Chronicles of Past Walks
7 January - 4 March, 1999
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7 January 1999 - Calton Houses and Derwent Valley Present: Bob (leader), Catherine, John, Jenny, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate and Gerry. The group met at Calton Lees Car Park, OS Ref: 259 684. From there a lane was taken westwards past Calton Lees Farm to Calton Houses. Use of the 1:25000 OS (2½") map was practiced, identifying field boundaries and contours indicating tributary valleys. Experience was also gained in the use of the compass to take a bearing on a feature and to 'align' the map. At Calton Houses (OS Ref: 245 685) the use of sandstone for buildings and field boundary walls was noted, being the predominant stone of the area. The track was followed north-eastwards from Calton Houses to the ridge at the boundary of New Piece Wood. Nearby was the 'Russian' house, built by the Duke of Devonshire for the abortive visit of the Tsar! Its location was determined relative to the field boundaries on the 2½" map (OS Ref: 249 688). The absence of a marked field boundary was also noted. The track continued to a gate at the boundary of the open park-land bordering Chatsworth House, beyond which a pause was made for refreshments. From here a vaguely apparent path continued NNE across the open ground to Edensor village, passing between Maud's Plantation and a 'doughnut' shaped plantation, which were identified on the map together with a valley formation marked by 'v'-shaped contours. The diverse architectural styles of the houses at Edensor were noted. Details of the origin of the present village and the fate of its predecessor were obtained from a display in the church. From the gates of the village (Ref: 252 700) a path led across the brow of a ridge to the bridge across the Derwent, affording a fine view of Chatsworth House. From the bridge the west bank of the Derwent was followed southwards to the defunct mill close to Calton Lees Car Park, where the walk finished; an easy walk to ease us gently into the new series of walks! However, form filling was required for the WEA, there having been no 'planning session', so the party gathered in the Goose Green Tea Rooms at Nether End, Baslow to complete these formalities (and partake of the goodies!). (Catherine, John, Irene and Gerry returned to Chatsworth, to the Garden Centre adjacent to Calton Lees Car Park, Catherine's car being 'bumped' from behind in the process!) 14 January 1999 - Wye Valley towards Haddon Hall Present: Bob (leader), Catherine, John, Suzanne, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Maggie and Gerry. The group met at the car park adjacent to the former Bakewell railway station, OS Ref: 223 689. For a short distance Castle Hill road was followed north-eastwards, crossing the bridge over the former railway. The original stone flags marking the edge of the station platforms were noted. The history of the railway and some of the remaining features of the station were discussed. The line formed the Midland Railway's main-line from London to Manchester and closed to all traffic in 1968. Part of the line remains open as a branch-line from Ambergate to Matlock. A group of enthusiasts is gradually extending its operations north-westwards from Matlock, with the aim of opening the line to Buxton as a tourist attraction. However, Derbyshire County Council has also include the option of reopening the line in its future local transport plan. Meanwhile, parts of the track-bed have become the Monsal Trail, for walkers and cyclists. However, because of the many tunnels on the line, there are several diversions away from the old railway. The evidence of the existence of saw-tooth shaped platform awnings was seen. These were designed by Sir Joseph Paxton who was the Duke of Devonshire's garden superintendent and was responsible for the Great Exhibition building of 1851 - Crystal Palace. The "Old Station Master's House" was noted above the bridge, opposite which (Ref: 223 690) a path was taken leading steeply upwards, north-eastwards, through the golf course and Manners Wood to the junction of three lanes close to Ballcross Farm (Ref: 228 694). During the climb the effects of a plateau and the steepness of various slopes on the character of the contour lines on the 2½" map were noted. The lane to the south-east was followed, becoming an open track at the next field boundary and passing to the south of Moatless Plantation. The name of this feature derives from Mote Lowe, a meeting place (mote or moot - assembly). This raised area, with the appearance of being man-made, probably had some religious significance. At the lower, west corner of the field the remains of an iron-age fort were noted and located on the map (Ref: 228 691). A distant stile (Ref: 234 688) with an adjacent pond was used for an exercise in taking bearings. The principle was explained of following a heading some degrees to the left or right of the known bearing to find such a feature, when visibility was drastically reduced, so that there was no ambiguity when a boundary was reached. As a result of the unavoidable errors in taking a simple compass bearing, following the bearing exactly could result in not knowing which side of the feature one had reached. At the stile the pond was seen to have been fenced through the middle of the water - by a zealous guardian of his property! - and the relevant boundaries were also noted on the map. The principle of a back-bearing was explained, enabling one to return to the original departure point by following a heading calculated by adding or subtracting 180º to/from the original bearing. The indistinct path followed from Moatless Plantation continued on from the stile across Calton Pastures on a bearing of approximately 140º. A number of tumuli were located, on the ground and on the map, the 'tadpole' tumulus at Ref: 240 683 was examined and seen to have a 'tail' in a NE direction. It appeared to have suffered some 'amateur' archaeology; the Victorians were known to have been vandals in this respect. The 'Russian Cottage' on the Chatsworth estate, observed during the previous week's walk was now visible, approximately 1 km away to the east. The Hunting Tower, above Chatsworth House also came into view above the ridge of Piece Wood. A larger tumulus was traversed before reaching the edge of a wooded area (Ref: 242 681) on the ridge dividing Calton Pastures from Coombs Lane Valley. Refreshments were taken before making the descent through the SE tip of Manners Wood to the watershed between two valleys (Ref: 244 670). A large puddle in the lane crossing the ridge of the watershed was seen to be draining into both valleys! The distinct nature of the two valleys was noted, that to the SE having the classic 'v'-shape of a stream eroded valley, that to the NW having the characteristic 'catenated' shape of a glaciated valley. The steep, half-bowl shaped end of the valley (corrie) was also indicative of glaciation. Looking down the valley, random small hillocks were visible which were probably heaps of moraine, deposited as the glacier retreated. The lane was followed down this valley in a NW direction - back towards Bakewell - past Coombs Farm, where a large number of friendly cats, of all sizes, emerged from a barn. And kept emerging! After passing under the old railway bridge (Ref: 230 679) a connecting path was taken to join the Monyash Trail on the track bed of the dismantled railway, which returned the party to Bakewell Station. Approaching the bridge near the station, it was noted that the smoke staining of the stone facing of the parapet of the bridge was still evident, 30 years on! The arch of the bridge appeared too low for the passage of trains but this was explained by the line of flag stones marking the edge of the platforms which passed under the bridge, the space occupied by the tracks having been filled in to the level of the platforms. Having reached the station, access was gained to the car park from the original 'down' platform and the walk finished. 