Instoneville
History
The town's name derives from the Old English askr-ærn meaning 'building made of ash' or 'building surrounded by ash trees'. Historically in the parish of Campsall, the town lies 9 miles (14 km) south of Pontefract, and 7 miles (11 km) north of Doncaster. Up until the middle of the 19th century, the town was in the wapentake of Osgoldcross in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
The history of Askern can be traced back to the reign of Edward III. The people of Norton complained to the Sheriff of Osgoldcross that the people of Askern had failed to keep part of Askern Pool in a clean state. As a result, the King's highway had been "overflowed and drowned so that neither horse nor foot passengers could use it".
The parish church of St Peter's dates back to 1852.
Coal mining
Then in the early years of the 20th century the quest for coal identified a good seam of coal near Askern. It was decided to access the coal from a mine built above the village, in 1911. As the mine opened the new houses were built for the workers and their families in the village. The pit was closed in 1991 due to a low in the price of coal, and the surface buildings were demolished in 1993.
Railway
Askern is on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line between Doncaster and Wakefield Kirkgate, though Askern railway station closed in 1947. The line is used mainly by goods services, as well as the four-times daily Grand Central passenger services from Bradford Interchange to London King's Cross. There have been proposals to re-open Askern railway station to passenger trains.
Bus services
Askern is served by bus service 51 to Doncaster, Carcroft, Skellow and Norton. There are also two school bus services from the town.