Damp proofing in Armthorpe, Edenthorpe and Kirk Sandall

East of Doncaster, Armthorpe grew around a coal mine, Kirk Sandall around a glass works, and Cantley largely after the Second World War. That gives this part of DN3 and DN4 a different housing mix, and different damp problems, from the Victorian terraces nearer the city centre. It is general information, not a diagnosis.

Armthorpe and Markham Main

Markham Main Colliery was sunk on 6 May 1916. Work stopped that August because of wartime restrictions, restarted in May 1922, and the first coal came out on 5 May 1924. The pit fully closed in 1996, and a model village was built in Armthorpe for its workers (Wikipedia: Markham Main Colliery). Whole new estates went up to house the miners, and they are known for their layout, with houses arranged in rings and crescents. The old colliery site is now a large housing estate (Wikipedia: Armthorpe).

So Armthorpe has both inter-war colliery houses and much newer homes on the former pit site, and they get damp in different ways.

Kirk Sandall, Edenthorpe, Cantley and Barnby Dun

Kirk Sandall’s growth was driven by glass. Doncaster Rural District Council approved the layout of a new garden village there at the end of February 1920, planned for about 2,000 houses over 250 acres. The Pilkington glass works started production in August 1921, and by April 1925, 320 houses had been built, none with fewer than three bedrooms and every one with a bathroom. The works closed in October 2009 (Yorkshire Post, April 2026).

Edenthorpe has an older core: its Georgian hall was built between 1770 and 1786 (Wikipedia: Edenthorpe). Most of Cantley was built after the Second World War, and many of its 1950s homes are semi-detached houses or small terraces (Wikipedia: Cantley). Old Cantley is a designated conservation area, listed in the government’s planning data with a designation date of 8 August 2004 (planning.data.gov.uk: Doncaster conservation areas).

Barnby Dun sits on silt, clay and gravel laid down on the River Don floodplain. Flood banks were built there in the 1730s as part of the River Dun Navigation works, and flooding on the Don at Barnby Dun is recorded as far back as 1799 (Wikipedia: Barnby Dun).

The River Don in November 2019

The council’s Section 19 flood investigation says 51 to 88mm of rain fell over South Yorkshire in 24 hours on 7 November 2019, and the River Don at Doncaster recorded its highest flow in a 43-year record early on 8 November. The council recorded 773 properties affected across the borough, 606 of them within the flood risk influence of the River Don. The report says the Don overtopped in Kirk Sandall and residents were told to evacuate immediately. It also records a few properties in Edenthorpe and Armthorpe affected by surface water (Doncaster Council: Section 19 flood investigation report, PDF).

If your home flooded and the damp has never really cleared, start with damp after flooding in Doncaster before paying for any damp proofing.

Newer, more airtight homes: condensation first

Government guidance on damp and mould in the home, produced with UKHSA, says condensation happens when moisture made inside the home cools and condenses on colder parts of the building, and calls it the most common form of damp. It lists showering, drying laundry and cooking as everyday sources of moisture, and notes that some energy efficiency work may reduce overall ventilation (GOV.UK: understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home). Ventilation in new and altered homes is covered by Approved Document F of the Building Regulations.

In practice, in a newer or recently upgraded house on one of the estates here, black mould in bedroom corners, on window reveals or behind wardrobes is far more likely to be condensation than rising damp. Check:

Are trickle vents in the windows there and openable, and are they actually open?
Do the kitchen and bathroom extractor fans work, and do they vent outside?
Is washing dried indoors without a window open or a vented dryer?

Our guides to condensation or rising damp and black mould removal and causes go through this in more detail.

Older colliery and garden-village homes

In the 1920s houses of Armthorpe and Kirk Sandall, the usual suspects are more varied. Damp low on a ground-floor wall can be rising damp, but it is just as often caused by a path or flower bed built up above the damp proof course, blocked air bricks, render taken down over the DPC or a leaking pipe. Patches that get worse after rain point to gutters, downpipes, pointing or a chimney. See rising damp and damp proof courses and penetrating damp.

