Editing Doncaster (section)

==Economy==
[[File:Panorama of Market Place, Doncaster.jpg|thumb|Doncaster Market Place Panoramic]]
[[File:Doncaster Town Center.JPG|thumb|The High Street in Doncaster city centre]]
Doncaster emerged as an industrial centre in the late 18th to 20th centuries. Its communications, particularly its waterways, meant that it became extremely busy and experienced migration to its centre. Underneath Doncaster lies a huge natural resource by way of deep seam coal.

===Distribution centres===
Doncaster's proximity to major urban centres and motorway/rail infrastructure gives it a number of major distribution centres, including the 420-acre [[Doncaster International Railport]], which dispatches goods to Europe. It also has large warehousing and logistic capabilities for retailers such as [[Next (clothing)|Next]], [[Tesco]], [[IKEA]], [[Amazon.com]], Lidl and [[House of Fabergé|Faberge]]. A marked proportion of fresh and frozen goods for northern supermarkets is dispatched by road from Doncaster.

===Regeneration initiatives===
[[File:Frenchgate south entrance.jpg|thumb|right|[[Frenchgate Centre|Frenchgate]] shopping centre]]
[[File:The New Doncaster College - geograph.org.uk - 426787.jpg|thumb|[[Doncaster College]]]]
On 5 March 2004, Doncaster was granted [[Fairtrade Town]] status. Over the last few years the [[Doncaster Lakeside]], as home to the Doncaster Rovers ground, has undergone modernisation. Doncaster has a bowling alley and a cinema near Lakeside. The Dome, opened in 1989 by [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Princess Diana]], contains a swimming pool, gym, ice rink and café.

The [[Frenchgate Centre]] is a shopping centre and transport interchange. Opened in June 2006,<ref>{{cite web |title=Doncaster Transport Interchange |url=http://www.doncaster-interchange.co.uk/ |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=www.doncaster-interchange.co.uk |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308115641/http://www.doncaster-interchange.co.uk/ |url-status=live}}</ref> it connects with the railway and bus stations.
Lakeside Village, a retail outlet with some 45 retail shops and restaurants lies along the [[A6182]] dual carriageway. The Waterdale area of the town centre is currently undergoing rejuvenation, with a new theatre (known as CAST), new civic offices and a new public square having been completed on the site of the Waterdale car park. The old council house and civic theatre have been demolished and new housing is being built in the town itself, opposite Doncaster Racecourse, and in out-of-town suburbs.

===Confectionery===
During the 19th and 20th centuries, confectioners based in Doncaster included [[Parkinson's Doncaster Butterscotch Company|Parkinson's]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.doncasterbutterscotch.com/ |title=Official Website of Parkinson's confectionery – The confectioners. Traditional Doncaster Butterscotch, Toffee, Fudge |publisher=doncasterbutterscotch.com |access-date=23 April 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213165122/http://www.doncasterbutterscotch.com/ |archive-date=13 December 2007}}</ref> the [[Butterscotch]] inventors, Nuttalls Mintoes<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.townfield.doncaster.sch.uk/pages/danum/doncaster_museum.htm |title=Doncaster Museum |publisher=townfield.doncaster.sch.uk |access-date=23 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822205617/http://www.townfield.doncaster.sch.uk/pages/danum/doncaster_museum.htm |archive-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> and Murray Mints. In August 2011, Parkinson's put its 190-year-old trademark up for sale on eBay.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120760820909 |title=Parkinson's Doncaster Butterscotch – inc trademark |publisher=eBay |access-date=11 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928030048/http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120760820909 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Coal and industrial expansion===
The waterways, [[River Don, South Yorkshire|River Don]] and Don Navigation were used to transport coal from Doncaster to the steel production centres at [[Rotherham]], [[Scunthorpe]] and [[Sheffield]].

A large number of mining jobs were lost in the late 1980s. Today coal mining has ceased.

[[Rockware Glass]] is a specialist glass manufacturer. A production facility for chemical [[polymers]] was built in Wheatley Hall Road. It changed hands during its existence, until [[DuPont]] closed it in the mid-1990s.

