Surrounded by charming little villages and market towns, Doncaster nestles alongside the River Dee in South Yorkshire. A bustling metropolis with medieval castles and country manor houses on its doorstep, the town offers an entertaining mixture of new and old.
Several of Situ’s upmarket and smart serviced apartments in Doncaster are ideally situated in the heart of the town, perfect for a few business colleagues intending on spending their days either doing business or enjoying a social event at the races – being within 10 minutes of the famous Doncaster Racecourse.
Other open plan living serviced apartments in Doncaster are situated on the outskirts, making them perfect for the business traveller who wants to look out onto fields of green and experience the slow pace of country life for a time.
And, indeed, there’s no need to venture into town since our high standard Doncasterapartments come equipped with every appliance you will ever need. Coffee percolators, large living rooms, free access to internet, washing machines, modern kitchens and large wall-mounted TVs – it’s all there, together with on-site, secure parking.
Doncaster is in South Yorkshire, in the North East of England. It sits alongside fellow former mining and steel districts such as Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. At 17 miles away, Sheffield is the nearest city, Leeds is 25 miles and Manchester a mere 46 miles.
Once synonymous with mining and engineering, today Doncaster takes pride in its logistics and aviation sectors. The town has Doncaster Railport or Europort, Doncaster Sheffield Airport Business Park, Westmoor Park and iPort. Amazon and Lidl are here too. So are household names B&Q and DFS Furniture (the latter originally a Doncaster company), Thales and Trackwork (one of Network Rail’s main contractors).
A £10 million council redevelopment plan is to bring 33,000 jobs within the next decade. The sectors benefitting most are engineering, manufacturing aviation, energy and construction. The area prides also itself on its ‘can do’ attitude towards business and describes itself as the ‘best-connected location for business in the UK.’
International accountants PwC voted Doncaster one of the top four local authorities in the UK for economic growth a few years ago. During the same period in 2017, the Centre for Cities put Doncaster into the Top 10 for business starts and private sector job growth. Much of this is down to £1.5 million worth of grants going to businesses who invest significantly in the town. It’s created 800 new jobs over the past five years. For more on this see the We Are Doncaster website, and if you are looking for somewhere to stay, browse from our range of serviced apartments in Doncaster listed above.
Considering its relatively small size, Doncaster is pretty much stuffed with tourist attractions and things to do. One of its biggest draws is its 400-year-old horse racing history. Doncaster Racecourse brings in huge crowds at the famous St. Leger Stakes and Doncaster Cup, in particular.
If religious history is your thing then St Peter's Church in Conisbrough dates back to AD 675, making it the oldest building in South Yorkshire. Don’t forget Roche Abbey or St George Minster either. The latter was built in the mid 19th century and stands on the site of a former Roman Fort. Staying with ancient times, Conisbrough Castle was a place to stay for Kings John and Edward II in 1201 and 1322 respectively. Today it’s a grade one-listed mansion house. Other stately homes certainly worth a visit are Broadsworth Hall with its 15-acre grounds, and grade one-listed Culsworth Hall.
Getting up to date, Yorkshire Wildlife Park is much-loved by adults and kids alike. That’s mostly down to its thrilling safaris offering visitors the chance to spot up to 70 species of currently endangered or threatened animals in the wild. A desire for shopping, on the other hand, can be indulged at the Frenchgate Shopping Centre and Lakeside Village Outlet.
When it comes to dining, it can be as simple as picking up delicious lunches from the Wool Market (open every day except Sunday), a light refreshment from an ice cream parlours, fish and chips, or a full meal at a restaurant in the area. There is the Mediterranean/American diner Zest, for instance and Brazilian-run Estabulo Rodizio Bar & Grill. Ultimately, there's much to do and see in the town, and the numerous Doncaster apartments mean guests can stay close to wherever they wish to be.
One of the fastest-growing airports in England, Doncaster Sheffield Airport (formerly known as Robin Hood Airport), has regular daily passenger flights to Europe.
Get a direct Airport shuttle bus from Doncaster Rail Station (57a or 57c). Both services operate daily from 5 am to midnight (reduced service on a Sunday). Expect the journey to take between 18 and 48 minutes depending on how heavy the traffic is.
Getting to the airport by car or bus is easier these days thanks to the new Great Yorkshire Way Link Road. Simply take junction 3 on the M18.
Part of the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in the heart of Doncaster town, the main station has plenty of facilities for travellers. There you’ll find eating places, taxis and an ATM machine.
The Station is on the East Coast Main Line between Retford and York. Managed by London North Eastern Railway, passengers can travel to northern capital cities such as Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, as well as Scotland. Looking southwards, the distance to Doncaster train station from London King's Cross is just over 150 miles.
Doncaster Interchange – also part of the Frenchgate shopping centre - sits in the town’s Old Trafford Way. It has 30 bus stands for various local and UK destinations.
National Express runs buses to Luton, Stansted and Heathrow Airports. Arriva and First Bus run local South Yorkshire-wide services.
Business travellers staying in serviced accommodation in Doncaster within a short walking distance of the bus station can invest in a PlusBus ticket. For £4 a day (£2.50 with a railcard) there’s unlimited bus and tram travel in both Doncaster and South Yorkshire.
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