The River Rivelin is a river in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It rises on the Hallam moors, in north west Sheffield, and joins the River Loxley (at

Malin Bridge Malin Bridge is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, England. It is located at grid reference and stands 2½ miles north-west of the city centre where the rivers Loxley and Rivelin meet. Malin Bridge is only a small district centred on the roa ...

). The Rivelin Valley, through which the river flows, is a -mile-long woodland valley which includes the popular Rivelin Valley Nature Trail that was created in 1967. The valley has farmland on its gentler upper slopes. Tributaries include the

Wyming Brook The Wyming Brook is a river in the City of Sheffield, England. Its source is the Redmires Reservoirs near the Hallam Moors. It flows in a north-easterly direction for over down quite steep terrain into an underground chamber where it joins th ...

, Allen Sike and the Black Brook. The

Rivelin Dams Rivelin Dams are a pair of water storage reservoirs situated in the upper part of the Rivelin Valley, west of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The dams are owned by Yorkshire Water and provide water to 319,000 peopleRoman auxiliaries of the

Sunuci The Sunuci (or Sinuci or Sunici) was the name of a tribal grouping with a particular territory within the Roman province of Germania Inferior, which later became Germania Secunda. Within this province, they were in the ''Civitas Agrippinenses'', wi ...

tribe. Other evidence of Roman occupation comes from finds on Walkley Bank Road, which leads onto the ridge facing Stannington.

Medieval times

In medieval times the Rivelin valley was part of a large tract of land set aside by the Lords of

Hallamshire Hallamshire (or Hallam) is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, approximating to the current City of Sheffield local government area. The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hall ...

for

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

hunting. It was known as Rivelin Chase or Firth and covered thousands of acres on the western upland outskirts of the parish of Sheffield. In 1637 John Harrison after surveying the area declared that the firth had an area of . of this was within Sheffield Parish with the rest in the Parish of Bradfield. Until the 20th century the River Rivelin formed the north-western boundary of Sheffield.

Industrial past

The Valley possesses 21 artificially created ponds, testament to the twenty mills which were once present on the river. Though most of the mills and forges no longer exist, the ponds which used to feed them do, thanks to the support of the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group (RVCG) and Yorkshire Water. Some of the more famous mills (from west to east) are as follows:

Rivelin Corn Mill

The mostly westerly site, stands at the foot of Rails Road. This mill dates from 1600 when it was owned by

Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, 13th Baron Talbot, KG (20 November 1552 – 8 May 1616), styled Lord Talbot from 1582 to 1590, was a peer in the peerage of England. He also held the subsidiary titles of 16th Baron ...

. By 1830 there were two waterwheels powering three grinding stones, however problems with the water supply in the summer meant that the mill was often not working at full capacity. The mill continued operating until the 1930s after which the buildings quickly fell into disrepair and were demolished in the early 1950s with a small car parking area now occupying the site. The dam wall was damaged in 1967 by dredging work and eventually collapsed in March 2001. The RVCG and Sheffield Council filled in the pond and created a new one nearby with a pond dipping platform. The official opening was on 17 May 2007.Sheffield City Council.
Gives details of restoration work on Corn Mill.
Gives details of pond restoration. Rivelin Valley - River Rivelin Dam 01-05-06

Rivelin Valley - River Rivelin Dam 01-05-06

Wolf Wheel

Was built around 1722 and had one of the largest wheels in the valley with a diameter of . It was owned by the Windle brothers between 1818 and 1852 who used it for grinding knives and razors, after which it was sold to the Water Company. The mill was in regular use until 1918, but a survey in 1934 revealed that the internal machinery had been dismantled. The pond that served the Wolf Wheel is still in fine condition and has received much attention from the RVCG. It is one of four dams that are used by fishermen in the valley and surrounding wildlife includes

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

such as the

common darter The common darter (''Sympetrum striolatum'') is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in ...

''Sympetrum striolatum'' and the

common hawker The common hawker, moorland hawker or sedge darner (''Aeshna juncea'') is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies. It is native to Palearctic (from Ireland to Japan) and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early O ...

, ''Aeshna juncea''. Other wildlife includes

kingfishers Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

great diving beetle The great diving beetle (''Dytiscus marginalis'') is an aquatic diving beetle native to Europe and northern Asia, and in the UK is common in Wales, much of England and southern Scotland but less common on chalk and in the far north. The grea ...

s and amphibians such as the

common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...

and

palmate newt The palmate newt (''Lissotriton helveticus'') is a species of newt found in Western Europe, from Great Britain to the northern Iberian peninsula. It is long and olive or brown with some dark spots. The underside is yellow to orange, and the thr ...

