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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 2.0. OVERVIEW 2.1. Stocksbridge SRB5 area The SRB5 area is located about ten miles north west of Sheffield and covers an area of ? square kilometres ?. Hunshelf Bank forms the northern boundary of this area, the north shores of the two reservoirs of Morehall and Broomhead in Ewden Valley much of the southern boundary. Parts of Wharncliffe Woods down to More Hall forms the eastern boundary. The western boundary is formed by the Becks of Ewden and Salt Spring, land below the outcrops of Millstones Wood and Windhill Knoll and extending to the southern shore of Underbank Reservoir. 2.2. Geography The SRB5 area contains a number of major landscape features. There are two portions of roughly north-west to south-east-aligned valleys - the Little Don and Ewden Valleys. Between these two valleys lies a ridge, the more gentle north-facing side containing the town of Stocksbridge, with adjoining farmland, woodland and moorland on the plateaux of the ridge. Small tributary valleys and streams flow down the slopes of this ridge on both sides. On the north facing side they provide Stocksbridge with 'green fingers' of woodland and fields with boundaries that penetrate the urban area. Also within the area is the confluence of the Little Don River with the Don at Deepcar and to the east and about 100m above is the stunning outcrop of Wharncliffe Crags with its surrounding slopes clothed in woodland. The area includes a stretch of the River Don as far south as More Hall. Much of the land immediately to the east of the river has been tipped over many years resulting in a considerable raising of the level of land. The SRB5 area forms the boundary between the gritstones and sandstones of the Dark Peak to the south and southwest and the younger, softer rocks of the shale and sandstone of the Lower Coal Measures to the north and east. The soils of the area originate from the underlying rocks. There is one nationally important geological site (the Wharncliffe Crags Site of Special Scientific Interest), three Regionally Important Geological Sites (or 'RIGS') and several other sites of less importance within the SRB5 area. A Green audit site contains a part of one of the RIGS. There are two main types of soils. There are loamy soils over clay layers with peaty surface horizons. These soils are characteristically acidic and seasonally waterlogged. They occur in of areas of wet moorland habitat such as at Whitwell Moor and other poor grazing areas. The other main type is characterised by more permeable, coarser soils over sandstone which are less acidic to neutral. Local climate is often influenced by a combination of factors. Topography, location, latitude and aspect all play a part. Stocksbridge is closer to the Pennines than the rest of Sheffield and snow on the ground usually persists longer than further east. Prevailing winds are westerly. Average rainfall in Stocksbridge is 900mm per year and higher than the average for Sheffield. The whole SRB5 area forms parts of the catchment for the three main river courses - the Don, the Little Don or Porter River and Ewden Beck. The presence industry in the Don and Little Don and the history of discharges from the works along their courses has contributed to their poor quality over a long period of time. Pollution regulations and more rigorous discharge consents have contributed to improvements in river water quality. However, problems still remain and minewater discharge from disused mines preventing further progress in improving river quality. There are a number of tributary streams and flushes that run down valley sides, some culverted, some disappearing into the ground before they reach the main courses. Culverting of streams has produced sporadic flood problems, especially when they become blocked in times of heavy rainfall. Expansion of housing has increased run off and reduced porosity to exacerbate local flooding incidents. Parts of three major reservoirs are within the SRB5 area. Underbank, Broomhead and Morehall Reservoirs were constructed in the first part of the last century to provide the expanding city of Sheffield with a secure water supply. Drinking water supplies for the Stocksbridge area come from nearby Langsett and Ingbirchworth Reservoirs. There are few ponds in the area. Two sewage treatment works are located along the western flood plain of the River Don, one near Deepcar and the other further south at Morehall. 