Steel foundries, rolling mills and wire mills were built close to the railways that brought steel from Rotherham and Sheffield. [[Bridon Ropes]] produces wire rope, including the ropes used at coal mines to haul coal and miners. It is claimed to be the largest wire rope manufacturing plant in Europe. Bridon supplied wire rope for the [[Olympic Stadium (London)|Olympic Stadium]] for the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Olympic Games]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wireropeexchange.com/news/view/206/bridon-helps-raise-the-roof-on-the-2012-olympic-stadium |title=Bridon helps raise the roof on the 2012 Olympic Stadium |date=7 January 2010 |publisher=Wire Rope Exchange |access-date=23 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927201230/http://wireropeexchange.com/news/view/206/bridon-helps-raise-the-roof-on-the-2012-olympic-stadium |archive-date=27 September 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[First World War|First]] and [[Second World War]]s, the town became involved in munitions manufacture.

===The railways and locomotive works===
{{Main|Doncaster Works}}
During the [[Industrial Revolution]], the [[Great Northern Railway (England)|Great Northern Railway]] established the Doncaster Locomotive and Carriage Building Works; this was to meet Doncaster's communication needs, the necessity to transport coal quickly and efficiently, and due to Doncaster's expertise in specialist metal products. An extensive housing programme was undertaken for the increased population. The Chairman of the Great Northern, anxious about the workers and their families' spiritual welfare, persuaded the directors to contribute towards the building of St James's Church, which became known as the ''Plant Church''; the railway also built St James's School. 

The Doncaster Plant became famous for building [[London & North Eastern Railway|LNER]] locomotives ''[[LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman|Flying Scotsman]]'' and ''[[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|Mallard]]'', as well as many thousands more locomotives.<ref>{{cite book |last=Larkin |first=Edgar J. |title=The Railway Workshops of Britain, 1823–1986 |year=1988 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |isbn=0-333-39431-3 |oclc=59095511}}</ref> By August 2008, most of the plant complex had been razed to make way for a very large housing development. As of 2023, the owner of what remains of the plant, [[Wabtec]], performs the overhaul, maintenance and refurbishment of rail vehicles and associated components.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wabtec UK Ltd |work=Doncaster Chamber |date=2023 |access-date=12 December 2023 |url=https://business.doncaster-chamber.co.uk/list/member/wabtec-uk-limited-778 |quote=}}</ref>

[[File:Doncaster station geograph-3849456-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|right|Doncaster railway station]]
Today, [[Doncaster railway station]] is a principal stop and interchange on the [[East Coast Main Line]]; it is linked directly to towns and cities across the UK. 

[[Doncaster PSB]] is one of the largest signalling centres on the UK network, controlling hundreds of route-miles of railway. [[Doncaster International Railport]] and [[Doncaster iPort]] are important road-rail intermodal terminals. The rail freight company [[DB Cargo UK]] has its headquarters in Doncaster.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.dbcargo.com/rail-uk-en/ourcompany/About_DB_Cargo_UK/history.html |title=Our History |publisher=DB Cargo UK |date=11 April 2016 |access-date=1 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202012458/http://uk.dbcargo.com/rail-uk-en/ourcompany/About_DB_Cargo_UK/history.html |archive-date=2 February 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Also nearby is one of the two ''National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure'' campuses that specialises in courses relating to the railways and transport systems.<ref>{{cite web |title=Doncaster Campus |url=https://www.nchsr.ac.uk/locations/doncaster-campus/ |access-date=23 September 2020 |website=NCATI |date=15 February 2017 |archive-date=21 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921130438/https://www.nchsr.ac.uk/locations/doncaster-campus/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Aviation===
{{Main|RAF Doncaster}}
[[File:Robin Hood Airport, Finningley - geograph.org.uk - 915175.jpg|thumb|right|[[Doncaster Sheffield Airport]]]]
In 1909, [[Doncaster Racecourse]] was chosen as the venue for an airshow, after the world's first international air display in [[Reims]], France in 1909. Around a dozen aviators were present, the most famous being [[Léon Delagrange]] and [[Roger Sommer (aviator)|Roger Sommer]]. [[Samuel Cody]] (no relation to [[Buffalo Bill|William F. Cody]]) in an attempt to win a prize offered by the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' for the first British pilot in a British aeroplane to fly a circular mile signed British [[naturalisation]] papers in front of the crowd with the band playing both ''[[God Save the Queen|God Save the King]]'' and the ''[[Star Spangled Banner]]''. Unfortunately, he crashed his aeroplane on the first day of the meeting and made no significant flights.

