LITTLE DON (HAYWOOD) OPEN SPACE (INDZ/ES04)
Click here to see preliminary management plan for the site
Click here to see species lists for this site
General Information
Grid Reference |
Sk28229826 |
Ownership |
Sheffield City Council Leisure Services |
Size |
0.7 hectares (528m perimeter) |
Designation(s) |
General Industry Area with Special Industries |
Access |
Full access from Little Don Walk permissive path that runs through the site. |
Classification |
C2 |
Importance |
Of fairly low ecological importance but contains an interesting grassland community that has colonised former railway/tramway sidings in the western half. |
Date Surveyed |
09-03-00 (with some later visits in June 2000) |
 To see detail click here
Note: the code numbers of the photographs below relate to the locations shown on the map; they are not in sequence.
1. |
2. |
Survey information
Introduction |
A site that provides much in the way of informal recreation causing disturbance to many areas. The western end of site is a considerable 'eyesore' due to extensive fly-tipping and litter. |
History |
The site is shown on he first edition OS map of 1854 as part of two agricultural fields. The 1905 OS Map shows Stocksbridge railway forming the northern boundary of the site and housing to the south and west (as it still does today). Later maps show the construction of railway sidings between the two world wars and they are the origin of the existing compacted cinder ash paths. The 1986 OS 1:2,500 map shows sidings still present on the site. |
Topography |
A largely flat area sloping up in the south at the western end of site. Little Don River and steel works railway from the northern boundary with housing to the south and west. |
Recreation and Use |
Dog walkers were seen passing through the site during the survey. Three sections of permissive paths on the site form the route of the Little Don Walk. In addition, other tracks and desire lines are used by BMX cyclists and motorcycle scramblers. In one area on the southern boundary of the site a Yorkshire Water sewer mains manhole cover has been recently constructed. Next to this an informal play area for kids has been created with willow branches and some trunks cut down and made into a dead hedge between this area and the slope down to the river. The extreme western end contains much litter and some fly-tipping, some probably originating from adjacent properties. |
Present Management |
None. |
Main Plant Communities
Community |
General Description |
Characteristic Species |
Community A |
Willow scrub/secondary woodland |
Salix caprea., Rubus fruticosus agg., Anthriscus sylvestris, Galium aparine |
Community B |
Short-medium herb |
Glechoma hederacea, Taraxacum officinale agg., Cardamine hirsuta, Achillea millefolium |
Community C |
Bare/disturbed ground |
Cardamine sp. |
Community D |
Bramble areas |
Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica |
Community E |
Tall herb |
Urtica dioica, Chamerion angustifolium, Rumex obtusifolius, Cirsium sp., Dactylis glomerata |
Community F |
Birch scrub/woodland |
Betula sp., Rubus fruticosus agg., Eurynchium praelongum, Equisetum arvense, Salix caprea, Teucrium scorodonia |
Community G |
Neutral (to mildly acid) grassland |
Agrostis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Trifolium dubium, Plantago lanceolata, Taraxacum officinale agg. |
Community H |
Bracken area |
Pteridium aquilinum |
Community I |
Ornamental trees and shrubs |
Ligustrum ovalifolium, Symphoricarpos rivularis, Forsythia x intermedia |
 To see detail click here
Ecological Interest
A fairly diverse site with grassland areas, bare ground, willow scrub and a large area of birch scrub (with a mainly impoverished ground flora) on the western part of the site. The eastern part is mostly made up of willow (goat and crack present) shrub/pioneer woodland along the river and along the southern boundary of the main area of birch scrub occupying much of the western part of site. Tall herb and bramble areas are also extensive in the east part. There are two areas where Japanese knotweed has established - on the extreme eastern and western edges of the site. There are also areas where other introductions occur, most notably along the southern boundary separating the site from the back gardens of neighbouring houses. Cultivated privet and snowberry are locally abundant.
Part of the site has been disturbed as a result of recent works on a sewage mains (along southern boundary) and construction of informal play area. Rubbish, garden waste, litter and more disturbed ground are found on
In spite of the disturbance an interesting neutral to mildly acidic grassland occurs (community G) with black knapweed, wood sage, common St John's-wort, common toadflax, a high ground cover of lesser trefoil and most notably thyme-leaved sandwort. Wood sage also occurs occasionally in the birch scrub with rarer species such as common figwort and teasel recorded in later visits. In the same area a troop of the fairly common fungus Russula atropurpurea was found in early June. Few birds were around but dense shrubbery on the southwestern part of site may provide enough cover for some breeding.
Botanical Survey - to view lists of species click here
Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site the western side of site.
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Inner
Zone
Knoll
Top
Outer
Zone
Oxley
Park
Bracken
Moor - playing fields
East
Whitwell - open space
Wood
Royd
Countryside
Zone
Ellen
Cliff Wood
Townend
Common
Industrial
Zone
Dog
Lichen Field
Hen
Holmes Wood
Little
Don - acid heath
Little
Don - open space
Exchange
Sidings
I
Back
to map of ecological survey sites
nner
Zone
Knoll
Top
Outer
Zone
Oxley
Park
Bracken
Moor - playing fields
East
Whitwell - open space
Wood
Royd
Countryside
Zone
Ellen
Cliff Wood
Townend
Common
Industrial
Zone
Dog
Lichen Field
Hen
Holmes Wood
Little
Don - acid heath
Little
Don - open space
Exchange
Sidings
I
Back
to map of ecological survey sites
nner
Zone
Knoll
Top
Outer
Zone
Oxley
Park
Bracken
Moor - playing fields
East
Whitwell - open space
Wood
Royd
Countryside
Zone
Ellen
Cliff Wood
Townend
Common
Industrial
Zone
Dog
Lichen Field
Hen
Holmes Wood
Little
Don - acid heath
Little
Don - open space
Exchange
Sidings
Back
to map of ecological survey sites
Inner
Zone
Knoll
Top
Outer
Zone
Oxley
Park
Bracken
Moor - playing fields
East
Whitwell - open space
Wood
Royd
Countryside
Zone
Ellen
Cliff Wood
Townend
Common
Industrial
Zone
Dog
Lichen Field
Hen
Holmes Wood
Little
Don - acid heath
Little
Don - open space
Exchange
Sidings
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