21 January 1999 - Rivelin Valley Present: Bob, Catherine, Tom, John, Suzanne, Irene, Mary (leader), Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Rita (joined at Glen Bridge) and Gerry. The group met at the car park by the dam at the Malin Bridge end of Rivelin Valley Road, OS Ref: 324 888. Mary explained the importance of the valley as far as Sheffield's industrial past was concerned, there having been 20 mills in existence at some period during the years since the 16th century. Sometimes the operation of this number of mills led to disputes between the owners over the rights to water. In order to turn a water wheel a head of water was necessary. This was obtained by means of a weir at some distance upstream. Water was taken from the head of the weir, via a channel known as the head goyt, to the dam. The dam was necessary to smooth out the rate of extraction of water from the river, enabling periods of heavy activity to take place without the danger of running the river dry. A sluice in the dam would control the amount of water being fed to the wheel, which could be 'undershot', relying on the kinetic energy of the water impinging on paddle blades on the wheel, or 'overshot', where the potential energy of the water was also utilised by filling trough shaped blades on the wheel from above. As the footpath was followed up the valley, several dams were noted in various conditions, some clear, filled with water and used for fishing, others silted up and full of vegetation. Silting occurs in a similar way to that which takes places in a river delta. As silting proceeds, aquatic plants take hold and then cause heavier silting by a filtering process. Eventually silting is so complete that non-aquatic plants can take hold, although it was noticed that there was a high proportion of overturned trees in former dams, indicating the continued softness of the ground. The products produced at the mills was quite varied and included optically ground glass, paper and stays for ladies' corsets. Most of the land occupied by the mills was part of the Norfolk estate but was bought out by the Sheffield Water Company when Rivelin Dams were built, passing eventually to the city council. The site of Nether Cut Wheel is in the area of the valley known as Rivelin Glen. Here Rivelin Valley Road crosses the river by Glen Bridge (Ref: 312 878). (Rivelin Valley Road is still referred to as the "new road" by some inhabitants of Stannington, the original road having occupied the higher ground). The road was lined with specially purchased lime trees. Although no remains of buildings had been seen the remains of a lot of finely cut masonry was evident, forming dam walls, overflows and various water courses. At the Hind Wheel dam (Ref: 309 876) an impressive curved wall was seen, the dam fitting closely within a large meander of the river. Between the sites of the Third and Second Coppice Wheels (Ref: 295 874) the party turned off northwards from the river, crossing the road and climbing out of the valley by the western boundary of the King Edward VII Hospital site. The hospital was built by public subscription on the death of King Edward VII and was intended for the treatment of "crippled children". Treatment was not free. The building closed as a hospital some years ago and the future of the site has been a matter of contention between the local community and commercial interests. The likely outcome is that the original buildings will be turned into flat and additional dwellings will be built on the site. A 'Statutory Notice' for alterations to a listed building was noted attached to the perimeter fence. The path turned eastwards above the hospital and reached a bend in Coppice Lane (Ref: 298 877) where a suitable place was found to take refreshments. Coppice Lane was taken northwards to Bingley Lane which was followed westwards. Opposite Bingley Farm there was a substantial farm house and outbuildings which were not marked on the map. From the farm a path climbed the side of the valley northwards, meeting another path at a 'cross-roads' (Ref: 293 880). The party turned eastwards towards Nethergate on the edge of Stannington. The water-logged nature of the farmland around here had recently led to difficulties for the local farmers. On Nethergate - also the name of the road - a number of fine old buildings was noted, including the oldest in Stannington, stone mullioned and dating mainly from the 17th century but with some evidence of 15th century features. A building once a Catholic Church School, but now a dwelling, was seen in the bend of the road where Nethergate turned sharply north. The Catholic community in the area had suffered varying fortunes as the attitude of the authorities changed over the years. From this point a path descended steeply to Tofts Lane which was followed eastwards into Roscoe Bank via the Rivelin Inn. The crags behind the pub had once been used by local people for rock-climbing practice but a more recent owner of the land has not been so tolerant. A short distance further, below the road on the south side (Ref: 310 879), was a quarry from which much of the stone for early Stannington had been removed. At that time Stannington was a collection of individual hamlets rather than a single entity. Roscoe Bank was followed as far as a path (Ref: 315 882) which descended through Roscoe Plantation. The path originally taken westwards, alongside the river, was followed back to the car park where the official walk finished. Mousehole Forge Most of the party took the opportunity to visit Mousehole Forge, reached by continuing eastwards down the valley a short distance. John and Julia Hatfield, the owners, were very hospitable, providing an interesting resume of the history of the forge - and their part in it - with a tour of the site and the remaining artefacts. The forge had the lowest but one dam in the valley, Grogram wheel, the lowest, being eventually incorporated in the factory and used for a supply of air to the main site. The