2.3. Natural and Cultural Heritage There are some very significant wildlife sites in the area containing a variety of habitats from woodland to heathland, rivers and reservoirs. Within the SRB5 area extensive amounts of land are designated as Areas of Natural History Interest. Semi-natural ancient woodland is reasonably well represented. There are many other areas of woodland, some of them ancient but replanted in recent times, as well as plantation woodland of both coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Coniferous plantations in the Ewden Valley provided the last known refuge for red squirrel within Sheffield and the last sightings were from around Broomhead in the Ewden Valley the early 1990s. Two of the most significant sites are the upland moorland of Whitwell Moor and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve of Wharncliffe Heath, the latter locally important in being Sheffield's only regular breeding site for nightjar. Grasslands are also a significant habitat within the area with many of them still showing the full range of types from unimproved, semi-improved and improved. Significant amounts of acid grassland of varying quality have survived on grazing areas or developed on neglected sites. Most of the semi-improved acid grasslands provide rough grazing mainly for sheep and a few horses. Agricultural improvement over the last few decades has seen big reductions in local plant and animal diversity on grasslands with only a few unimproved fields surviving. The SRB area contains portions of three reservoirs and therefore has a significant amount of open water habitat. The reservoirs attract few numbers of waders or ducks but in winter they are used for roosting by large numbers of gulls. Nearer to town, green fingers extend in from the open countryside such as Hollin Busk, New Hall Wood and Pot House Wood. Urban fringe is limited to some extent with some areas containing formal recreational open space such as at Oxley Park and the Stocksbridge Golf Course. There are areas of post WWII housing to the southern edge of the town providing a sharp contrast between the urban environment and the countryside. Formal open space within the town is very diverse, both in shape and size, often not easily accessible. A steep, wooded area running along the north side of the main road into Stocksbridge hosts one of the largest rookeries in the area. Gardens again provide one of the most important wildlife resources in the area and support the usual host of birds and other animals adapted to urban and suburban environments. The area of Stocksbridge and Deepcar has had a history of settlement dating back to Mesolithic times. Evidence of some major activities was shown with the discovery of a major quern factory dating from the Iron Age on Wharncliffe Crags during the 1950s (the name Wharncliffe derives from this activity). Wharncliffe also became part of a large medieval hunting chase owned by the lords of Wortley. Wharncliffe Woods provided coppice for the iron forges on the River Don in the sixteenth century. Mining and quarrying were also significant early activities with coal, pot clay, ganister and lead being mined. These stimulated small local glass- making and pottery industries. However, in spite of this activity studies suggest that there was limited settlement until the arrival of the steel industry with its associated mining and quarrying in the mid-nineteenth century. This saw the development of major social and cultural activities from the establishment of the Cooperative movement, places of worship, schools, a renowned brass band and sporting and recreational clubs and facilities. 2.4. Economy Once the steel industry was established transformation of the area was rapid and the population experienced huge growth. The steel industry became the major employer of the area for many years and still is to a lesser degree. Technical innovation such as the invention of stainless steel ensured the importance of Stocksbridge as a centre of steel production. Many other smaller industries, some stimulated by the steel works, thrived. Mining for material to manufacture firebricks and, later, gannister to line the refractory furnaces used in steel production was also a major industry. At the turn of the twentieth century there were at least three brick and tile factories operating in the area where the Upper and Little Don Valleys converge exploiting local sources of pot clay. Much of the countryside in the area was affected by these activities with slag and quarry spoil shaping and forming much of the character of the landscape we see today. After WWII the Stocksbridge and Deepcar expanded with large housing developments taking place in the 1950 and 1960s into which were moved many families from Sheffield. This saw the end of the physical separation of the two settlements of Deepcar and Stocksbridge. At this time many shops were distributed all over the area. Increased mobility from increasing ownership of private car, together with the establishment of supermarkets and major shopping centres such as Meadowhall have seen a long decline of shopping facilities in Stocksbridge and the trend is still downward. New housing developments neglect to provide facilities. Recently the withdrawal (or threatened) of local services such as the Jobcentre, recreation and banking facilities continue to encourage people to go elsewhere to spend money. This is a loss to the local economy.
