Darsingborough

Darsingborough is a city and metropolitan borough in Jolanchester on Mainland Histalpol. The city grew up on an area that was the location of a Roman settlement Pont Silonte. It owes it's heritage as an idustrial city in the age of the Steam Era when multiple mills were built in the surge of industrial techniques in textiles and manufacturing. These industries suffered decline and closure but mills still stand and have been converted for a number of different uses, and are listed as Tier II Historic Buildings allowing for refurbishing and converting of uses, but minimal changes to the façade on the outside. Darsingborough now has it's economy in manufacturing still, though on a reduced scale as the Steam Era, corporate headquarters, tourism, retail and as a cultural centre.

Among Darsingborough's main icons are Darsingborough FC who are a Platinum League Team and their grounds at Coronation Bridge Stadium, The Tier II Historic Mills, The regional headquarters of Histalpol's Vision Broadcasting Company and indoor stadium "The Carousel" and brand new museum Darsingborough Contemporary Art Museum (DACAM) in Milltown of Darsingborough.

The regional nickname and dialect for people from Darsingborough and it's surrounding area are "Darly".

Roman
The first recorded settlement in what is now Darsingborough was the Roman settlement of Ponte Silonte, a Roman fort and bridge across the River Hune and given the family name of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. Who founded it during his reigt from 138 AD to 161 AD. The population of Pons Aelius at this period was estimated at 2,500.

English Civil War
During the English Civil War, Darsingborough was originally under control of the Parliamentarians at 1642 while the Royalists worked their way from the south west of the United Kingdom. Some of the deadliest battles to be on Histalian land would take place in Darsingborough and the neighbouring city of Parsonborough because of it's position relative to the take-overs of both first the Royalists then the Parliamentarians again towards 1645. The battles over Darsingborough ended officially with the signing of the Royalist controlled lands to be a French territory.

Steam Era
With the invention of steam powered technologies, Darsingborough quickly turned from a small industrial town to a large industrial city with what is now Milltown being where most of the mills and factories were based because of the proximity to the River Hune, this meaning that river traffic also exploded as it became one of the largest forms of transports for cargo out of Daringborough.

The large rise of industry also lead to a large rise in disposable income on luxury items and experiences. This also lead to the rise of multiple high end streets around Darsingborough. Transport was also increased in Darsingborough with multiple train stations being created to service the east of mainland Histalpol, to Marlybron and the west of mainland Histalpol, to Renné. One of these stations is the Saint Monroe Station which is still standing on the east side of the River Hune and services most of Mainland Histalpol.

Despite the growing wealth of the mill and factory owners, the Irish Potato Famine of 1847 caused most of rural Darsingborough, including those in the many terrace houses created to house the workers, to starve to the point of death. During the protests in Darsingborough against the government, attitudes to the owners of the mills and factories changed and incited a riot which lasted until the government was kicked out of office, which some historians say was the deciding act that had them leave office. These riots destroyed many of the mills and factories elsewhere in the city but the factories in the Milltown area were left relatively unharmed from the riots.

World Wars
During both world wars, Darsingborough had a major hand in the creation of equipment, guns, armour and other objects needed for both wars, because of the cities industrial heritage. In World War 1, Histalpol's manufacturing of equipment helped bring the country out of the economic troubles of the Irish Potato Famine totally, and Darsingborough was the centre for most of the manufacturing including the largest single contributor to the economy which was the works of Defence Auto-mobiles and Godstal Automotive Weapons and Ammunition Company.

In World War 2, Darsingborough manufactured fighter planes for use by Histalpol and the British. The proximity that the Nazi forces got to Mainland Histalpol meant that the enforcement of Blackouts like London had taken up with the Blitz, including Darsingborough which was seen as a massive target for Nazi attack because of it's part in the war with industry. Darsingborough was bombed during the attacks by the Nazi's on Mainland Histalpol, creating mass damage and destroying 86% of all buildings in Darsingborough, only 32% of them would be rebuilt in peacetime. Largest sections of Darsingborough's industrial heritage were also destroyed by the bombings, especially in the Milltown area which was producing the most for the war effort.

