Worksop

Worksop, a market town in the Bassetlaw parliamentary division of Nottinghamshire, England, on the Great Central and the Midland railways, and on the Chesterfield Canal, r5-. m. E.S.E. of Sheffield. Pop. of urban district (1901) 16,112. To the S. lies that portion of Sherwood Forest popularly known as the dukeries. The church of St Mary and St Cuthbert is an old priory church, once divided internally into two parts, the E. dedicated to St Mary being for the use of the canons, and the W. dedicated to St Cuthbert for the parishioners. At the Reformation only the W. portion of the church was spared, and for many years it was in a dilapidated condition until it was restored with Perpendicular additions. Behind it are the ruins of the lady chapel, containing some fine Early English work. The priory gatehouse, chiefly in the Decorated style, now forms the entrance to the precincts of the church. It is supposed to have been built early in the 14th century by the 3rd Lord Furnival, when the market was established. Of the priory itself the only remains are a wall at the N.W. corner of the church which includes the cloister gateway. There was formerly a Norman keep on the castle hill. The manor-house, built by John Talbot, 1st earl of Shrewsbury, and occasionally occupied by Mary, queen of Scots, during her captivity under the 6th earl, was in great part destroyed by fire in 1761, and when the estate came into the possession of the duke of Newcastle in 1840 the ruined portion was removed and a smaller mansion built.

The town hall and free library are the principal public buildings of Worksop. Malting is the principal industry. A large corn market and a cattle and horse fair are held. The town also possesses brass and iron foundries, agricultural implement works, saw-mills and chemical works; and there is a considerable trade in Windsor chairs and wood for packing-cases for Sheffield cutlery. There are collieries at Shireoaks, 3 m. W.