Hind Wheel Mill

This is oldest mill in the valley with a recorded date of 1581 when Thomas Hind, Robert Webster and John Swynden were the owners paying £1 per year rent. It was completely rebuilt around 1820 with production ceasing around 1930. In October 1936 "The Sheffield Daily Independent" reported that the building had completely disappeared. The present day Round Pond which served the mill is one of the most popular in the area being stocked with

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

for anglers; the surrounding area has a large variety of wildlife and there is a picnic area.

Nether Cut Wheel

Situated near the "S" bend on the A6101, the Nether Cut was the last mill to work in the valley; it was still grinding scythes until 1939 and was not demolished until 1956. The mill suffered some unrest and damage during the

Sheffield Outrages The Sheffield Outrages were a series of explosions and murders by a small group of trade unionist militants carried out in Sheffield, England in the 1860s. Sheffield's early success in steel production had involved long working hours, in condition ...

in 1874 for using non-union labour. Walkley Bank Tilt marker

Walkley Bank Tilt

This began as a mill making cutlery around 1750. From 1762 it was a tilt forge making farming tools before becoming a wire mill in 1901. In the 1920s it was converted to electrical power. It was one of the last mills in the valley to close as it was still working in the 1950s. The area around the dam has been upgraded for recreational use with a small car park and bench seating. The dam is popular with anglers and has a large colony of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which ...

Mousehole Forge

Located close to Malin Bridge, the forge dates back to 1628 when it was known for iron smelting and bar production. However the forge became world-famous for producing

anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher ...

s which were greatly commended and won a gold medal at

The Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...

of 1851. It is said that the anvil at

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England, defined by the small river Sark, which flows into the nearby Solway Firth. It was histo ...

was made by the Mousehole Forge. Production ceased in 1933 and part of the forge is now a private house.

Grogham Wheel

This was the last mill in the valley before the Rivelin's confluence with the River Loxley. It had two waterwheels, with the largest known as "Groggy" being the biggest in the valley. The mill ground files and cutlery and was the only one in the valley to be damaged by the

Great Sheffield Flood The Great Sheffield Flood was a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England, on 11 March 1864, when the Dale Dyke Dam broke as its reservoir was being filled for the first time. At least 240 people died and more than 600 houses were ...

due to the water backing up the valley. The mill stopped production in 1933 with the buildings being demolished in August 1935 for public safety.

Wildlife

The river valley is home to wildlife including

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...

, the

dipper Dippers are members of the genus ''Cinclus'' in the bird family Cinclidae, so-called because of their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater. Taxonomy The genus ''Cinclus'' ...

, the

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

, the

long-tailed tit The long-tailed tit (''Aegithalos caudatus''), also named long-tailed bushtit, is a common bird found throughout Europe and the Palearctic. The genus name ''Aegithalos'' was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tail ...

grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more north ...

and the

wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonl ...

. At Fox Hagg nature reserve on the south side of the river it is possible to see

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or arti ...

and

tree pipit The tree pipit (''Anthus trivialis'') is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic as far East as the East Siberian Mountains. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia. The s ...

common redstart The common redstart (''Phoenicurus phoenicurus''), or often simply redstart, is a small passerine bird in the genus '' Phoenicurus''. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, (Turdidae), but is now known to b ...

s and

linnets The common linnet (''Linaria cannabina'') is a small passerine bird of the finch family, Fringillidae. It derives its common name and the scientific name, ''Linaria'', from its fondness for hemp seeds and flax seeds—flax being the Engli ...

and a number of

warbler Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers The ...

Rivelin Valley Road

Rivelin Valley Road was built in 1907 between

and Rivelin Mill Bridge to connect with the main Sheffield to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

road, now the A57. Prior to this the valley had no road, just a series of cart tracks connecting the various industrial mills. The building of the road was proposed in 1905 by the local water board, which owned the land; the

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...

also donated 4.5 hectares of his land in the area for the project. Work started in November 1905 and provided employment for 176 unemployed men. The unemployment rate was particularly high at the time and the opportunity to provide work was a contributing factor in making the decision to build the road. Raw materials for the construction of the road were provided by Clough Field quarry on the southern slopes of the valley below Crosspool. Over 700 lime trees were purchased from Dixon's of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

in 1906 at a cost of £147. The limes were planted to line the road for a distance of , making it the second longest lime tree avenue in Britain.Rivelin Valley Conservation Group.
"over 700 lime trees lining the road making it the second longest lime tree avenue in Britain." The road was opened on 1 September 1907, although work was not completed until June 1908. The final cost of construction was £30,000. Local people quickly christened the road "The New Road", a name which was still being used many years later. The success of the project in providing work for the unemployed prompted

Sheffield Corporation Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under No Overall Con ...

to press ahead with plans to connect the new road with the Sheffield suburbs of

Crookes Crookes is a suburb of the City of Sheffield, England, about west of the city centre. It borders Broomhill to the south, Walkley and Crookesmoor to the east and open countryside around the River Rivelin to the north. The population of the ...

and

Walkley Walkley is a suburb of Sheffield, England, west of Burngreave, south of Hillsborough and north-east of Crookes. The area consists mainly of Victorian stone-fronted terraced housing and has a relatively high student population. It also has a ...

