Is there a Hex of Hexthorpe?

After Stainforth was stopped for a night before carrying on to Doncaster. We were very lucky there was a mooring for us there. Doncaster Market is quite what it was bu there is always a good shop for wool, and a few nice pubs too. Not this time for the pubs though. The next day we set off through Doncaster Prison and out on to the River Don once more. After the busy town and the railway lines it is nice o be out in the country once more

This is the hamlet of Newton and until WWII there was a little ferry just a little past the buildings. It seems an ideal spot and very rural, but this stretch of the river holds dark secrets from the past. In the last 150 years there have been at least 12 drownings on this stretch of water, those that I have seen in the papers of the day that is.

In 1875 a simple lad who was seen around Doncaster selling sticks was found her at Newton.

In 1887 a yound woman had a lucky escape when she was picked up by a passing boat, 'Star of Kilnhurst'. She was just hanging on to a tree by her finger tips, having decided to end it all due to money worries. She found at when returned to her husband that he had paid the money off. She was charged with trying to commit suicide, but was delivered back to her husband.

1907 an apparent suicide as his waistcoat  were found at Hextorpe, on the opposite bank and later a body recovered. There was a note in the jacket saying goodbye to his sweet heart of ever!

Later in the same year another body of a man was found on the Newton side. He had been missing a week.

In 1917 a 23 year old Sergeant in the East Yorks. Regiment had been wounded and gone to recover at a nearby hospital where he had meet a 19 year old trainee teacher who was volunteering there. They had struck up a connection and he had wooed her. He had a fiance at home but wanted to give her up for the teacher. She thought she was too young and wanted to just be friends. Everything seemed to be fine and nobody had any worries. He had asked to meet her and she had told her mother she was going to meet up. They hired a boat from Hexthorpe Flats. The boat was found overturned and the next day the bodies of the couple were found separately. The inquest didn't think anything was amiss and misadventure was pronounced.

In 1919 a woman who was under her Doctor for a nervous breakdown was found off the Hexthorpe Flats. She had suffered very badly for three weeks and had told her daughter that she was better off dead and had nothing to live for.

In 1921 three young men from Doncaster had been tempted to go swimming from the Flats in the very hot weather . They got into difficulties in the treacherous currents and only two made it back to shore.

A 5 year old who was playing with his family on the flats in 1924 fell into the water and although recovered swiftly, and despite trying artificial respiration for two hours was pronounced dead.

In 1926 a man's wife said the the next victim had tuberculosis of the spine and his wife said that at times he was past bearing it and it was cruel to see him so. He must have been a considerate man as he had folded his jacket and left a note before jumping in the water. The note gave his name and address and with instructions to pull the rope. He was found with his legs tied together and the rope looped round he waist.

A 53 year old lady had been missing for over a month in 1929 when she was discovered close to Hexthorpe Flats.

In 1931 a 17 year old lad was bathing on Hex. Flats when he just disappeared. His body was found four days later.

In 1934 a 36 year old miner was swimming off the Flats with his mates when he got into difficulties. 2 of his companions actually managed to grab hold of him but his struggles forced them to let go and he wasn't seen alive again.

It seems that there has been a boat house on Hexthorpe Flats for many years where boats were rented out. The low land by the river here was a very popular spot for games and picnics and bathing, been only a mile and half from Doncaster. The modern boat house belongs to Doncaster Rowing Club, but they have only been in existence since 1989.

A little past the boat house on the way to Sprotborough are these two railway bridges. The first is still in use for freight and the other is now used for the Trans Pennine trail. Whilst we have a blog about death and despair we may as well get over the Hexthorpe Rail Disaster!

It was the penultimate day of the St. Ledger Meeting at Doncaster in 1887. The weather was wet and blustery and there was mud everywhere. Still crowds were flocking to the course. The Midland Railway Co had put an excursion train on from Sheffield and Barnsley to Doncaster. The long train had pulled into Hexthorpe Halt which was only really used for these special trains where they waited to enter Doncaster and all tickets were checked. It was just a wooden platform with a wooden hand rail separating it from the fields leading down to Hexthorpe Flats. Meanwhile a Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire timetabled train had left Liverpool and had passed through Penistone and Barnsley on the way to Doncaster and then terminating in Hull. It had slowed and stopped at red signals but these had changed. The driver was experienced with 20 years and knew the 'road'. He accelerated away and as they came round a sharp bend ploughed right into the back of the stationary excursion train. The Liverpool - Hull Train was doing about 40mph by then but the whole train stayed on the rails, the engine just lost its funnel. The last three coaches of the excursion train were smashed to smithereens. In the end the dead totaled 25 killed and over 40 seriously injured. At the inquest the jury thought that the driver and fireman were the cause of the accident and it was therefore manslaughter. 

Went it went to court the young Union ASLEF were able to hire a very well qualified Barrister to defend their member and after just 40 minutes deliberation they were both found not guilty. The railway companies took a lot of flax for the way they had used mixed signalling. The normal lowering arm of signalling was used mostly across the network by then, but some sidings etc were not covered by these and then they were supplemented with men and flags. There should have been two men with flags and the driver and fireman maintained that the first showed no sign and the second was very ambiguous. Railway companies were pushed to fit all lines with proper signalling. Secondly the rail company was criticised because the engine was fitted with a simple vacuum brake that were not very good and did breakdown. Better braking systems were around but were not fitted in many engines. This accident was the real start of the better systems been fitted to all engines.

As you can see this short stretch of the River Don, less than a mile, has seen much more than its share of death and misadventure. When I was a lad it was always stressed to us young lads to stay away from canals and rivers, and we could swim. In the past only a small percentage of urban dwellers could swim so the death toll would be high, and it would have been good advise then. For me it did make me a 'little afraid' of water, but not enough to stop me having a career of nearly 40 years afloat.