Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and the administrative centre. The metropolitan borough had a population of 218,063 at the 2001 UK Census.
Historic counties of England a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Barnsley is notable as a former industrial town centred on coal mining and glassmaking although in the town a few factories remain notably the glassworks and coking plant. Though these industries declined in the 20th century, Barnsley's local culture remains rooted in this industrial heritage; Barnsley has a tradition of brass bands, originally created as social clubs for its mining communities.
It is between junctions 36 and 38 of the M1 motorway and has a Barnsley railway station served by the Hallam Line and Penistone Line Lines. Barnsley F.C. is the local Association football club.
