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Forges and Farms in the Shirebrook Valley, Hackenthorpe, Before The Estate Was Built.


boginspro

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Has anyone any old photographs, drawings or information of the buildings and people who lived and worked in the Shirebrook Valley, Hackenthorpe before the Hackenthorpe estate was built.

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There is a book called the Shire brook the Forgotten Valley. It was published in 2007 so it should be still available to buy.   

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Thanks   History dude,   I Google that and found it is still available by post from Meersbrook Park and only 7.50 including postal cost. I will get one, it looks very interesting.

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There is quite a selection of Shirebrook Valley images under the 'Woodhouse' section on the 'Picture Sheffield' website.

Mostly of Birley Colliery, but some of Sally Clark's Cottage and such.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?searchterms=&action=search&keywords=Location%3BCONTAINS%3BSheffield_Woodhouse%3B

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There is quite a selection of Shirebrook Valley images under the 'Woodhouse' section on the 'Picture Sheffield' website.

Mostly of Birley Colliery, but some of Sally Clark's Cottage and such.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?searchterms=&action=search&keywords=Location%3BCONTAINS%3BSheffield_Woodhouse%3B

Thanks, I have gone through those pictures, I knew the valley well in the 1950's and a few people who lived in the old houses then, but apart from The Shirebrook Valley Heritage Group and  the links you and History dude mention I know little detail of the families who lived there earlier, or much information of their houses, forges and farms. There were not many houses in the bottom of the valley, apart from Normanton Springs, but I was hoping someone might come up with something in their personal family history.

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A couple of years ago, whilst researching my own family, I did come across a couple of newspaper articles relating to Rainbow Forge and which, because of my own associations with the valley, faithfully copied.

I am happy to share these with you. The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-Rainbow Forge, Hackenthorpe-VARIOUS.pdf The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-Rainbow Forge, Hackenthorpe-VARIOUS.pdf 

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A couple of years ago, whilst researching my own family, I did come across a couple of newspaper articles relating to Rainbow Forge and which, because of my own associations with the valley, faithfully copied.

I am happy to share these with you. The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-Rainbow Forge, Hackenthorpe-VARIOUS.pdf The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-Rainbow Forge, Hackenthorpe-VARIOUS.pdf 

Thanks Unitedite Returns, That's one I have never seen before. I knew some of the Gregg family, who lived in Rainbow House in the 1950's and 60's and I grew up right on the side of that valley overlooking the Carr Forge but am now over six hundred miles away. I have recently been in touch with some of the Gregg family and also someone who lived in the cottages by the brook at the north side of the Rainbow Forge. I have always been fascinated by the valley from the site of the Birley West Colliery down to the Birley East Colliery and the Penny Loaf. Would it be OK for me to share this on the Old Hackenthorpe page on Facebook please? Did you mean to put two links up here, both the links above are the same? Thanks again.

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Hi Boginspro,

I am more than happy for you to share this with others, as you requested.

If, by doing so, it leads to responses from others, and it helps to expand our knowledge of the valley, then please share that with us.

Incidentally, I did not realise that I had attached the file twice - old age perhaps?

Being a Wudhus lad, I too, have something of a fascination with the Shirebrook Valley, and especially, the tantalising bits of evidence of its industrial past, as seemingly, at one time, it must have been a veritable hive of activity with its mines and its forges, and about which, we still seem to know so little.

For the same reason, I also have a like fascination with the Shirtcliffe Valley, about which, we seem to know even less. 

You might also find the following to be of interest - assuming that it has uploaded properly, that is.

 

 

 

The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-The Birley Moor Lower Wheel-VARIOUS.pdf

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Hi Boginspro,

I am more than happy for you to share this with others, as you requested.

If, by doing so, it leads to responses from others, and it helps to expand our knowledge of the valley, then please share that with us.

Incidentally, I did not realise that I had attached the file twice - old age perhaps?

