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Bessacarr

The original settlement of nearby Bessacarr was around Bessacarr Lane, between the Evangelical Church and the site of Manor Farm. To the south there was wet and marshy land with rush-like grasses.

The name Bessacarr comes from the Old English word “Beos”, pronounced “beeoss” for the type of grass that grew there and the old word for a cultivated plot “aecer” pronounced “ayker”, now “acre”.  “Beos aecer” pronounced “Beeoss-ayker” became “Besacre”.

In the 1800s it was thought that Bessacre came from “carr”, so the name was changed to its modern spelling of Bessacarr.

High Ellers means “tall alder trees” One of the adjacent fields was known as “the Gold Ring field” which could refer to a ring lost by a traveller.

Many years ago on Warning Tongue Lane, a carriage overturned in the fog, killing several passengers.  It is said that the ghost of a dead woman still haunts the woodland on foggy nights, giving the area the name of “the Wailing Wood”.

Bessacarr Grange, is a largely 1990s neighbourhood taking its name from the medieval monastic farm (or grange) which was previously on the site. Not far away is the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, with its famous lions, tigers and leopards.

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Fish at Doncaster Lakeside

Koi carp are the most noticeable fish at Lakeside, because they are large and variously coloured in black, white and orange. There are various local stories about the presence of these fish, which are obviously not native. The most likely reason is people setting their koi carp free into the Lake, due to moving house.

There are native fish in the Lake, such as perch and roach. Again it is not obvious how they got into the water, because the Lake is supplied by rainwater and groundwater, not by water courses. One theory is that the fish arrived from other lakes and water course as eggs on birds’ feet.

In the spring and summer, huge numbers of tiny fish fry can be seen swimming just below the surface. This is why the Lakeside is popular with fishing birds such as Grebes and Cormorants.

 

 

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 Question

Where in Doncaster can you see lions?

• Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer- Yorkshire Wildlife Park

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