. Rivelin Valley Road is now designated as the A6101.''"Old Ordnance Survey Maps – Sheffield (Rivelin Glen 1902)"'', Notes by Sylvia Pybus, , gives details of Rivelin Valley Road. The valley was especially loved by the "corn law rhymer"

Ebenezer Elliott Ebenezer Elliott (17 March 1781 – 1 December 1849) was an English poet, known as the ''Corn Law rhymer'' for his leading the fight to repeal the Corn Laws, which were causing hardship and starvation among the poor. Though a factory owner himse ...

. There is a rock by the side of Black Brook with his name carved on it where he was renowned to sit and appreciate nature. Elliott wrote the lyrical poem "Farewell To Rivelin" in honour of the valley, with the lines: :''Beautiful river! goldenly shining,'' :''Where, with the cistus, woodbines are twining,'' :''Birklands around thee, mountains above thee,'' :''Rivelin wildest! Do I not love thee.''''"Illustrated Guide to Sheffield"'', Pawson & Brailsford, Page 185 gives information on Ebenezer Elliott. Rivelin Hotel 1

Landmarks

As well as industrial heritage, the valley is home to much wildlife, now protected by the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group. The upper part of the valley is flanked to the north by Rivelin Rocks. The rocks re-emerge three kilometres (2 miles) further down the valley above the ''Rivelin Hotel'' or "The Rivelin" on Tofts Lane. Behind the hotel is the ''Man's Head Rock'', a once well known rock formation shown on many postcards, now hidden by mature trees. This is the only

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

in the rural part of the valley; the premises were formerly farm buildings before being converted into a pub. Another public house, the Holly Bush, is situated further down the valley, closer to Malin Bridge. One of the most distinguished buildings in the valley is the former King Edward VII Hospital, a Grade II listed building, the hospital closed in 1992 and has now been converted into apartments. St Michael's Cemetery, a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

burial ground is situated at the Malin Bridge end of the valley. Across the road from St. Michael's is the Rivelin Valley Park a small public recreation area which includes a

cafe A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

and the Rivelin splash pools which were opened in July 2013 to replace the old outdated paddling pools.

Proposed flood defence scheme

In September 2014

Sheffield City Council Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under No Overall Con ...

announced plans to construct a dam wall in the valley at one of two possible locations, the Swallow/Wolf flood storage area or the Roscoe/New Dam flood storage area. After public consultation plans for the Swallow/Wolf flood storage area have since been dropped but the Roscoe/New Dam flood storage area remains as an option. The dam will be over high with a wide crest. If the scheme goes ahead, it will reduce the depth of water downstream by during heavy rain such as those that occurred in

2007 United Kingdom floods A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Here ...

when parts of the city were flooded. This proposal is likely to be highly controversial if goes ahead: the water retaining area would cover and potentially destroy or damage ancient and unique structures that are part of Sheffield's industrial heritage. It would also flood allotment gardens and would require the river course to change as well as to have the span of the valley that includes the nature trail covered by the dam embankment. The culvert (a concrete tunnel - maybe barred) to take the river may have to be as long as 70 metres. There is further debate about the contribution the Rivelin played in the floods of 2007 so the maths related to this scheme will be closely scrutinised by the very concerned public. (In the council consultation 60% of people expressing an opinion opposed this scheme - indeed it was the least popular area the council nominated).

Artistic representations

In the 1920s a group of artists founded a creative colony in the Rivelin Valley. They included Ben Baines, W R E Goodrich, Robert Scott-Temple and Vernon Edmonds. A number of other artists are known to have worked in the Rivelin area. * W. J. Stevenson (1835–1905) depicted the interior of Spooner's Wheel in 1877. * W. E. Smith depicted the valley from a vantage point at Bell Hagg circa1966 . * Joseph Hallam Hawkesworth (1827–1908) depicted the river. * G. Hattersley Pearson (1858–1937) painted Roscoe Wheel circa1890. * Christopher Thomson (1799–1871) depicted the Rivelin, near the confluence of the Black Brook circa 1860. * Joseph Wrightson MacIntyre (1842–1897) painted the interior of Holme Head Wheel in 1879.

References

Bibliography

External links

Rivelin Valley Conservation GroupBBC Report on Conservation Group
{{authority control Hillsborough, South Yorkshire Rivelin Rivelin Rivers of South Yorkshire