principal product in later years was anvils. Production ceased in 1933 when responsibility for the site passed into the hands of the city council. John and Julia persuaded the council to sell them the remains in 1983, following 50 years of neglect during which much deterioration had taken place. Entering the site through a large wrought iron gate, opposite the end wall of the dam, the remaining standing buildings consist of the house on the right and a long shed on the left. Both buildings have had much of their roofs replaced. In 1983 the original site office stood on the right, between the gate and the house, but proved too far gone to repair, a raised, paved area now occupying its site. The original steps to the door, formed from used grind-stones and worn down by many years of men's boots, are still in place. In the past the raised area has made an excellent stage for the charity jazz and carol evenings which the Hatfields have held On the end of the residential building was a workshop, now in use as a garage, but also used as a refreshment area during the charity evenings. A model of a tilt hammer was on display. In the wall of the same building was an alcove, once part of a furnace, which now houses a commemorative plaque and an example of a Mousehole Anvil. With the idea of paving the courtyard area between the gate and the wheel-pits, a great deal of material was dug out, exposing a number of industrial remains which have remained on view. The remains of the metal parts of one of the two principal wheels were lying about its pit. During World War II, when the city's iron railings were being removed, these remains were cut up, but the task of removing them proved so onerous that much was left behind. John hopes that these pieces will be re-assembled to give a better idea of the appearance of the wheel. The cam wheel of a tilt hammer was also in situ. By the site of another of the hammers, where iron had been beaten to remove impurities, the adjacent wall was seen to be thickly encrusted with slag, where it had sprayed from the effect of the hammering. John remarked that he had trouble in maintaining a sufficient supply of water from the dam to prevent the deterioration of wooden remains which occurs when there is alternate drying and wetting. This had been exacerbated by a neighbour using the remaining stream to water his horses, the channel tending to be blocked by the disturbance caused by their hooves. A further wheel pit was set back from the dam wall, having been fed from an overhead flume from the head of the dam. From here the tail goyts ran on through culverts under the site to the river. The long shed was originally partly a store for finished work and partly offices. It has latterly been used to store the tables and chairs for the charity music events, which have now ceased. John has accumulated a large number of anvils of various types and hopes to turn the building into an anvil museum. Also on view was a framed calendar of 1933 which had been found lying in one of the buildings when the Hatfields took over in 1983. Returning to the car park it was noted that the dam, probably once the largest in the valley, was completely silted, the path actually crossing the embankment to the inside of the original dam at one section. 28 January 1999 - Mayfield Valley Present: Bob, Catherine and John (leaders), Suzanne, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Jenny and Gerry. The group met on Whiteley Lane, OS Ref: 303 851, opposite Fulwood Chapel. After viewing the outside of the chapel, built in 1729, and the stocks which once stood on the village green, we descended to the Porter via the narrow part of Brookhouse Hill, then took the path alongside the brook towards Wire Mill Dam. A short connecting path took us to the higher path running near the edge of the dam where we doubled back to view the monument to Thomas Boulsover, the inventor of Sheffield Plate, owner of the factory here and of nearby Whiteley Wood Hall. The monument was erected by David Flather, Master Cutler 1926-27, during his term of office. The dam is unusually high above the Porter, although the gradient of the river bed is not particular steep. This could only be achieved by an exceptionally long head goyt. The water supply to the dam continues to be poor after an attempt by Council workmen to solve the problem resulted in damage to the clay lining of the goyt. Continuing westwards on the path alongside the dam and crossing the head goyt, brought us to Ivy Cottage Lane, which was built as a carriage way from Whiteley Wood Hall. At the top of Ivy Cottage Lane, a short walk eastwards on Whiteley Wood Road brought us to Meadow Farm where there is an old chapel, now in use as a barn, which was built in 1789 by Mary Mitchell and Sarah Hutton in memory of their father, Thomas Boulsover. The drive to Whiteley Wood Hall (Ref: 309 846) was gained by returning to the top of Ivy Cottage Lane and turning southwards for a short distance on Common Lane. The only remaining parts of the Hall are outbuildings, now used as a Guides Centre. Before the hall was demolished it had passed into the hands of the Silcock family, one of whom had subscribed to the building of Christ Church, Fulwood, with the proviso that the church should be visible from the hall. Returning towards the road, a path doubled back in a SW direction across the park, reaching Cottage Lane at a point opposite Cottage Lane School (Ref: 305 843). The school is now a dwelling but was previously an Outdoor Activities Education Base. Mary recalled that underprivileged children had been brought here from the east-end of Sheffield for short breaks. The path on the west of the school led to Ringinglow Road, emerging a short distance east of Wigley Farm, where a further path continued southwards across the fields to a descent into Limb Valley. A short distance from the road was a dry depression, running in a north-easterly direction, which Bob remarked on. Had it been in Durham he would have imagined it to be the result of mining subsidence, but there appeared to be no obvious explanation in this case, as there was no water course. (However, the map shows a pond with a small head-stream, about 400 metres on in the direction of the depression. Reaching the field boundary on the edge of Limb Valley the path turned left for a short distance before turning right again across a gateway and continuing the descent into the valley. (At this point Bob had previously placed stones across the gateway after witnessing an unfortunate person going headlong in the treacherous mud.) The path descended steeply through woodland known as Bole Hill Plantation to the path running beside the Limb Brook. (On my reprint of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey it is marked as Fenny Brook). John explained the geology of the valley, noting that a thin seam of poor quality coal ran between the beds of gritstone. The brook did not cut down through the geological layers as they were tilted, more-or-less at the same gradient