This was a mining area, so if you see cracks as well as damp, mention them. Cracks can let rain in. The GOV.UK guide to coal mining subsidence damage explains how claims work.

Cavity wall insulation and damp

The Energy Saving Trust says homes built after the 1920s probably have cavity walls, and that cavity insulation might not be suitable for homes exposed to extreme weather or flooding, in poor condition, or with cavities narrower than 50mm. It advises doing outside repairs first, because otherwise you might trap damp or the insulation may fail. If you have damp after insulation was installed, it says to contact the installer and check your paperwork for a Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) guarantee. A borescope inspection, building control records or your EPC can show whether the walls have been filled (Energy Saving Trust: cavity wall insulation).

CIGA provides independent 25-year guarantees for cavity wall insulation fitted by registered installers. It asks homeowners first to check there is no obvious cause, such as blocked gutters or earth piled against the walls, and says the guarantee is not valid if the insulation has been altered or disturbed (CIGA: guarantee holders). You do not need a copy of the guarantee to raise a concern, because CIGA can search its database by address and postcode (CIGA: consumer concerns).

Tell a surveyor if damp appeared after insulation was installed, or shows as patches across an exposed wall rather than low down, and check whether a guarantee applies before anyone disturbs the insulation.

When to get a damp survey

Get a survey if the damp keeps coming back after the obvious checks, if plaster is blowing or salts are appearing, if you are buying, or if a firm has recommended treatment without explaining the cause. A good survey looks inside and out, records moisture readings and photographs, checks ground levels, air bricks, gutters and ventilation, and explains in writing what is causing the damp and why any work is needed. Our damp survey guide explains what a report should include. Before any work, check your address on GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk, which shows the risk for an area, not a specific property.

If you rent, report damp and mould to your landlord in writing and keep photos. See damp and mould in rented homes in Doncaster.

What to tell us

Use the enquiry form with your postcode, the type and rough age of your home, where the damp or mould is, whether it changes with rain or cold weather, and whether the walls have been insulated or the house has flooded. With your consent, we will pass your enquiry to a local damp and mould professional who can talk it through and, if needed, arrange a survey and written quote.

Sources and further reading

Wikipedia: Markham Main Colliery; Wikipedia: Armthorpe; Yorkshire Post: Pilkington Bros and Kirk Sandall; Wikipedia: Edenthorpe; Wikipedia: Cantley, South Yorkshire; Wikipedia: Barnby Dun; planning.data.gov.uk: Doncaster conservation areas; Doncaster Council: Section 19 flood investigation report, September 2020 (PDF); GOV.UK: understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home; GOV.UK: Approved Document F, ventilation; Energy Saving Trust: cavity wall insulation; CIGA: guarantee holders; CIGA: consumer concerns; GOV.UK: coal mining subsidence damage, a guide to your rights; GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk.

Areas we cover

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Is mould in a newer Armthorpe or Cantley house usually rising damp?

Usually not. In newer and recently upgraded homes, black mould in corners, on window reveals and behind furniture is far more often condensation. Check trickle vents, extractor fans and where washing is dried before anyone suggests a damp proof course.

Can cavity wall insulation cause damp?

It can if it was unsuitable for the house or the walls were in poor repair. The Energy Saving Trust says it might not suit homes exposed to extreme weather or flooding, or with cavities narrower than 50mm. If damp appeared after insulation, contact the installer and check whether you have a CIGA guarantee.

Did Kirk Sandall flood in November 2019?

Yes. The council’s Section 19 flood investigation says the River Don overtopped in Kirk Sandall and residents were told to evacuate immediately. If your home flooded and still feels damp, read our guide to damp after flooding before replastering.

I live in a 1920s colliery house in Armthorpe. What should I check first?

Look at the outside first: ground or paths above the damp proof course, blocked air bricks, render over the DPC, gutters and downpipes. Mention any cracks too. A good survey should rule these out in writing before recommending an injected damp proof course.