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A
study of the potential to enhance the green and
open spaces of Stocksbridge SRB5
Report by Jim Flanagan and Sheffield Wildlife Trust
for SVP 3. DESCRIPTION OF MAIN OPEN SPACES AND FACILITIES IN ZONES 3.1. The Inner Zone Manchester Road (the former A616) and the Little Don River have been the main focus of the early development of Stocksbridge and Deepcar. Along nearly most of the road, for over three kilometres, the linear development of houses, shops and businesses has been a long established feature. Most of the town centre area is characterised by pre-1940s housing although since then a variety of types of building, particularly shops and other community facilities have given the town centre a lack of focus and identity. There are at frequent intervals open spaces adjacent to Manchester Road (on both sides). Spaces on the north side are very characteristic. These consist of gaps of north-facing, steep sloping land between buildings and have, mostly intact, low stonewall fronts. These spaces usually contain dense shrubbery with trees, some formally hedged, most growing wild. However, the most conspicuous open space along this main road is the formally managed Stocksbridge Clock Tower Memorial area with its extensive rhododendron shrubbery along most of the length of the southern boundary wall, flower beds and short-cut sloping lawns. Other, smaller, pieces of open space give a contrasting impression of neglect. Another particularly noticeable open space of recent creation is the site of the former Stocksbridge College, demolished in 1999, and now just a derelict brownfield site. Away from the Manchester Road some open space is scattered and consists of playgrounds, areas around old people's homes, a fire station, cemeteries, allotments and formal landscaped open space, road verges and junctions. One of the largest areas of green space is Knoll Top and Bocking Wood which is now undergoing a programme of improvement to enhance paths and habitats. There are few recreation grounds for sport - only two bowling greens (two) and three tennis courts (all privately owned) occur. 3.2. The Outer Zone Over time Stocksbridge extended up the north-facing slope of the Little Don Valley as the steel works occupied most of the land north of Manchester Road. These developments were mostly residential with few shops and facilities mostly built after the 1940s. Open space in this area is characterised by small landscaped areas or larger open spaces (once countryside) that escaped development. Some of these larger open spaces have been subject to infill housing developments within the last decade (ie at Pen Nook). The zone also contains most of the open space attached to schools and some are relatively large spaces consisting of mostly amenity grass. In this zone are also some areas of countryside and woodland with links to the open countryside that have survived to form corridors of open space penetrating into the town centre such as Fox Glen, Bracken Moor, Hollin Busk and Oxley Park. Some of these sites contain significant areas of open space for sport and recreation. The southern fringe of this zone contains one of the largest pieces of recreational open space in the area - Stocksbridge Golf course 3.3. The Countryside Zone The countryside is dominated by a varied matrix of farmed landscape, woodland, heathland, wetland flushes, scrub and acid grassland. These features rest on a landscape of steep sloping main and tributary valleys with streams and rivers, rock outcrops and rolling plateaus. To the north are found upland slopes of acid grassland and gorse/heath scrub. Immediately below this are poor grazing fields for sheep, horses and some cattle and below this the steel works. South and west of Stocksbridge is a farmed landscape with the field boundaries consisting of stone walls. The extensive open heathland of Whitwell Moor rises in the south to form an outcrop, some of which is wooded, overlooking the Ewden Valley. Ewden Valley contains much woodland, both broad-leaved and coniferous, as well as areas of gorse scrub and heath on the upper slopes. To the east on either side of the River Don extensive woodland on both sides of the valley occurs. Wharncliffe Crags provides an impressive backdrop to the mixed and coniferous woodland on the eastern side of the river. Much of the countryside also carries features of an industrial past. There are numerous abandoned quarry sites, some not very visible like the subtle hollows and humps indicating past mining activity in some of the fields around Bitholmes. Others are prominent such as the striking jagged profile of the abandoned quarry at Allman Well Hill. Some recreational open space occurs in the countryside (rugby fields at Stone Moor and football fields off Common Lane, Deepcar) but these are within close walking distance to the urban fringe 3.4. The Industrial Zone Much of this area is dominated by the steel works of the Little Don Valley. Also included in this area are extensive brownfield sites east of the River Don consisting of the former brick works site of Lowoods and Morehall Tip. On the north side of the Little Don is a string of former industrial sites that have revegetated and developed some ecological interest. The significance of this developing interest is reflected in the zone providing a total of five sites for ecological survey (but only six for green audit). Much of the operational and non-operational land belonging to Corus Engineering Steels (mostly the south-facing valley slope above the works) have seen some landscaping and other environmental improvements since a landscape plan was produced in 1987. The establishment of the Steel Valley Walk was the crowning achievement of this work followed soon after by the establishment of the Little Don Walk close to the river. Some woodland has also been planted using Woodland Grant Scheme money (Fox West Wood). Elsewhere planting has been carried out mainly to stabilise steep sloping areas. Grasslands are also a notable feature producing a mosaic effect with scrub and developing woodland and helping to maintain and enhance biodiversity.
Menu for this Section is in the right hand column
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 |
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