Step back in time and discover the rich industrial history of Elsecar through new information boards

The illustrated additions in Elsecar are part of improvements along the Trans-Pennine Trail route.

They can be found alongside the former towpath of the Elsecar branch of the Dearne and Dearne Canal between Elsecar and Hemingfield, which opened in 1798, and reveal snapshots of life and industry over the last 250 years.

As well as celebrating the past, the new installations aim to represent the present — including the thousands who walk, run and ride along it each month, its rich biodiversity and wildlife and the volunteers who look after the canal and heritage sites.

Boards have also been revealed at the Forge Playing Field, once home to the famous Milton Ironworks and Elsecar Park — which became famous across the region as Elsecar-by-the-Sea, the seaside resort at the heart of the Yorkshire coalfield.

Many of the images used in the boards are taken from the Elsecar 1880 digital reconstruction, which was created last year by Barnsley Museums working in partnership with local community groups, and can be seen in the Elsecar Visitor Centre and online.

The Elsecar Valley was once owned by the Earls Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse, who transformed the village from a small rural hamlet to an international centre of industry, one of the UK’s first model villages and a precursor to places like Saltaire.

The heritage project, funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has drawn on the efforts of community groups, including the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery and the Mates of Milton.

Cllr Robert Frost, Barnsley Council’s cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “Elsecar Valley is loved as a place for people to explore, to get active and make memories.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to share these stories of its proud heritage and the committed local people who look after its special places.”

Chair of the Trans-Pennine Trail Partnership, Cllr John Wilson, said: “It’s wonderful to see interpretation included in this project — what better way to tell the story of our bygone days to visitors young and old.”

Visit www.elsecar-heritage.com to learn about the heritage project and for more information about the Trans-Pennine Trail, visit www.transpenninetrail.org.uk.