Church of All Saints

The villages of Darton and Kexbrough actually appear in the Domesday Book in 1086 (Dertune and Chizeburg) but the earliest record of the church appears in 1150. The Norman church was built by John de Laci, Earl of Lincoln and Sir John de Sothill, feudal lords of the Manor of Darton. The patronage of the church remained In the hands of the de Laci family and passed from them to the King, as Duke of Lancaster. It remained in royal hands until the reign of Richard III, who in 1483 granted the living of Darton to the Friars of the Priory of St Mary Magdalene at Monk Bretton in exchange for the Forest of Halcombe in Lancashire. This grant to the Friars seemed to have been ignored by the Act of…

In 2015, the church was subject of a criminal investigation. The vicar of the church between 2007 and 2013 was accused of stealing £24,000 from the church by personally taking monies that were paid as part of Church of England wedding and funeral fees. The vicar was found guilty but absconded to Germany before sentencing, eventually handing himself in. He was subsequently sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison.