Mexborough is a town on the north bank of the River Don west of its confluence with the River Dearne, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.

A market town since at least 1177 AD, Mexborough was originally a Celtic settlement. The settlement was strategically important, as it was the only area for many miles where the River Don could be forded.

The earthwork remains of a Brigantes (Celtic tribe) structure (which formed part of a series of defensive structures running from Mam Tor, Castleton to Mexborough) can be found where Castle Park is now sited, and a Brigantes road passed through the settlement (which subsequently formed part of the Roman Road Ickneild Street/Ryknild Street). It is believed the structure was subsequently utilised and re-fortified by both the Romans and the Saxons. It was last rebuilt as a functioning motte and bailey castle in the 11th century by Roger de Busli, a Norman Baron.

An earthwork rampart, The Roman Ridge, which originally stretched from where Nursery Street in Sheffield now stands to Windhill in Mexborough, can still be located between Kimberworth and Mexborough. The ridge is believed to have been constructed by the Brigantes sometime after 43AD in an attempt to defend against the Roman advance to the north. The ridge was subsequently used as defence against the Angles and Scandinavians after the Roman withdrawal from Britain around 410 AD. The ridge may subsequently have been used by the Saxons to mark part of the boundary between the Saxon Kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia.

According to local legend, Mexborough takes its name from a Saxon Chieftain called Meoc, and is believed to have been known in the Saxon era as Meoc’s Burg. However, Mexborough is recorded in the Doomsday book (1086AD) as Mechesburg (Meches meaning Saxon Chieftain and Burg meaning fortification). It is no longer known what the Celtic name for the settlement was.

With the exception of St. John’s the Baptist C of E church, which is of Saxon origin (probably constructed on top of a Celtic site of worship), most of the buildings in the town are post-1800. A few pre-1800 buildings remain, including several public houses; the Ferryboat Inn, the George and Dragon, the Bull’s Head and the Red Lion.

Throughout the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th centuries the town’s economy was based around coal mining, quarrying, brickworks and the production of ceramics, and it soon became a busy railway junction. These industries lead to an increase in industrial illness and an increase in the mortality rate. Although the town boasted a cottage hospital, the lack of suitable facilities led to Lord Montagu donating land for a new hospital to be built. Lord Montagu laid the first stone at the site in 1904. The site is still a working hospital, and now forms part of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS trust.

The industries which led to the creation of Montagu hospital did not only bring problems to the town, they also led to an increase in population and, for some, an increase in wealth and opportunity. Many more public houses and other businesses were created, many of which are still trading today. It was in one of these public houses, the Montagu Arms, that Stan Laurel stayed overnight after performing at the town’s Prince of Wales theatre on the 9th of December 1907.

Following the demise of the coal mining industry in the 1980’s Mexborough, like many ex-mining towns and villages, is still in the process of economic and social recovery.