Much of the agricultural activity is a combination of sheep rearing and dairy farming. However, much of the area provides poor grazing. Sheep are frequently usually on the poorer fields on slopes whilst cattle are mostly on the higher ridge between Little Don and Ewden. Many fields are also used to produce a silage crop used to feed the local dairy herds in winter. Intensification has been carried out to improve the productivity of this land. Loss of biodiversity and removal of dry stone wall boundaries has also accompanied this intensification. As an example, in 1993 large areas of gorse scrub and heath were lost to enable cultivation of sugar beet on the Hunshelf Bank Area of Natural History Interest (reducing the current habitat to about 40% of its former size). 2.5. Recreation Sporting facilities such as the rugby fields off Stone Moor Road and Stocksbridge golf course give parts of the countryside an urban fringe feel. A Sports Centre (with swimming pool) is located on the south-west fringe of Stocksbridge, adjacent to Oxley Park and Garden Village. Oxley Park is an area of terraced playing fields created in the 1960s from steel works slag and mine spoil from across the Little Don valley. The sports pitches are used mainly in winter for football. More Hall Reservoir is stocked with trout for fly-fishing. Underbank is also a reservoir used by anglers for coarse fishing, particularly for pike. Underbank Outdoor Activity Centre caters for canoeing and sailing on the reservoir. There are also similar facilities at More Hall. In many parts of the SRB5 area there is a good footpath network although the quality of the paths is variable. Existing trails - informal, permissive and public - make use of vantage points and wildlife and landscape features. The Steel Valley Walk and Wharncliffe areas are very popular with local walkers. Wharncliffe Crags is popular with rock climbers and features in guides to climbing in the area. There is only one designated bridleway within the area but informal use of paths by horse-riders occurs in many areas. Cycling and mountain biking, quad and trails biking, orienteering and camping also occur sporadically in many areas but mostly during the summer season. The last few years has seen four wheel-drive off-road vehicle events take place on a steep area of Hunshelf Bank (and less frequently on Townend Common). This has led to damage and erosion of a large area of gorse and heath. Nearby clay pigeon shooting also takes place at frequent intervals. Broomhead Estate has extensive ownership of moorland in the area including most of Whitwell Moor, Windhill and Millstones Wood. The Estate manages heather on nearby Barnside Moor for grouse shooting activities and may do so in future at Whitwell Moor (where old shooting buts are now thickly overgrown with heather). Extension of this activity will involve restoration of heather in those areas where bracken and birch have invaded across the moor. 2.6. Transport The first railway line to be constructed in the area was in 1845 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company. The railway link to the steelworks was constructed in the 1870s and, together with the main line that runs along the River Don, is still used today to bring scrap steel into Stocksbridge steel works for recycling. Some proposals have been made to use this line as an extension to the Sheffield Supertram network. The idea may be feasible but much work would need to be done if such a project were to be realised. The nearest accessible train station is Penistone (connected by a bus service). The earliest road routes were developed to link small settlements, hamlets and inns. Bolsterstone was the focus of major routes through the area and it was not until 1805 that a turnpike was established linking the Stocksbridge area directly with Sheffield. This was the former route of the A616 Manchester Road and continued through Deepcar and |Stocksbridge. This was replaced with the construction of a bypass to the north of the town on land above the steel works. The new A616, opened in 1988, has reduced the amount of heavy lorry traffic going through Stocksbridge but the road is still considered to be very busy and congestion does occur at certain times. Relieving this congestion may need the development and improvement of shop facilities elsewhere, especially in Deepcar. Cycle routes are little developed in the area. Contributing to this situation is the steep terrain off main roads. There are no designated cycle routes, although there have been plans to set up a route between Deepcar and Hillsborough along the Don Valley. There are routes close to the SRB5 area, particularly lying within Barnsley, that cater for horse riders, walkers and cyclists such as the Transpennine, Timberland, Dove Valley and the Upper Don Trails. Sustrans are planning routes between urban centres and with the help of local cycling groups there may be an opportunity for establishing routes through the SRB5 area. The Local Agenda 21 Study for Stocksbridge (1998) provided a useful overview of public bus services in the area and their limitations but made no recommendations for improvements. There are buses direct to central Sheffield with services to Barnsley also covering Penistone, Silkstone, Thurgoland, Wortley and other locations but none direct to Holmfirth or Huddersfield. Stocksbridge is also on the route of National Express coaches travelling to and from Blackpool and Liverpool to Cambridge.
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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Text and Photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Steel Valley Partnership Stocksbridge, all rights reserved. Terms of use: Any involved in education or training may copy the contents of these web pages, with the proviso that they always make reference to the original copyright. |
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Web pages by Map21 Ltd - latest update 7 June 2004 |
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