During the [[First World War]], fighters based first on the racecourse, then at a temporary airstrip near Finningley (later [[RAF Finningley]] and now [[Doncaster Sheffield Airport]]) and finally, in 1916, on a newly built airfield alongside the racecourse, were deployed to defend the east coast against [[Zeppelin]]s. On several occasions fighters took off to search for intruders but none were ever seen. The [[Royal Flying Corps]] station trained pilots for the war in France. Within months of the war ending the station was put up for sale and two of its three Belfast hangars, the same type that now forms the basis for the [[Royal Air Force Museum]] at [[Hendon]], were sold to a Sheffield motor manufacturing company for storage and assembly at [[Finningley]]. The third of the hangars stayed in place, mainly housing buses, until the 1970s, when it was knocked down and replaced with modern buildings.

In 1920, the government asked local authorities to assist in forming a chain of airfields for civil air services. Doncaster, with expert advice from [[Alan Cobham]], opened its aviation centre on 26 May 1934. Development of the airfield continued and on 1 July 1936 an international service was opened to [[Amsterdam]]. On 1 November 1938, after discussions with the [[Air Ministry]], [[No. 616 Squadron RAF|616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron]] of the [[Auxiliary Air Force|Royal Auxiliary Air Force]] was formed. Shortly after the outbreak of war in 1939 the squadron went to its battle station and played a part in the [[Battle of Britain]]. After the departure of 616 squadron, its place was taken by the formation of [[No. 271 Squadron RAF|271 (Transport) Squadron]] composed mainly of requisitioned civilian aircraft and obsolescent twin-engined bombers. 616 squadron was the first Allied jet fighter squadron, equipped with the [[Gloster Meteor]], famed for using their wingtips to throw German [[V-1 flying bomb]]s off course. In 1944, after being equipped with American-made [[Douglas DC-3]] Dakotas, the squadron moved south to take part in [[Operation Overlord]] and later in the airborne invasion at [[Arnhem]], where [[Flight Lieutenant]] [[David Lord (officer)|David Lord]] was awarded a [[Posthumous recognition|posthumous]] [[Victoria Cross]].

After the war the airfield reverted to civilian flying, and finally closed in 1992.

===Tractor production===
[[File:Ploughing - geograph.org.uk - 280384.jpg|thumb|Ploughing by tractor]]
In 1930, [[International Harvester]] (IH) started the production of agricultural implements at a factory on Wheatley Hall Road and later at another in the Carr Hill area of Doncaster. The first tractor built at the factory was a [[Farmall M]], which came off the production line on 13 September 1949.<ref>The Roar of Dust and Diesel ''A story of International Harvester Doncaster'', by Mike Teanby, published by Japonica Press (2004), {{ISBN|1-904686-06-0}}</ref> Tractors were initially built from parts shipped from the US. The Wheatley Hall Road factory was extended after the war with a new [[foundry]] to make the heavy castings. The factory started Crawler tractor production in 1953. By 1960, the factory was making a range of tractors from scratch, designed specifically for British and European markets and sold under the 'McCormick International' name. Assembly moved in 1965 to the Carr Hill plant. In 1983, tractor production was moved to IH's other Doncaster factory at Wheatley Hall. In 1985, International Harvester sold its agricultural division to Tenneco, Inc. which then merged it with its subsidiary J.I. Case to form [[Case IH]], which continued to design and build its European tractor range in Doncaster, but shutting the [[David Brown Ltd.]] tractor factory near [[Huddersfield]]. The 350,000th tractor came off the production line in 1999.

In 2000, the factory was purchased by [[ARGO SpA]], an Italian-based agricultural equipment builder. Doncaster was the sole production site of the [[McCormick Tractors]] brand, and the factory employed around 380 people (although about 1,100 people are employed in the worldwide McCormick group). In December 2006, the parent company, ARGO Spa, announced that the Doncaster facility would close in 2007, with the loss of around 325 jobs. The announcement was made only a week before Christmas. Sixty-one years of tractor production in Doncaster ended in 2007.