From 21 July 2008 this community will have its own website at

www.harthillwithwoodhallparishcouncil.gov.uk

The main characteristics that single out Harthill with Woodall are its size, its location and the quality and vibrancy of its community life.

The parish is located within Rotherham. Based upon the 2001 Census it has a population of 1909 of which 929 are males and 980 females, with the majority of the residents in the 46-64 age range. Situated within Harthill are nine shops, a post office, a doctor's surgery, two public houses, a primary school, village hall, small leisure centre, a Church and Methodist Chapel. In addition, a number of small businesses are located in Harthill.

Harthill takes its name from the "hart" and the fact that it is located on the top of a hill. Sir Walter Scott refers to the village in the novel Ivanhoe. In 1086 it had 13 freemen and 11 villagers, plus wives and children and servants. In the same year it was a small component of the estates given to William de Warenne as part of his reward for his role in the Norman Conquest. By 1822 this had grown to 650 residents and by 1991 more than doubled to 1,600 inhabitants.

There are open fields between Harthill and Woodall and the surrounding villages largely due to the Duke of Leeds, who owned most of Harthill until 1922 and refused to allow houses to be built on his "Harthill" estate. It was sold in 1930.

The village has always been agricultural, but also contains some old disused quarries for "whetstones" used to sharpen knives.  In the early 19^th century production was 40,000 stones a year. Harthill Ponds were formed in the 1760s by damming the Derbyshire Dyke and they acted as a water reserve for the Chesterfield Canal. The waters were later used for the boilers of nearby Kiveton Colliery.

There are an impressive number of local organisations, supporting a high level of sporting, cultural and social activities. The village enters the Britain in Bloom Competition and has a number of annual events, highlighted by the annual Carnival and Show which attracts an attendance in excess of 4000.

The Parish Church, a Grade I listed building, dates from Norman times.  The first building was begun by William de Warenne, probably completed around 1085. The Norman arcading on the north side of the nave is the oldest original stonework. The church was extended to its present size in the following five centuries, after which it came under the patronage of the Osborne family. Thomas Osborne and the succeeding Dukes of Leeds were buried in the family crypt. The chancel was restored at the end of the 19^th century. Today the Church, which is equipped with a hearing loop and disabled access, can seat 120 with space for extra seating when needed. The churchyard is maintained as a burial ground.

The Old Schoolroom (dating from 1719) was recently restored and is used for meetings and group activities.

In recent years, residential property has become highly sought after and much of it is now priced beyond the reach of younger members of local families. Whilst some new properties have been built from the 1960s to today, notably the Northlands estate, the villages retain their rural nature and character. Comments received from respondents to the village questionnaire confirm the desire to retain these values. Traffic flows through the village are a major concern, particularly heavy lorries, due to the nature of the main road through Harthill and the narrowness of the footpaths.