as the valley floor. Further up the valley a number of picnic benches provided a suitable place to stop for refreshments. Bob took the opportunity to explain the disparity between 'magnetic north' (MN), 'grid north' (GN) and 'true north' (TN). True north lies in the directions of the lines of longitude which, in the northern hemisphere, converge northwards due to the curvature of the earth, meeting at the pole. The Ordnance Survey Grid (OSGB 36) consists of lines forming 1km squares which follow the line of longitude only on the Greenwich meridian. On the 2½" map of the 'Dark Peak', at eastings 040 and 210, true north is 15' and 4' west of grid north, respectively. Magnetic north was about 5º west of true north in 1996, decreasing by ½º every 4 years. Continuing westwards the path followed the Limb Brook, emerging from the woodland then levelling off shortly before reaching Ringinglow. At this point the ruins of Copperas House were seen (Ref: 294 834) on the left. This was a factory for the production of copperas which, despite its name, is a compound of iron and sulphur, used for 'fixing' in the dyeing industry. The coal from the local seam, extracted in 'bell pits', was probably essential in the process, yielding the necessary sulphur. Evidence of the coal workings was seen in the form of a spoil heap, the unwanted shale extracted with the coal, on the right of the path. Ringinglow derives from ring-meadow-barrow. Any evidence of the existence of such a structure has gone; the stones are said to have been taken away for other uses. The 'Round House' - actually octagonal - controlled the turnpike roads to Hathersage, westwards, and Houndkirk Road to Fox House, southwards. Turning left opposite the Norfolk Arms and right about 60 yards further brought us to the remains of a factory (Ref: 290 837). This was powered by the local coal and had a pit on the site which went down nearly 200 feet. The chimney was demolished relatively recently. Continuing NW on Fulwood Lane brought us to the top of Porter Clough by a short 'cut-off' path. Having traversed this countless times during school cross-country, but in the opposite direction, this looked quite unfamiliar until I turned round! Descending by the brook as far as Clough Lane (Ref: 292 843) - where Bob left us for a 2 o'clock meeting at the Town Hall, taking my trainers with him in the back of his car! - we took the path over the very wet fields northwards. Rounding the headland, Fulwood Hall became visible, the path continuing across Foxhall Lane to Workhouse Green (Ref: 291 850). The buildings here were formerly a small workhouse where the destitute worked in the market garden alongside. A field nearby was thought to be the location of a proposed 'green' burial site. A lane ran eastwards to the junction of David Lane and Mayfield Road by which stood the one-time Mayfield School, now the Mayfield Environmental Studies Centre, used by parties of children from Sheffield schools. An old chapel stood above here. A short distance down Mayfield Road, by the junction with Mark Lane, was Mill House, which was once a corn mill but is now an animal sanctuary. Mark Lane was followed, taking us, in a round-about way, back to Porter Clough, the route being taken to avoid having to walk on busier roads. Mill View Stables were passed where the new owner has banished the horses! Just above Forge Dam was a feature designed to cause water-borne sediment to be deposited before it caused problems in the dam. The stream was artificially widened and deepened to reduce the speed of flow and allow particles to fall to the bottom. The shallow 'U' shape was intended to aid removal of deposits by JCB. Unfortunately, this process has been neglected in recent times and the dam was seen to be suffering from sedimentation. It was noted that the long head goyt for Wire Mill Dam was fed from the lower end of the dam. The party gratefully adjourned to the cafe on the lower side of the dam for coffee and cakes, to the accompaniment of a talking, musical rocking horse! (Revenge for Mill View Stables!) After suitable refreshment, during which UDI was plotted, the path beyond the cafe was found by which we climbed back to Whiteley Lane and the waiting cars. 4 February 1999 - Loxley Valley Present: Bob, Catherine, John, Suzanne, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Jenny and Gerry (leader). The group met at Loxley Road/Rodney Hill, near Wisewood cemetery, OS Ref:308 899. The windy weather was causing some problems and it was necessary for the group to find a wind-break to hear what was being said, which included a few items of information on Loxley. Loxley - Locc's clearing. In a survey made by John Harrison, the surveyor of the Earl of Arundel's Sheffield estates, in 1637, it stated: "Item, little Haggas croft (pasture) wherein is the foundacion of an house or cottage where Robin Hood was born; this piece is compassed about with Loxley Firth (Wood) . . ." However, in 1819 Joseph Hunter recorded that, at Loxley, three miles NW of Sheffield "the remains of a house in which it was pretended (Robin Hood) was born were formerly pointed out". As we descended Black Lane towards the river the wind eased somewhat. Turning left into Little Matlock Lane we were able to view the well-preserved Little Matlock Dam. A little further on the left were Riverdale Cottages, still recognisable from photographs of the Sheffield Flood, having suffered little damage from its effects. The water was supposed to have reached a level between the first and second floor windows. Opposite the cottages stands Little Matlock Rolling Mills dating from around 1732. At the time of the flood it was known as Lower Cliff Wheel or Little Matlock Wheel and was owned by Chapman & Dentons. Substantial damage was caused by the flood. The forge was rebuilt in 1882 and powered by a waterwheel until converted to electricity in 1956. The waterwheel was seen to be well preserved and in place, although not in use. In an area just below the forge on the opposite side of the river stood Chapman's Cottages where the owner Daniel Chapman and his family lived at the time of the flood. The deluge swept through the cottages and the family were lost - Daniel Chapman, his wife, his young child, two apprentices, a child of his brother and a 17 year old servant girl. Samuel Harrison's A Complete History of the Flood at Sheffield said, "All accounts agree that the flood came in full force all at once, that there was no gradual rise of the river; but that a mighty cataract and avalanche swept down the gorge of the valley in one tremendous billow of mountainous height which nothing could resist and which passed away almost as rapidly as it came." After crossing the river by the mill we climbed a steep, wooded slope to the Robin Hood Inn (Ref: 311 892). This was built by Thomas Halliday in 1806 as part of a failed spa development. The area reminded him of Matlock and the idea was to create woodland walks and gardens for the gentry of Sheffield. On the side of the pub facing the