Shireoaks

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.3247
longitude= -1.1675
static_

static_image_caption=Shireoaks Level Crossing
map_type= Nottinghamshire
official_name= Shireoaks
population=
shire_district= Bassetlaw
region= East Midlands
shire_county= Nottinghamshire
constituency_westminster= Bassetlaw
post_town= WORKSOP
postcode_district = S81
postcode_area= S
dial_code= 01909
os_grid_reference= SK555811

Shireoaks is a former pit village between Worksop and Thorpe Salvin, England.

The Chesterfield Canal and River Ryton both run through the village. The main A57 between Sheffield and Worksop passes close to the village and there are rail services to Sheffield, Lincoln and Cleethorpes on the Sheffield to Lincoln Line, which has a station at Shireoaks railway station.

Facilities

Current facilities include a newsagents, which is also the post office, a small shop, butchers, school, village hall, cafe and Miners Welfare, with bowling green and football pitch. The village has one pub, the Hewett Arms, in the park, due to the conversion of the old Station Hotel into a house during the past few years.

British Waterways Shireoaks Marina is a few minutes walk along the towpath from the village making it easily accessible for visiting boaters.

Steetley Cricket Ground

The cricket pitch along with its bowling green and tennis courts used to belong to the Steetley works in the village and was the home ground of their sporting teams. This is now under private ownership and the pavilion has been converted into a house; the new pavilion is a converted groundsman shed. The village went without a cricket team for many years until, in 2002, Shireoaks Cricket Club was re-established; it has gone from strength to strength, fielding two adult teams on a Sunday and providing opportunities for youth cricket to flourish.

Over the years the ground has been used for many minor county cricket matches involving the second team of Nottinghamshire, and has played host to 2 first class matches, these were;

* 5th July 1961 County Championship 1961 Nottinghamshire v Sussex

* 7th July 1979 West Indies Women in England 1979 3rd ODI England Women v West Indies Women

which is quite impressive for a village of this size where the local team used to only attract a few dozen spectators.Total list of matches played: [http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/734.html]

The ground has recently been used as a training ground for the Worksop Town Football Club Academy.

Future

Since the closure of Shireoaks colliery in the early 1990's there have been many plans for its uses. So far the majority of there have not come to anything, the only one being the construction of a marina at the former location of the barge loading area adjacent to the Chesterfield Canal. The area remains mostly undeveloped, but more than likely will be used for housing in the future

Due to the number of housing developments in the village and the rapid expansion of the area of Gateford in nearby Worksop, there is a concern that Shireoaks along with the neighbouring village of Rhodesia will soon become just a part of Worksop itself.

Trivia

The churchyard contains the grave of one Joseph Tomlinson and states that he died on 30th February 1955, a date which never occurred.

The original mine shaft was sunk around 1860 but the memorial plate says 1854.It was abandoned on the 25th May 1991 and was capped in August of 1992.The depth of the shaft was 483.5m and the shaft's diameter was 3.66m.