Penistone

South Yorkshire

Penistone is a market town in the Barnsley metropolitan district of South Yorkshire.

Regent Court, St Mary's Street, PenistoneMarket Street, PenistonePenistone is around 7 miles east-south-east of Barnsley, around 11 miles south-south-west of Huddersfield and around 12 miles north-east of Sheffield.

The Peak District National Park starts around 3 miles to the south-west of the town.

The area around the town is mainly agricultural and the town once had a sheep and cattle market. While this is now gone, there is still an annual one-day agricultural show, the Penistone Show, which is held in early September.

There is a bustling food and general market in the town's market barn on Thursdays and an arts and crafts and second-hand market on Saturdays.

Penistone was once an important railway junction between the Woodhead line, a main railway between Sheffield and Manchester with another line running to Wath-upon-Dearne in the direction of Doncaster. There were also the only lines which still remain today, towards Huddersfield and Barnsley. The trans-Pennine link was closed to passengers from Penistone in 1970 and to all trains in 1981. A few years later the direct Huddersfield - Penistone - Sheffield service was rerouted on a longer journey via Barnsley. Parts of the former railway trackbeds are now used by the Trans Pennine Trail coast to coast walking and cycling route.

Town features

Penistone is on the Trans Pennine Trail a 215-mile (346km) signposted coast to coast route for walkers and cyclists from Southport in the west to Hornsea in the east with surfaced paths and easy gradients. Its total 370 miles (595km) of routes also includes spurs to Kirkburton, Leeds and York and to Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

The town has a range of shops and supermarkets. Penistone offers bakery goods, butchers, clothes, gifts, an outdoor market (Thu, Sat)

The town has a Post Office branch.

Penistone has bank and building society branches.

The town has pharmacies.

The town has pubs and a social club.

Bistro and cafe dining can be found in Penistone.

Takeaway food outlets in the town include fish and chips, chinese, curries, sandwiches.

The town has a library.

The town has a cinema.

Penistone has a community centre.

Places of worship: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, other.

Penistone was formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Travel

Penistone station

Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.

NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station info

External link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).

Bus travel

The town has buses to neighbouring towns and villages.

Places to visit

Worsbrough Mill

Worsbrough Bridge
This working 17th century flour mill uses water power from the River Dove at Worsbrough Bridge, 2.5 miles south of Barnsley town centre. Visitors can learn about the milling process and explore the surrounding country park, set around Worsbrough Reservoir. Admission is free, but there are charges in the car park. The mill is off the A61 at Worsbrough Bridge. Buses from Barnsley, including 66 and 265, stop nearby. The mill is run by Barnsley Metropolitan District Council.
Find out more on the

Worsborough Mill web pages.

Monk Bretton Priory

Abbey Lane, Cundy Cross
The ruins of Monk Bretton Priory, a monastery originating in 1154, can be found at Abbey Lane, Cundy Cross, two miles east of Barnsley town centre, hidden behind housing just off the A628 Pontefract Road. The priory was of the order of Cluny, originally established in La Charite-sur-Loire in France. The Cluniac monks had originally established a priory at Pontefract in the 1090s and Monk Bretton was set up as a daughter of that priory. As well as the ruins of the stone-plundered monastery there is a gatehouse dating from a rebuild in the 15th century which is almost intact and an administrative building, originating from the 13th century with a 17th century upper storey, recently renewed and reroofed. The site has free admission, is open most days from 10am to 3pm and is managed by English Heritage. Several bus services operate from Barnsley along the road to Cundy Cross, from where it is a short walk.

More information at the

English Heritage - Monk Bretton Priory website.

Find Monk Bretton Priory on map

Cannon Hall

Bark House Lane, Cawthorne
Visitors can explore the Georgian country house museum and gardens and parkland, extending across 28 hectares (70 acres). The hall also stages a wide range of events from art exhibitions to baking days and re-enactment events. Cannon Hall is 6 miles by road west-north-west of Barnsley town centre just off the A635 road near the village of Cawthorne. It has a large pay and display car park. Bus 92 connects Barnsley to Cawthorne village with a walk of about a mile to Cannon Hall. On Sundays three 92A services run to Cannon Hall.
More information at these

Cannon Hall web pages.

Cannon Hall Farm

Bark House Lane, Cawthorne
Cannon Hall Farm is an award-winning open farm attraction just up the road from the hall itself. The farm has grown to become one of the largest such attractions in the country, now including adventure playgrounds, a gift shop, farm shop and restaurants. The animals themselves are the main appeal though, with a rare breeds barn and milking demonstrations. There are car parking and admission charges, though parking is free and admission reduced after 3.30pm, follow the link to the farm website for details. The farm is also host to the Underneath The Stars Festival of art, music, food and drink in July. Bus 92 connects Barnsley to Cawthorne village, a walk of about a mile to Cannon Hall Farm. On Sundays three 92A services run to Cannon Hall.
More information at the

Cannon Hall Farm website.

Elsecar Heritage Centre

Wath Road, Elsecar
The heritage centre is located in a former ironworks and colliery workshops and houses an antique centre, craft workshops and exhibitions of the past history of the conservation village of Elsecar. Key attractions include the 1795 Newcomen Beam Engine, the only one of its kind to have been preserved in its original location. The Elsecar Heritage Railway previously operated mainly at weekends along a restored part of a branch line which served collieries and iron works, but faced closure in 2020. The centre stages a series of events, including children's activities, car shows and auctions. The Heritage Centre is 6 miles south-south-east of Barnsley. It can be reached from Barnsley by bus on route 66 or by train to Elsecar station, from where it is a walk of about half a mile.
Find out more at the

Elsecar Heritage Centre web pages.