river we observed an inscription in Latin which, as far as we were able to translate, was an idyll of the area's splendours. Turning westwards above the pub we followed a footpath skirting housing on one side and the steep edge of the wooded Acorn Hill on the right. Herbert drew attention to an 'eyebrow' dormer window, informing us that he had only once had to tackle such a feature in his building career. As we emerged from the wooded area we found a recently built housing estate, not marked on our maps. Mary observed that it had been necessary to group the houses so as to guard against the effects of their exposed position. Skirting the edge of the estate we reached Spout Lane which we climbed southwards towards the B6706 road to Dungworth. Part way up we observed the largest water trough in the civil parish of Bradfield, which was exhibiting a fine example of estuary silting! Reaching the B6706 we turned westwards. It was noted that there had been a number of quarries in the area to the south of the road for the extraction of ganister, a type of silica rock. It was used in the production of firebricks - hence the factory lower down the road - and to line furnaces such as the Bessemer converter. An early method of making firebricks involved mixing ground ganister with fireclay and horse droppings. (There is a ganister crushing mill on the right of the gate of Kelham Island Museum.) Bob asked us to look at our maps and visualise how the area to the north of the road might appear and compare our ideas with reality. Fighting against the wind we reached Underbank Unitarian Chapel (Ref: 296 887). This was built in 1743 but originally founded in 1652. The church school opposite the chapel was built in 1855 as a 'Day and Sunday School' but closed as a day school during WW1. Retracing our steps slightly we turned northwards and descended the valley of Storrs Brook - a tributary to the Loxley - by Spoon Lane, now an unmade track. In the valley bottom, more sheltered from the wind, we gratefully found a spot to take our elevenses. Climbing the headland between the Loxley and Storrs Brook valleys we reached a maintained road, Storrs Lane, continuing upwards past Storrs House to Storrs Hall (Ref: 293 893). Although marked on the map as 'Storrs' there appears to be no village as such, simply a number of clusters of house around several junctions of lanes. It was odd to note that this small, scattered community once benefited from two chapels, both of which were found at the next intersection (Ref: 290 893) and both now converted for other uses. At this point it was intended to take the track to Nether Cliffe, Hill Top and Dungworth but as we rose higher the wind was an increasing problem. It was decided to cut out that part of the walk by taking the lane past Storrs Grange - another bit of the disjointed village! - to regain the original route at Syke (Ref: 284 898), thus staying on lower ground. Even so, we were severely battered by the wind. 'Syke' means a ditch, trench or small valley but the name appears to be applied to a small three section building, now undergoing extensive alteration, situated on a small stream in a valley running down from Syke House Farm near Dungworth. The bottom two sections of the building were once cutlers' shops, with a small water-wheel in a 'lean-to' at the lower end. From here a path followed this stream down towards Storrs Bridge on the River Loxley, although we took a left fork lower down to take us to Stacey Bank, past the compensation reservoir near the foot of Damflask reservoir. From here on we followed the River Loxley back towards Little Matlock, passing historical and more recent remains of industrial activity and factories still in operation. According to my informant, Malcolm Nunn, this was used to store water after being processed at Blackburn Meadows. In 1922 a mini flood occurred in the Loxley Valley when a side of this reservoir moved out allowing the entire water contents to escape, but no loss of life or damaged was caused. From the bottom of Stacey Lane the path passes beside fields on the left and the river on the right to the Three Cornered Dam , which was constructed as a storage reservoir for Storrs Bridge Tilt, but is now used as a works fishing club. We then passed through the works yard of Thomas Marshall's (now Hepworth Refractories), an operational factory, where a variety of refractory products could be seen ready for delivery. The canteen for the factory was constructed on the site of the Storrs Bridge Tilt dam. Beyond, on the left, were the remains of Storrs Bridge Tilt dating from around 1720. In 1850 the premises were converted to a rolling mill by Tingles Ltd; one waterwheel drove five pairs of rollers. It was purchased by Swift Brothers in 1869. In 1933 one waterwheel drove a generator which supplied power for the rolling mill. The works closed in 1956 and by 1958 the site was cleared. Leaving the road by a stile we descended to a footpath which passed between the River Loxley and Loxley Old Wheel head goyt where we came across the Weir Level Stone. This signified an agreement in 1825 between the users of Loxley Old Wheel and Rowell Wheel that water in Rowell Dam should not be allowed to rise to a level which caused water to 'back up' into Loxley Old Wheel tail goyt which would have hampered the operation of Loxley Old Wheel. The footpath continued past derelict works to Old Wheel Dam, at the bottom end of which stood Loxley Old Wheel, dating from 1690. It was severely damaged in the flood, but purchased by Thomas Wragg's in 1885 for clay crushing, remaining in use until 1956. The buildings and a row of cottages were demolished in the 1960's and the pits and wheel filled in during early 1970's. The tail goyt of Old Wheel Dam fed the Rowell Wheel Dam further down, which was an unusual arrangement. After crossing the works yard of Thomas Wragg's, the last section of which closed in 1995, the footpath took us past the bowling green of the former Wragg's Sports Club on the left and the remains of the works on the right to the silted up pond of Rowell Wheel Dam. At Rowell Lane we viewed a 1980's reconstructed waterwheel and pen trough. Rowell Wheel, dating from around 1723, stood at this point and was one of the largest in the valley. It was used by two separate firms at the time of the flood and employed over 60 workmen. The works were last used around 1936 and demolished in the 1950's. Beyond Rowell Lane stands Croft House which dates from around 1794 and stands on Storrs Brook. At the time of the flood it was a Wire Mill, Public House, Corn Dealer and probably a form of Cutlery Works. At the time of the flood it was often referred to as "The Muck Oyl". Although it suffered quite a lot of damage, the building remains much the same as it did then. A comparison of the present building with the picture on the front of Geoffrey Amey's book, "The Collapse of the Dale Dyke Dam 1864", shows that the central section originally extended much further back than it does now. The next stretch of