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Darton is a large village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley (part of South Yorkshire), on the border with West Yorkshire, England. At the time of the 2001 UK census, it had a population of 14,927, increasing to 21,345 for both Darton Wards (East & West) at the 2011 Census.
Darton lies on the River Dearne, directly to the east of Kexbrough, and is situated about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Mapplewell, 5 miles (8 km) north of Barnsley, 9 miles (14 km) south-west of Wakefield, 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Huddersfield, 19 miles (31 km) south of Leeds, and 21 miles (34 km) north of Sheffield. It is served by the A637 road and is bisected by the M1 motorway (junction 38 being a mile to the north).
The name Darton is believed to be an amalgamation of "Dearne" and the Anglo-Saxon word "ton" (meaning 'town'). Hence, in ancient times it was known as 'the town on the Dearne'. However, other sources dispute this explanation and claim that the name originates from a description given to a deer enclosure or something similar. In 1086 the hamlet of Dertone was in the wapentake of Staincross.
The hamlet grew to become a village so the Parish of Darton was founded in 1150, when the first church was built. As elsewhere in England, an official register of baptisms, deaths and marriages did not begin until later, in 1539. The parish was historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire and became a part of the former county of South Yorkshire upon its creation in 1974.
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