One of the longest-established towns in the country, having been settled originally in Roman times, Doncaster has seen many changes, but it is perhaps now that the town is undergoing its greatest transformation.
A rash of urban regeneration projects have either been completed or are in progress in the town: from the expansion of Lakeside Village and Frenchgate shopping centres, to the construction of a new Doncaster College campus in the city centre, to extensive work on improving the bus and rail systems in and around Doncaster.
Alongside the newer developments in its retail district, Doncaster also boasts many well-established businesses such as: one of the country's biggest open-air markets; the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum which highlights the key role played by Doncaster during the Battle of Britain. And the arts has not been forgotten, as a new state-of-the-art performance venue is slated to be built in the town centre in the next few years.
For lovers of ancient, beautiful architecture, there are a number of choices within the bounds of the borough of Doncaster: in town there is the stunning Gothic majesty of St Goerge's Minster, set within carefully groomed grounds; and, for those looking a little further afield, the nearby picture-postcard castle at Conisbrough is amazingly well-preserved when you consider it was built by the Normans in the 12th century.
In 2005 the town gained an important new transport link with the construction of the Robin Hood Airport midway between Doncaster and Sheffield, served by Thompsonfly among others. The airport was built on a decommissioned RAF base and, as such, has an unusually long runway which enables the larger passenger aircraft to land there, and it has dealt with more than half a million passengers in its first year of business.