There was little concentrated settlement in this area until the 19th century when large collieries were sunk nearby and terraced housing was built to home the miners. Blackwell was a pit village (Hey 1981, 362) which built up on an area of former common which had been enclosed as part of the Worsbrough parliamentary award of 1826 (date from English 1985, 161). Some houses are shown on 1855 mapping but the terraces are not marked until 1893 maps. The village is now dominated by modern detached and semi detached properties. Surviving buildings from the earlier phase of occupation are concentrated around Allsopps yard giving partial legibility of the former townscape.