1976, changing its name from Rockingham College in 1996 when it opened the new £7m main college site at Manvers Park, Wath-upon-Dearne.

Built in 1998 for the University of Sheffield it is now empty and disused.

Looking across agricultural land towards Manvers College and University buildings.

View northward, towards Normanton and Leeds to the left after the signalbox, where to the right the Swinton & Knottingley line to York branched off. The locomotive is Hughes/Fowler 4P5F 'Crab' 2-6-0 No. 42795 (built 1927, withdrawn 11/66).

View NW, towards Wath, Barnsley, Penistone and Manchester on the ex-Great Central line from Mexborough, Doncaster and Sheffield. The photograph shows how sixty years ago this area was intensely industrialised, with numerous large and thriving collieries (Manvers Main is in the left background) and there was a complex of railway lines busy with trains of coal and industrial products. This train (hauled by ex-War Department 2-8-0 No. 90119) is coming away from Wath Yard and is about to pass under the four-track main ex-Midland line at Wath Road Junction, where the line to York leaves the line to Leeds. This was an ideal spot for a 'train-watcher' - but damned cold that day.

View NW, with the Midland Main Line passing above at Wath Road Junction Box. (See Image] for details). The locomotive is ex-Great Northern 0-6-0 No. 4174.

View NW, towards - beyond the signalbox visible on the left - Leeds (left), York (right). See also Image], which is a very similar scene taken later (1957). The locomotive here is Stanier 8F 2-8-0 - still in LMS livery - No. 8670 (built 1944 on the SR at Brighton, but always worked on the LMSR, until withdrawn 9/66).

View northward, to the signalbox - just visible, then left towards Cudworth, Normanton and Leeds, right towards Pontefract and York. Here ex- Midland 3F 0-6-0 No. 43714 is bringing up a Class J goods on the Up Fast line while a train of high-capacity coke wagons is running parallel on the Up Slow. Underneath ran the ex-Great Central main line between Mexborough and Wath Yard - see Image

View SE, towards Swinton, Rotherham, Sheffield Midland and the South: ex-Midland Sheffield - Leeds Main line; the Swinton & Knottingley (Midland & NE Joint) main line, which this train will take, turns off at Wath Road Junction. Thompson B1 No. 61337 (built 8/48, withdrawn 9/67 - the Last of the Class (of 409)) will have taken over at Sheffield, probably from an LMS 'Jubilee' that will have left Bristol at 10.15, the express being due in Newcastle at 18.35. (The ex-GC Wath - Mexborough main line runs below here and off to the right is the Dearne Canal).