footpath on the north bank of the river from Rowell Lane onwards was dedicated for the visually impaired and 'less agile' members of the public in the 1980's by David Blunkett, the Sheffield Council Leader at the time. A Braille plaque at each end commemorates this. Olive House and Olive Mill dam appeared well maintained. The mill itself dates from around 1714 and was a paper mill at the time of the flood. It was severely damaged, the end containing the paper-works never being rebuilt. In 1892 the mill was taken over by Swift Brothers who installed a water powered rolling mill but this had fallen into disuse by 1931. The premises have seen for various uses since and are currently used by a marquee firm. Just after the mill, the footpath joined Black Lane where we passed the well preserved remains of the Olive Mill tail goyt and a row of cottages, Olive Terrace, built a few years after the flood. At the junction with Little Matlock Lane we had come full circle and it only remained to walk the short distance back to the cars on Loxley Road. 11 February 1999 - Wye Valley and Magpie Mine Present: Bob, Catherine, John, Suzanne, Irene, Jenny and Gerry. The select group met at Sheldon, by the Cock & Pullet, OS Ref: 174 688. A short distance west on the road brought us to a footpath heading southwards from the village past Top Farm. After reaching the top of a gentle slope the Magpie Mine came into sight, about 1/3 mile from the village. Were we in Cornwall? The first impression was of the remains of a typical engine house and chimney, such as dot the Cornish countryside. As we came nearer it was obvious that it was a complex sight with various earthworks and industrial remains from different eras. The Agent's House and adjacent Smithy were built in the 1840's. They have recently been renovated, and are used as the Field Centre of the Peak District Mines Historical Society and as a visitors' centre. We sheltered in the lea of these buildings whilst Bob handed out some comprehensive information on the mine and its geology and told us some of the history of the site. Magpie Mine has a history spanning more than 200 years of bonanzas and failures, of bitter disputes and fights resulting in the "murder" of three miners The earliest recorded workings date from 1740, and the Magpie Mine was one of several working different veins in the same area. Right from the start, the miners had difficulty in keeping the workings free from water, but by 1824, a Newcomen type pumping engine had been erected on the Main Shaft. This led to the production of 800 tons of lead being mined in 1827, a record that remained unbroken until 1871. Magpie Mine was also troubled by disputes with neighbouring mines over who had the right to work each vein. Miners from Magpie Mine and Maypitt Mine were both working the Great Redsoil Vein, and would light fires underground to smoke out their opponents. The arguments raged for years, both underground and in the courts. In 1833, three Maypitt miners were suffocated by the fumes. One man made a gallant attempt to rescue those trapped, returning three times to carry each man, strapped to his back up the restricted vertical shaft. 24 Magpie miners were put on trial for murder. Several were freed immediately, and eventually all were acquitted because of the difficulty in identifying the individual culprits, and the provocative actions of the Maypitt miners themselves. The effect of the disputes was to ruin the mine, which closed in 1835. In 1839, John Taylor, the famous Cornish mining engineer was brought in to re-open the Magpie Mine. He introduced a number of innovations, including steel borers, safety hats, safety fuse, and iron winding ropes. He also introduced a more regular pattern of shift working and payment for his workers, some of whom had come up from Cornwall with him. He deepened the Main Shaft to 208 metres, and also installed a 40-inch Cornish pumping engine. When this proved inadequate, he proposed to replace it with a 70-inch engine, but the proprietors could not agree. Some felt that a sough (a drainage tunnel) would be a better solution. Various attempts were made over the next 30 years, but it was not until 1873 that construction of the sough started. It took eight years to drive from the River Wye near Ashford-in-the-Water to meet the Main Shaft, a distance of 2km. It had the unfortunate effect of lowering the water table in Sheldon so that the wells ran dry and water then had to be pumped from the river. Production of lead continued on and off into the 20th. Century. An optimistic report in 1913 promised reserves of four million tons, which attracted businessmen from Sheffield and Glasgow to join forces with Edgar Garlick, the owner. Their venture closed in 1919, and although Garlick re-opened the mine in 1923, he went into liquidation the following year. Nothing happened until after the Second World War, when Waihi Investment and Development Ltd attempted to work the mine using submersible electric pumps. A new winder - in reality a ship's winch fitted with a diesel engine - and a steel headgear were installed. Despite this more sophisticated equipment, no large body of ore was found, and with the end of the Korean War and the fall in the price of imported lead, the mine closed for the last time in 1954. The most obvious feature of the site is the ruined Cornish Engine House, dating from 1869. The adjacent circular chimney was built in 1840 to serve an earlier engine, but then re-used. A brick extension of the original stonework indicates how much the chimney had listed when this was added. The square chimney was also built in 1840 to serve a winding engine of which all trace has now disappeared. A flue was built to connect the chimney to the 1869 horizontal winding engine, identified by the winding drum on the outside of the engine house. Just in front of the Cornish Engine House is the Main Shaft, with steel headgear and cage, dating from activity in the 1950's. A corrugated iron shed housed the winder. North of the Cornish Engine House is the circular powder house (1840), whilst to the east a replica horse gin has been erected on the Redsoil Engine Shaft. Another gin circle can be seen at the western extremity of the site, serving the original Shuttlebark Engine Shaft (1760). There are numerous shafts on the site which have been covered with grilles. Brains were wracked in an attempt to remember the formula relating distance to acceleration when John dropped a stone down the main shaft to ascertain its depth. Eventually a figure was reached which agreed closely with the official depth. A debate ensued about inaccuracies and it was decided that, apart from timing problems, both wind resistance and the time taken for the return of the sound of the stone hitting the bottom would tend to exaggerate the depth. Retracing our steps towards the village, a path was taken which took us further to the east and we emerged lower down the village. On the way an aggressive goose was put in its place by Bob who rattled it on the beak