Wentworth Castle Gardens

Wentworth CastleStainborough
The Grade I listed gardens and parkland of Wentworth Castle, a country house at Stainborough, near Barnsley, were reopened in 2019 by the National Trust in partnership with Barnsley Council and Northern College, which occupies the house, which is closed to visitors.

The gardens, like the house itself, are largely the result of family rivalry in the 18th century with the inheriters of Wentworth Woodhouse, a spectacular country house around six miles away. Miles of parkland include various monuments and also Stainborough Castle, a folly ruined castle of medieval appearance which continues the name of an earlier house at Wentworth Castle. A Union Jack Garden commemorates the union of England and Scotland in 1707 and there is also a Victorian conservatory.

For more information see the

National Trust - Wentworth Castle Gardens web pages.
Locate on map:

Wentworth Castle Gardens

Wortley Top Forge

Forge Lane, Thurgoland

Wortley Top Forge was a heavy iron forge powered by water which traces its history back to at least 1640. It is situated in the secluded wooded valley of the River Don just over half-a-mile south-south-east of the village of Thurgoland and about a mile north-west of Wortley. The forge continued in use until 1910 after many decades through the Victorian era producing railway axles. Today Wortley Top Forge is an industrial museum, restored by volunteers of the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society. It is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument reflecting the importance of the iron industry to South Yorkshire. The forge has three water wheels and the water-powered drop hammers that were used, together with stationary steam engines and displays of old tools. While the forge produced railway axles in its latter days, it was never connected to a railway, nor had them on site, but it now has a narrow gauge railway exhibits acquired from York Water Works and also a miniature railway run by the Wortley Top Forge Model Engineers which provides rides behind miniature locomotives on forge opening days. The forge is open to the public on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter Sunday to early November.

For more details see the Wortley Top Forge website.

Find on map: Wortley Top Forge

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

West Bretton

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the UK's leading open-air sculpture gallery, situated at West Bretton, between Barnsley, Huddersfield and Wakefield. Set in around 500 acres of beautiful parkland within the Bretton Estate adjoining Bretton Hall, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park offers what is probably the finest outdoor exhibition space in the country for modern and contemporary sculpture, attracting regional, national and international exhibits. The museum also has indoor exhibition spaces, cafes and shops. The museum car parks are accessed off the A637 Huddersfield Road between West Bretton and junction 38 of the M1. From 2020, the Yorkshire Sculpture Pak has introduced an admission charge with advance booking required. Parking is included in the admission fee.

More information at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park website.

Find on map: Yorkshire Sculpture Park

National Coal Mining Museum for England

National Coal Mining Museum for EnglandNational Coal Mining MuseumWakefield Road, Overton
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is mid-way between Wakefield and Huddersfield, about 6 miles from each, on the main A642 road at Overton. It is also around 10 miles from Barnsley and just under 5 miles from Dewsbury. The former Caphouse Colliery has exhibits showing the history of mining in the Yorkshire coalfield and beyond. The museum also offers the chance to don a miner's helmet to take an underground tour down the mine. The tour takes about an hour and shows the changes in mining and conditions in the pit through its history. There's also chance to meet pit ponies, to take a trip on a colliery railway, to walk its nature trail or relax with food or a drink in its cafe.
More details at the

National Coal Mining Museum website.

Peak District National Park

The vast area of the Peak District National Park starts around 10 miles to the west of Barnsley town centre, stretching from Yorkshire into Derbyshire and beyond. For more details see our Peak District page.

Emergency services

South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police website.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Penistone Town Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website:

Penistone Town Council

Metropolitan district council

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Barnsley is one of four metropolitan district authorities within the county of South Yorkshire.

It covers Barnsley and dozens of other towns, villages and hamlets, stretching for around 20 miles east to west and around 10 miles north to south. The western part of the borough includes an area of the Peak District National Park.

Barnsley council's 63 councillors serve three per ward across 13 wards for a four-year term. An election of one councillor per ward takes place each year with no election in the fourth year.

Link to Barnsley MBC website.

Political composition after May 2024 election is:

481121 Con1 R
63 members R = Reform UK

County strategic authority

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
Covers combined services including public transport, housing, infrastructure and regeneration and adult education in South Yorkshire, including the metropolitan districts of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. The authority has been mayor-led since 2018. The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner is added to the list of mayoral responsibilities after the May 2024 election.

Elected mayor: ❚ Oliver Coppard Labour & Cooperative

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority website.

Police and Crime Commissioner

This role becomes the responsibility of the elected South Yorkshire mayor after the May 2024 election.

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner website.

Fire Authority

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
The fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the four metropolitan district councils of South Yorkshire - Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority web pages.

Parliamentary constituency

Penistone and Stocksbridge
Elected MP: ❚ Marie Tidball Labour

National government region

Yorkshire and the Humber

Ceremonial county

South Yorkshire

Historic

-1974 within the West Riding of Yorkshire

Also in Yorkshire.guide

New Places to visit Gazetteer