WORKSOP

town, Bassetlaw district, administrative and historic county of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies along the Chesterfield Canal close to Sherwood Forest. The priory church in the town dates partly from the 12th13th centuries. Granted a royal charter in 1296, Worksop became a centre of coal mining in the 19th century when the deep coal seams of the area began to be exploited. The town's industry has expanded since World War II; the 100-acre (400-hectare) Dukeries Industrial Area is named for a group of former ducal estates, parts of which are still preserved as parkland. Pop. (1991) 37,247.