with a stick. A short distance down the road brought us to a footpath (Ref: 178 688) which descended northwards into a narrow, wooded valley. Before reaching the wood we passed a small sewage treatment plant and spent some time discussing its modus operandi. Above a circular filter bed were mounted two rotating arms, with nozzles angled so that the flow of liquid from them would cause the arms to rotate. At the centre was the inlet for the raw sewage, which collected first in a hinged hopper. The hopper was balanced and shaped so that at low liquid levels the hopper was held against a stop, but as the level increased the bucket was caused to overbalance and tip into a receiver feeding the spray nozzles. There was thus an impulse of liquid at the nozzles, sufficient to start the arms turning, which might not have been the case had the nozzles been fed directly. When the receiver had emptied the arms gradually came to a stop. The path dropped steeply through the woods, reaching the remains of quarries where Ashford marble had been extracted. This was not a true marble but consisted of limestone partly metamorphosed by the action of volcanic intrusions in the area. We emerged from Little Shacklow Wood at a footpath running alongside the River Wye and turning westwards soon came to the remains of Shacklow Mill. The bridge across the Wye at this point provided an excellent spot to sit and take our 'elevenses'. At the mill two undershot wheels were still in place, mounted on a common shaft at opposite ends of the mill building, in order to extract the maximum amount of power from the available head of water. The mill had seen use for crushing lead ore. A short distance upstream was the tail of Magpie Sough and between this and the mill was a smaller wheel which had been used for pumping water from the river to Sheldon to replace that lost as a result of the digging of the sough. The water supply to the village therefore included contaminated water from the depths of the lead mines! The sough had suffered a major collapse in 1966, near the tail, water bursting out of the hillside and causing a landslip and blockage of the river. A good impression of the difficulty of draining the mine can be seen from the quantity of water leaving the sough - 5 million gallons a day! The dam feeding Shacklow Mill had seemed too small to provide an adequate reserve of water but a little upstream of Magpie Sough was a series of three additional dams which would have served to augment the supply. At this point the path climbed away from the river, following the edge of Great Shacklow Wood and soon started climbing obliquely the steep, wooded hillside. Above Lees Bottom we could see the lower part of Monsal Dale to the north, with Fin Cop - an Iron Age settlement - visible at the top of a headland. The path turned to cross a small valley with a steep path running southwards (Ref: 701 170). This we climbed to bring us back onto the uplands in the area of Sheldon. A track took us first southwards then SE towards the village, passing the obvious remains - spoil heaps and ruined buildings - along the line of the lead veins radiating from Magpie Mine. The village was entered by the chapel and a select group - Suzanne, Catherine and myself - repaired to the Cock & Pullet to sample the Draught Bass in very pleasant surroundings! 18 February 1999 - Wye Valley and Monsal Head Present: Bob, Catherine, John, Suzanne, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Jenny, Jill, Nigel, Judith and Gerry. It was originally intended that the group should meet at the car park on the A6 near Taddington Wood, OS Ref: 171 706 and Judith, Suzanne and I made for this spot. For a large part of the journey we were following the car driven by Herbert, which also contained Brian, Mike and Kate. When they turned off at Hassop I assumed they were taking the route through Great Longstone to Ashford, by which I had directed Catherine the previous week - the scenic route. When we were first to arrive we initially felt pleased with ourselves but then increasingly uneasy. By 10:20 we had decided that we were in the wrong spot and our detective skills were put into practice. Knowing the general area in which the walk was to take place we decided, from an examination of the map, that there were only two possibilities; the car park at Monsal Head or that in Upperdale (Ref: 177 722). As there was no sign of any familiar cars at Monsal Head we descended into Upperdale and there they were! Judith's instincts were then followed and we crossed the river by the track which left the road near Upperdale Farm and climbed southwards towards the bridge carrying the Monsal Trail. At this point we asked some walkers whether they had seen our friends and were told that a group fitting the description had taking the Monsal Trail westwards, the opposite direction to that we had expected! Within a short distance we were able to enquire again and were given the valuable information that they had "taken the upper track" - although the significance of this wasn't immediately obvious - and that they were about a mile ahead of us. I was confident that, with a brisk pace, we would soon catch up. As the remains of Cressbrook Mill came into view, where the river emerged from a series of deep meandering dales, the old railway was forced to take to a tunnel and here the path had to take to the side of the valley. Within a short distance a steep narrow path diverged from the more well-made route (Ref: 172 726) and climbed obliquely round the headland above the tunnel. As I was able to make more rapid progress than Judith and Suzanne I went ahead, expecting to see our group as I rounded the headland, and I was not disappointed! Although they were more than ½ mile ahead on the opposite side of a bend in the valley - and to windward - I was able to make myself heard. Unfortunately the origin of the shout caused some confusion until John spotted Suzanne's red hat on the hillside. We were soon reunited with the group and our detective worked received much admiration. We also made the acquaintance of Jill and Nigel, friends of John who had also temporarily joined with the benefit of half-term. The path continued to cling to the steep side of the dale above the river round a further headland then descended to the old railway trackbed, beyond the second of two short tunnels (Ref: 159 729). In the cutting leading back towards the mouth of the tunnel, John related some details of the geology of the area, including the evidence of volcanic intrusion. There was speculation on the difficulties experienced by the railway contractors in hacking through the laval rock which would have no splitting planes. The limestone of the rest of the cutting bore some resemblance to the Ashford Marble seen near Sheldon, as a result of the thermal metamorphic effect of the lava. Next to the old railway, nearby, were the remains of Litton Mill. Bob contrasted the reputations of Litton and Cressbrook Mills, the latter not only having treated its workers