Geography
Darsingborough is situated in the far west of Histalpol, on Mainland Histalpol in the county of Jolanchestire. The city is situated on the banks of the River Hune which runs though the middle of Darsingborough Metropolitan District and Darsingborough itself. To the east of Darsingborough is a range of hills that peak at the minimum snow-level, giving snow capped tops most of the year apart from the summer. The River Hune changes from 2 split rivers into 1 main river as it passes through Darsingborough and then splits again after it leaves.

Darsingborough city centre is contained by the Darsingborough Inner Ring Road. Aside from the the built up area of Darsingborough itself, there are a number of suburbs and exurbs within the district.

Climate
Darsingborough has cool wet winters and warm changeable summers with hot and cooler rainy spells. Temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. The hottest month in Darsingborough is August with a range from 24°C at the maximum to 14°C at the minimum. The coolest month is in December in range with 8°C maximum and 1°C minimum giving 7°C of change, in actual temperatures, January is coldest with 0°C in January.

Demographics
The city has been expanding rapidly since the 1980s, with a current population estimate of 1,163,700 in 2012, making it the 3rd largest city in Histalpol. The racial make up of the city is as follows (2010 estimates);


 * White - 78.8%
 * East and South Asian - 11.7% (Indian - 4.7%, Pakistani - 3.9%, Other - 1.6%, Bangladeshi - 1.5%)
 * Oriental Asian - 7.6% (AIN Asian - 3.9%, Japanese - 1.6%, Chinese - 1.4%, Other - 0.7%)
 * Mixed Race - 1.7% (Asian and White - 0.8%, Other Mixed - 0.7%, Black and White - 0.2%)
 * Other - 0.8%
 * Black - 0.4% (African - 0.2%, Caribbean - 0.1%, Other - 0.1%)

Architecture
Darsingborough contains examples of various architecture styles from Victorian and Neo-Classical to Contemporary architecture. The Darsingborough skyline itself is defined less by modern architecture to the east of the River Hune, but more from the illustrious Histalian Empire in the Steam Era. Although the number of mills fell from the turn of the 20th century due to war, fire or old age, a few survived and have been given Listed status and redeveloped into apartment buildings. The best example of the mills of Darsingborough from the Steam Era originate in the Milltown area of the city to the west of the River Hune. While the skyline is defined by the mills, up close Darsingborough is also known for it's large examples of decorative buildings created during the 1920s in an art-deco style.

Modern buildings in Darsingborough spread through the 1960s to the 2010s. Modern examples in Darsingborough include the Fairway Shopping Mall, Darsingborough Contemporary Art Museum, The Carousel and the HVBC Jolanchester HQ, but beyond the city centre, most new high-rises are council flats built during the Black Depression in the 1980s to 1990s. Along with modern, French and English styles of architecture, Darsingborough has major Asian influences through it's Little-Asia section which is the largest in Histalpol and in the British Isles, which border the new Media-Park containing HVBC Jolanchester HQ and The Carousel.

Aviation
Darsingborough International Airport is the cities main airport, to the east of Darsingborough on the Outer Ring Road. It is the principal international gateway into the city, as well as the busiest airport in Mainland Histalpol. The airport serves a wide range of domestic and an expanding number of European and transatlantic destinations. it currently handles in excess of 5 million passengers on last count in 2012. The figure has increased by 5% since the year before, indicating a rise in passengers leaving and arriving at Darsingborough International Airport. Forecasts suggest that if the rate continues, the amount of passengers that pass through Darsingborough at 2022 would be over 8 million, larger than the expected forecast of the 2nd largest airport in Renné.

The main terminal building was built in 1968 and was substantially expanded and modernised both in 1982 and in 1997. Currently in the grounds of the airport, sits an industrial cargo site as well as multiple hotels, most recently the Darsingborough Business Suites owned by Asgard International Hotels. Also in the grounds are Policing Unit and Business Centres that are built inside of a old farmhouse built in the turn of the century, with the airport being built beside it. Next to these are a Marriot hotel and the Darsingborough HQ of charter airline Pigeon Express, built in the 1980s with the updating of the airport. A 3rd terminal was built in 1997 with the expansion of Darsingborough International that contains parking spots for Airbus A340-200s. The terminal was built away from the main body of the airport, connected by an airport bus service between the 2.

The current airport is connected to Darsingborough by a dedicated bus route from Darsingborough to Mill Town and then to Saint Monroe Station. There is also a train service which was constructed between 1999 and 2000 connecting the airport to Winsor Avenue Station.