Shire Brook Valley - Linley Bank Meadow - Shire Brook Valley

Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve – Linley Bank Meadow – Beighton Marsh – Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve

Some of the footpaths and bridleways that cross the valley are very old routes that linked the villages of Hackenthorpe and Woodhouse, also the farms and mills in the valley. The Shire Brook is also an old historical boundary stretching back over a thousand years. It separated the ancient kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia and for 900 years until 1967 was the boundary between Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The Shire Brook was also key to early industry, providing water for turning the water wheels of the five mills situated in the valley. Carr Forge was the first mill and forge in the valley, around the 16th Century. You will walk around the rebuilt Carr Forge Dam.

There are many different birds to be seen here, including herons. The valley in the 20th Century was dominated by coal mines. Five different coal seams run through the valley. One of the pits, Birley East, produced coal between 1888 and 1943. It was also used as a mine training centre and closed in the 1950s. Along this walk you will pass buy a commemorative stone which marks the site of Birley East Colliery; little else remains. There were also several small sewage works opened in the late part of the 19th Century. None now remain.

The walk will also take you over the newly formed Linley Bank Meadow, which used to be an old landfill site. Many different birds and butterflies can be seen here at different times of the year. Beighton Marsh is also fairly new, but is a nice part of the walk. There are ponds here where you can find reedmace, dragonflies etc.

England - North England - Yorkshire - Countryside

Walkingworld members near this walk

Walk id: 5424

Walk grade

Easy Walk

Length

4.7 Miles

Height gain

30 Metres

Duration

1 Hours 55 Mins

Average rating

Rated by 0 members

Dog rated by 0 members