more favourably but also, in its environment and design, gave off the feeling of a friendlier establishment. However, we were afforded some shelter to take our 'elevenses'. From Litton Mill the River Wye winds its way eastwards through the impressive limestone canyons of Millers Dale before reaching Cressbrook Mill. The last stretch of the dale is known as Water-cum-Jolly, a magnificent river gorge with fine limestone cliffs which attract rock-climbers. The heyday of Cressbrook Mill was the 19th century and after World War I all the local mills struggled to make a profit. Cotton spinning ceased in 1965 and the mill finally closed in 1971. The mill is still the major building in the village and although it is a grade II listed building it has been allowed to decay. However, work is now in hand to convert it into expensive flats, but there is some controversy surrounding this scheme. The original mill was constructed by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1785, and still stands as the part of the mill closest to the river, but the magnificent main building was erected in 1815 by Arkwright's agent, William Newton, a local character who was dubbed 'The Minstrel of the Peak'. The mill brought work and prosperity to the area and the mill owners were responsible for the construction of most of the village, starting with the apprentices' cottages just behind the mill building. These were built to house orphans brought as child apprentices from London to work in the mill. The Cressbrook mill owners were said to be generally philanthropic and as well as housing they provided piped water pumped up the hill from a spring near the river and funded the village silver band, which still survives. There are other opinions! One account begins by saying that Litton Mill has a rotten history, but goes on to say that child/slave labour provided the owners of Litton and Cressbrook mills with a good living. Accounts published in the Ashton Chronicle in 1849 tell of how boys and girls of seven or eight years old were taken from London workhouses and apprenticed in Cressbrook and Litton Mill. Children attempting to leave these apprenticeships were sentenced to imprisonment in the House of Correction. The working hours of these child slaves were from before five in the morning until nine or ten at night, with no time allowed away for meals. Thomas Blincoe wrote in his memoirs: " . . . Ellice Needham, the master, had five sons, Frank, Charles, Samuel, Robert and John. These young men, particularly Frank and Charles, used us very cruelly, together with a man named Swann, an overlooker. They used to go up and down the mill with hazzle (sic) sticks, out of the wood, and lay on us most unmercifully. Frank once beat me till he was frightened himself. He thought he had killed me. He had struck me on the temples and knocked me dateless. I was a long time before I came to myself again. Swann had a stick about two feet long with a pin or needle filed at the end of it, and would come slyly behind us, and run it into the thigh or any other part of the body, when we were not thinking about it. He once knocked me down and belaboured me with a thick stick over the head and face, cursing me in the most horrid way. To save my head I raised my arm, which he then bent with all his might. My elbow was broken. I bear the marks, and suffer pain from it to this day, and always shall as long as I live. The bone was fractured, but never had any notice taken of it. It was very seldom that we missed a day without being beaten in the most cruel and wanton manner . . ." From Cressbrook Mill, as we made our way SE on the road through Upperdale towards Monsal Head, we were in sight of the path we had taken earlier that morning, following the old railway trackbed on the steep slope of the far side of the valley. When we reached the cars, Bob offered us the option of adding a further loop to our walk and we all acquiesced. Taking our original route to the Monsal Trail we turned in the opposite direction at the bridge to cross the old Monsal Head railway viaduct, from where a footpath climbed obliquely to the road . After a brief taking-in-of-the-view at the top (and an ice-cream for some!!!) we returned directly by the road to the cars in Upperdale. However, the prospect of refreshment brought a large proportion of the party back to the car park at Monsal Head and the adjacent tea rooms! 4 March 1999 - Froggatt Edge overlooking Derwent Valley Present: Bob, Catherine, John, Suzanne, Irene, Mary, Herbert (Eric), Brian, Kate, Mike, Jenny and Gerry. The group met at Longshaw Lodge car park, OS Ref: 264 798. Special arrangements were made for a 'linear' walk, a number of cars being left at the car park near Curbar (Ref: 263 747). Passing behind Longshaw Lodge we pointed out the ice store which some of us had seen previously (on the Carl Wark walk) but again failed to find the swimming pool. The path we followed was the continuation of the turn pike road running southwards from Ringinglow, known as Houndkirk Road between there and Fox House. There were excellent views over Carl Wark and Igger Tor and further afield to the plateau of Kinder Scout. Bob assured us that the purpose of this walk was purely sight-seeing. At the junction of the B6054 and B6055 (Ref: 268 789) we found a path heading south-eastwards past White Edge Lodge, an isolated, exposed house, but judging by the builder's skip, undergoing some restoration work. Was it a keeper's house for the Longshaw Estate? After reaching the B6054 Calver road again we found a path taking us behind the Grouse Inn - marked on the map only by the adjacent National Trust boundary - bringing us to the car park by Hay Wood. A dry-stone waller at work here was enjoying better weather than when Bob had seen him on his preliminary reconnoitre. Beyond the car park the path dipped into a small valley where we found an ideal sheltered spot for our 'elevenses' (Ref: 255 776). Crossing the B6054 once more we passed through a gate leading us onto Froggat Edge and continuing southwards onto Curbar Edge. From the Edges we could enjoy expansive views westwards over a wide sweep of countryside, from Hathersage Moor in the north and, eventually, Chatsworth Park in the south. The Edge rose steadily as we continued southwards until we dropped into the gap above Curbar (Curbar Gap?) close to the car park where some of the cars awaited us. Here the party split, with some of the drivers returning to the cars, with the object of picking up cars left at Longshaw, the rest of the party being put under my guidance. We continued southwards above Baslow Edge, passing Eagle Rock, then eastwards past Wellington's Monument to a meeting point on the cross-roads where the road from Curbar meets the A625 (Ref: 278 740). The morning was rounded off with a return visit to Grindleford station cafe where we slaked our thirst with enormous mugs of tea and assuaged out hunger with gigantic bacon sandwiches and plates of chips. |
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