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The Road in the middle of the River? Help needed..


Sheffield History

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Does anyone know the history of the road that is in the middle of the River Don in Beeley Woods?

Local theories include some kind of possible Roman Road?

Can anyone solve this mystery of the road in the middle of a river?

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I ran a Heritage Open Days explore of Beeley Woods last year. It is a very interesting place!  I believe that the structure is part of a water power system. Just visible bottom left is the beginning of a wooden beam that runs the full length which I think must have been part of a device to control water flow (being raised or lowered as needed). There is a lot of stonework on show when the river is low that's for sure. Having said this I'd be more than happy to learn something new. I posted on here somewhere about the area last summer when I was planning the walk.

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15 minutes ago, Calvin72 said:

 

I remember going into Beeley woods over the wooden bridge opposite Middlewood tavern thet led to a path skirting Beeley Wood Forge and hearing the bangs of the steam hammers inside.

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1 hour ago, Calvin72 said:

I ran a Heritage Open Days explore of Beeley Woods last year. It is a very interesting place!  I believe that the structure is part of a water power system. Just visible bottom left is the beginning of a wooden beam that runs the full length which I think must have been part of a device to control water flow (being raised or lowered as needed). There is a lot of stonework on show when the river is low that's for sure. Having said this I'd be more than happy to learn something new. I posted on here somewhere about the area last summer when I was planning the walk.



Would that be why the stonework was originally placed there then ? e.g. during the construction of some kind of water power building/system?

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Not sure whereabouts on the river you were, but in 1890 there was a ford across next to Stockarth lane.

738435868_BeeleyWoods1890.png.7ca075b3ae1ce08ff9c22bae4aa9a92e.png

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2 minutes ago, Sheffield History said:



Would that be why the stonework was originally placed there then ? e.g. during the construction of some kind of water power building/system?

I think it was part of controlling/maximising water flow towards to a weir or goit but I'm no expert and always open to suggestion!

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Just now, Edmund said:

Not sure whereabouts on the river you were, but in 1890 there was a ford across next to Stockarth lane.

738435868_BeeleyWoods1890.png.7ca075b3ae1ce08ff9c22bae4aa9a92e.png

It's a little further on by the current factory site.

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I followed the link to the earlier thread

where Forgeman had posted this link: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/spy/index.cfm#zoom=18&lat=53.4222&lon=-1.5176&layers=168&b=1&r=30

If the "Road in the middle of the River" is at SK 32020 91859 (53°25'22"N 1°31'11"W) then it is simply a ford carrying the extension of Stockarth Lane from Middlewood Road North across to Beeley Wood Lane

 

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44 minutes ago, Calvin72 said:

It's a little further on by the current factory site.

there is another ford, further upriver, opposite the rear of Abbey Forged Products. Is that where the original photo was taken?
 

AD877649-7E8E-4D26-9965-93FD62115844.jpeg

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28 minutes ago, RLongden said:

there is another ford, further upriver, opposite the rear of Abbey Forged Products. Is that where the original photo was taken?
 

AD877649-7E8E-4D26-9965-93FD62115844.jpeg

I think that ford is slightly further up river from the feature in the original photo. It too is visible at low water levels. The 'road' has more than just a surface, it has the wooden beam and other remains which show something more complicated

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Many fords had stepping stones or a light footbridge alongside them.  Is it possible that the wooden beam could be associated with a bridge?  It would be really helpful if the OP could give a grid reference.

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23 minutes ago, MartinR said:

Many fords had stepping stones or a light footbridge alongside them.  Is it possible that the wooden beam could be associated with a bridge?  It would be really helpful if the OP could give a grid reference.

It isn't my photo so I've just asked where exactly it was taken as I'm not that familiar with the place

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Had a suggestion given to us just now..

 It’s part of the old Toll Road that went from Middlewood road to Beeley Wood Lane, there is still a house on Middlewood road call toll cottage.

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7 hours ago, Sheffield History said:

 

Had a suggestion given to us just now..

 It’s part of the old Toll Road that went from Middlewood road to Beeley Wood Lane, there is still a house on Middlewood road call toll cottage.

The cottage is where Middlewood Road North becomes Langsett Road South. No sign of any ford or crossing to Beeley Wood Lane on old maps though. Surely the A6102 (Middlewood Road, Langsett Road) would have been the turnpike,, as I can see T.P. along it on several old maps? Beeley Wood Lane always looks the minor road and seems to almost peter out at the point it meets Clay Wheel, becoming Clay Wheel Lane and continuing to Wadsley Bridge.

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s16156&action=zoom&pos=26&id=18891&continueUrl=
 

The ford at the bottom of Stockarth Lane, the old pack horse crossing just doesn’t seem well made enough, so doubt it is (or ever was) here? Maybe whoever took the photo can put us out of our misery and tell us where it was taken? 😁

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s12045&pos=8&action=zoom&id=14976

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s12037&pos=2&action=zoom&id=14968

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Knowing exactly where this feature is and not being able to show it is frustrating! It's not the ford at the bottom of Stockarth Lane and it's not below the toll house. It's between the two sites (just past where the current factory is heading away from town). 

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Are you meaning the old ford at SK 31646 92200 (53°25'33"N 1°31'31"W)?  It's just by the tight bend in the river and it used to carry Beeley Wood Lane acroos the Don, but the factory is now over the top of it.  There used to be a spill way from the factory dam just upstream from the ford. RLongden highlights this ford above.

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44 minutes ago, MartinR said:

Are you meaning the old ford at SK 31646 92200 (53°25'33"N 1°31'31"W?  It's just by the tight bend in the river and it used to carry Beeley Wood Lane acroos the Don, but the factory is now over the top of it.  There used to be a spill way from the factory dam just upstream from the ford. RLongden highlights this ford above.

Thanks @MartinR. I did wonder where @Calvin72 was referring to, knowing I had pointed to that location yesterday? @Calvin72 could you not just screenshot a google maps image and drop a pin or arrow on the location?

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I thought I'd read somewhere that the original Sheffield to Penistone Turnpike went on Clay Wheels Lane and Beeley Wood Lane and then crossed the river by the ford to join the new road just before the toll house. However I don't remember where I read it, But here's a snippet from the book "A Layman's Look at the History, Industry, People and Places of Oughtibridge, Worrall and Wharncliffe Side". by Doug Sanderson.

Oughty.thumb.jpg.742707ab5645c6863e1e78a3689b562b.jpg

 

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The 25" 1892-1914 OS maps show an unfenced footpath running through the trees by the riverside from the ford to the toll bar cottage.

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4 hours ago, MartinR said:

The 25" 1892-1914 OS maps show an unfenced footpath running through the trees by the riverside from the ford to the toll bar cottage.

 

0BE416BA-C9ED-4EFB-AE89-4DF8F5BB0DAD.jpeg

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On 10/05/2020 at 11:03, RLongden said:

Thanks @MartinR. I did wonder where @Calvin72 was referring to, knowing I had pointed to that location yesterday? @Calvin72 could you not just screenshot a google maps image and drop a pin or arrow on the location?

Hello All, Yes, that is the location. So now I have a different explanation for the feature than I previously thought and the remnants of wooden beams makes the suggestion of a footbridge interesting. I'll get back there when I can and see if I can take some photos and add to the research on this thread. I'm not very techie I'm afraid. I write and talk and colleagues do the techie stuff. Otherwise I would have nailed this down sooner. I wasn't trying to annoy you all by not posting the precise location :)

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