Doncaster: 15th Worst Place To Live 2007 | 4Homes

Date Published:: 04/06/2008

The South Yorkshire town was particularly prosperous after entering into the stagecoach trade, generating the financial resources which enabled the building of a Georgian town centre and a mansion house.

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Phil And Kirstie's View

It's not big and it sure ain't clever... as my teacher used to say, 'could do better.' The same could be said of education levels - but since 2000, £1.2 billion has been invested into the area.

Area Guide: Doncaster

Such was the propensity for stagecoaches in 17th and 18th century Doncaster, that it soon became a major hub for horse racing, with some of the world's oldest and best known races - most notably the St Leger Stakes - being held here. Aside from equine matters, Doncaster - known as the 'Gateway to Yorkshire' - was also well-placed in industrial terms, with coal mining here serving the steel production bases of Sheffield and assorted other Yorkshire locations. It also spawned other industries in the town itself, including glass manufacturing, chemical polymer production, and the introduction of steel foundries and numerous mills.

Being on the Trans Pennine Trail, Doncaster - one of the largest metropolitan boroughs in the UK outside London - takes in a vast range of flora, fauna and more than a few examples of wildlife. The town's contributions to the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom Competition have also led to it receiving many awards for its colourful landscapes.

The average house price in Doncaster is approximately £143,000, which is a nine per cent increase on the mean value of property from 2006. In terms of crime in the area, robbery offences fall slightly below the national average at a rate of 1.0 per thousand residents, although that is offset by the number of household burglaries and thefts of cars - both easily amount to more than two times the national average.

The working population of Doncaster doesn't exactly enjoy a wealthy time of it though. The hourly rate of pay for residents falls below the national average, with men earning £1.70 per hour less than the average among their Y chromosome-sporting counterparts nationwide, while women get paid £1.98 per hour less than the respective national average.