History in Maps
By 1907, Crofton was beginning to shift from its rural roots.
Until this point, most houses had been built as individual properties or short rows of cottages. This map shows the first planned housing estates, including one in New Crofton along Middle Lane (locally known as “The Lump”) and a terrace in the centre of the village on Slack Lane. Additional houses opposite the Cock and Crown are also shown.
A new Methodist Chapel had been constructed in the middle of the village, with a building on Cock Lane labelled Sunday School, possibly the old chapel building.
The map marks a Post Office and a Smithy at the top of Slack Lane. The Smithy will have served as the main source of metalwork and for the shoeing of horses.
Crofton Park is depicted in greater detail, with a tree-lined track running from Doncaster Road to Crofton Hall. This track and its line of trees are still visible today.
Crofton Windmill is now shown as “Disused.”
Railways had expanded in all directions. A new line was under construction on what is now the Sidings sports field. Oakenshaw Station had closed, but Crofton itself now had two stations: Crofton Station (north) and Hare Park & Crofton (south).
The expansion of coal mining drove much of this growth. Nostell Colliery lay to the east, Sharlston West (now Walton Country Park) to the west, and New Sharlston Colliery to the north, with much of their output transported by rail. Adjacent to Nostell Colliery was the Nostell Brick & Tile Works, which also had rail connectivity at the time.
Middle Lane is now a path from “The Lump” to Nostell Colliery.