Being a Wudhus lad, I too, have something of a fascination with the Shirebrook Valley, and especially, the tantalising bits of evidence of its industrial past, as seemingly, at one time, it must have been a veritable hive of activity with its mines and its forges, and about which, we still seem to know so little.

For the same reason, I also have a like fascination with the Shirtcliffe Valley, about which, we seem to know even less. 

You might also find the following to be of interest - assuming that it has uploaded properly, that is.

The Sheffield and Rotherham Independant-The Birley Moor Lower Wheel-VARIOUS.pdf

Thanks for another interesting article, I will have to look into the Birley Moor Lower Wheel.

I too spent many a day rooting through old footings and remains of old structures in the valley when I was young.

Though from Hackenthorpe  I regularly walked across the valley to Woodhouse, as a kid to the Picture Palace every Saturday and later almost every Sunday to the Cross Daggers or the Normanton Springs Inn.

I find the lack of information frustrating, especially what was under the Hackenthorpe housing estate, I remember seeing evidence of coppicing but have found virtually no information of that.

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Oddly enough Westfield Farm was at Waterthorpe, beneath what is now Farmfields estate and where the Hawk and dove playing field. The only evidence of its existence now is a big stone gatepost that sits in the gennel as you pass through redfern ave. The farm track is still there in the form of the track that runs past the old garages that used to be on Elm Crescent at Mosborough, near swallows colliery. It used to be passable by car years ago all the way to moss way but nature has took its course. 

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The 25" maps are creeping up the country and now include the Shirebrook Valley, with a selection of maps/dates

Link to 25" Mapping = Shirebrook valley

Not that there appears to be a great deal of farms shown... just the usual Scowerdons, Rainbow, Carr Forge, etc.?

Lots of fields and woods though and on the later maps, you can see the housing estate creeping down the hill from Hackenthorpe village

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On 10/26/2016 at 13:51, RLongden said:

The 25" maps are creeping up the country and now include the Shirebrook Valley, with a selection of maps/dates

Link to 25" Mapping = Shirebrook valley

Not that there appears to be a great deal of farms shown... just the usual Scowerdons, Rainbow, Carr Forge, etc.?

Lots of fields and woods though and on the later maps, you can see the housing estate creeping down the hill from Hackenthorpe village

Thanks, I use NLS a lot, it's a great site. Though I am not really a Facebook user the Old Hackenthorpe and Pictures of Hackenthorpe groups keep coming up with new information though it's frustrating that there seem to be very few photo's before the estate was built.

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On 27/12/2015 at 10:19, miamivice said:

Oddly enough Westfield Farm was at Waterthorpe, beneath what is now Farmfields estate and where the Hawk and dove playing field. The only evidence of its existence now is a big stone gatepost that sits in the gennel as you pass through redfern ave. The farm track is still there in the form of the track that runs past the old garages that used to be on Elm Crescent at Mosborough, near swallows colliery. It used to be passable by car years ago all the way to moss way but nature has took its course. 

Talking of solitary gate posts.... On my way home from work the other evening, I was sat at the traffic lights at Halfway, where Deepwell Avenue joins Rotherham Road (Heathland estate is it called?). Anyway, I glanced across the road and saw a single stone gate post and after checking on some old maps, it appears to be at the end of the drive to what was Oxclose Farm.

Of course the old farmhouse of Waterthorpe Farm still stands on Waterfield Mews and looks like it's split into two or more cottages (there's at least a 'First Cottage') - inconguous and majestic, amongst all the 'identikit' new builds.

Funnily enough, the site of Westfield Farm is the only space not to be built on, where all around stand houses and bungalows of the new estate. I wonder if the hard standing and concrete pads on the open ground were new additions, or what was left of the old farmyard?

Just browsing around on the NLS map on the link below and using the slider to compare the "then and now", it's easy to get lost for hours, looking at how the landscape has changed - Especially fascinating as it's all around the area I've lived and still do....

 

Map covering Oxclose Farm - Overlay version

Oxclose Farm Gate Post.JPG

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