The Parish of Aston-cum-Aughton comprises the settlements of Aston, Aughton and Swallownest with the hamlets of Fence and Hardwick. Aston and Aughton are the oldest of the settlements in the Parish. In 1957 Romano-British pottery was found in the garden of a bungalow on Aughton Lane, probably indicating a small homestead in the area.
At the time of the Domesday Survey (1086) both Aston (Estone) and Aughton (Hacstone) were held by Richard, as tenant of the Earl of Mortain (half brother to William I). The Church at Aston was already in existence.
The Domesday entries suggest a total population of 50-60 for the Parish. The Poll Tax returns of 1379 for Aston and Aughton list 179 taxpayers, suggesting a total population of c700.
In 1743 there were about 50 families in the parish, of whom two were Quakers. There was a small school where 10 poor children were taught by a master who received a salary of £4 per annum. The old school stood in Aston Lane and was later used as a club and reading room (the building was restored in 2005 and is now called the ‘William Layne Reading Room’. This original school was replaced in 1866 by a new Church School at the top of Lodge Lane halfway between Aston and Swallownest.
At the end of the 18th century, Aston and Aughton were still separate settlements with fields between. The two main roads through the parish, the Rotherham Pleasley Road and the Attercliffe and Worksop Road, were both turnpiked in 1764. To the west of the crossing of the two roads the hamlet of Swallownest grew up. The hamlet took its name from the Swallow family who had a farm nearby.
The parish registers list a number of coal miners in the 18th century. The arrival of the collieries completely changed the appearance of the western side of the parish.
In 1801 the combined population of the parish (Aston, Aughton and Swollownest )
Stood at 586 and increased to 1667 by 1871. This increase can be explained by the increase in coal mining following the sinking of North Staveley Colliery. In more recent times the population was 4583 in 1939, 10489 in 1981 with a current total of around 15000.
From the 14th century, Aughton had belonged to the West family.
The earliest surviving portion of the church is the nave of c1100 with its five Norman arches and one transitional gothic arch. The chancel dates from the early 14th century and other additions were made in the 15th century.