Following the industrial revolution and the expansion of the railways, a station was opened in Norton in 1855 on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway’s Knottingley Branch. At the start of the 20th century there were rumours of the development of collieries at nearby Kirk Smeaton and Askern. As Norton was located between the two, a number of rows of red brick terraces were erected speculatively to house the anticipated influx of miners. Subsequently, Askern Colliery was opened in 1910 and a new red brick pub, the Royal Hotel, was built in Norton to serve the colliers of the village.