Malin Bridge

[deejayone]

MALIN BRIDGE

Situated within the S6 postcode area, Malin Bridge stands at the foot of the Loxley Valley and nearby Hillsborough at the north of Sheffield. One of the main routes to Sheffield from Lancashire (via the infamous Snake Pass), Malin Bridge is a stones-throw away from the countryside of the Pennines. In history, Malin Bridge is known to have been on of the first - and worst - hit by the great Sheffield Flood which flooded an area from the Loxley Valley, right through to Doncaster.

The most travelled part of Malin Bridge is the one-way loop system, from which you can easily get to and from Hillsborough, The Pennines, Stannington, Crookes, Wisewood and more. This loop used to be known as Malin Bridge Tram Terminus and hosts the end of the line for the current Sheffield Supertram (although the Supertram doesn't travel the loop, which is exclusively for cars now).

One of the finest features of the area is the genuine water-wheel building which still stands, over the years to my knowledge it has had many uses, including being a Comet store, Designer Clothes Outlet and even an upmarket restaurant. Inside the one-way loop, many shops have stood throughout the years including hardware stores, second-hand shops (Clapham Junction), Chip Shops, Video Shops and more. Nowadays you'll find a cafe, the historical Malin Bridge pub and even a paintballing shop!

Tram Terminus:

View of Malin Bridge, looking towards the water-wheel and even further beyond towards Wisewood (around 1910):

The one-way loop comes past this area of buildings, of which is St. Polycarps Church Hall (which was known as the 'Tin Hall' due to it's structure, now demolished to make way for a slip road back onto the one-way loop:

[Sheffield History]

Excellent

Of course most of the area was flattened during the flood - so it's interesting to see the place changing as it has over the years

[deejayone]

Prominent in the area are the Burgon and Ball buildings, which run quite a distance along Holme Lane, to the River Loxley. This picture shows the edge of the huge Burgon and Ball building by the river:

[Sheffield History]

I remember that building - makes you wonder how much they polluted the river !

[mickjj]

I found this picture of Malin Bridge but I do not know what era its from.

[Guest lesvegas]

great pics, you can almost see wherre my house is but its all fields

excellant

[Bayleaf]

At Malin Bridge there is/was a clever piece of water engineering. At the bottom of what's now Rivelin Valley Road, before the road and bridge were there, was the mill dam for the Turner Wheel. Immediately above the weir on the Rivelin near where it joins the Loxley there is a cut taking water into the Loxley above another weir, unfortunately no longer there. At the other side of the Loxley was the entry to the dam, so that water from the Rivelin was diverted into the Loxley at the higher level and thus water from both rivers fed into the dam. The whole system is still there except for the weir on the Loxley.

[Wadsleyite]

The water wheel would probably have collapsed into the river if it hadn't been for Wm Marsden (butchers) who restored it to full working order in about 1960. Their factory was nearby and they bought the corn mill and used it as a workshop for a while, placing an illuminated advertisement above the wheel. At present the site is being redeveloped, and the developers are apparently thinking of restoring the wheel to working order again

[Guest Gramps]

Malin Bridge was a busy little place in the 1850s - lots of dams and waterwheels, some substantial houses, a farm or two and three pubs; the Anvil, the Yew Tree and the Stag Inn.

The earliest mention I've found of Malin Bridge as a place is the will of a William Fenton of 'Mallinbrige' dated 5th. May 1578, and another in March 1590-1 for the will of a Nicholas Hobson. Malin was the peculiar Christian name used by the Stacy family for several generations and I read somewhere that there may be a connection between this family and the construction of the first stone bridge here.

The waterwheel of the old corn mill on the corner of Stannington road and Holme lane is once again being restored to working order as a condition placed on the developers of the site.

[neddy]

Malin Bridge was a busy little place in the 1850s - lots of dams and waterwheels, some substantial houses, a farm or two and three pubs; the Anvil, the Yew Tree and the Stag Inn.

The earliest mention I've found of Malin Bridge as a place is the will of a William Fenton of 'Mallinbrige' dated 5th. May 1578, and another in March 1590-1 for the will of a Nicholas Hobson. Malin was the peculiar Christian name used by the Stacy family for several generations and I read somewhere that there may be a connection between this family and the construction of the first stone bridge here.

The waterwheel of the old corn mill on the corner of Stannington road and Holme lane is once again being restored to working order as a condition placed on the developers of the site.

Malin also runs in a Gillot family back to at least 1667.

[Bayleaf]

Took these today. They're doing a lot of work clearing and felling to prevent a repetition of the floods 2 years ago. It's opened up views few people are old enough to remember, as well as exposing the industrial archaeology.

Malin Bridge from Rivelin Valley Road

Confluence of the Rivelin & Loxley and Rivelin Bridge

Massive masonry remains of the ?dam next to Burgon & Ball. The small excavator is pulling silt & debris from under the arch and the larger one is moving it across to the far bank where it's taken up to the road and carted away.

Blocked archway. Looks like an old pulley wheel in there?

Rivelin Bridge from Watersmeet Rd

I love work, I could watch it all day! ;-)

[RichardB]

Thanks for posting these, it is good to see they are trying to prepare by clearing the way for when the next flood happens (tomorrow maybe ?). Does this mean Malin Bridge will survive only for the water to flood Hillsborough Corner ?

[hilldweller]

Took these today. They're doing a lot of work clearing and felling to prevent a repitition of the floods 2 years ago. It's opened up views few people are old enough to remember, as well as exposing the industrial archaeology.

Malin Bridge from Rivelin Valley Road

Confluence of the Rivelin & Loxley and Rivelin Bridge

MASSIVE masonry remains of the ?dam next to Burgon & Ball. The small excavator is pulling silt & debris from under the arch and the larger one is moving it across to the far bank where it's taken up to the road and carted away.

Blocked archway. Looks like an old pulley wheel in there?

Rivelin Bridge from Watersmeet Rd

I love work, I could watch it all day!

Great photos, they show an enormous amount of silting has taken place over the last 50 years. When I was a kid in the 1950's and living nearby we used to play under the Rivelin Valley Road bridge and the top of the arches was way over our heads. I should think there must be 5 feet of silt or more. The arch nearest Rivelin only had a minimal flow of water and we used to build dens and light campfires. We used to cross the river along the large water-main running along the west side of the bridge. I remember making a map of all the little islands formed by the various mill goits as a kid, long consigned to the fireback.

[Bayleaf]

Thanks for posting these, it is good to see they are trying to prepare by clearing the way for when the next flood happens (tomorrow maybe ?). Does this mean Malin Bridge will survive only for the water to flood Hillsborough Corner ?

Hopefully not! They did the same at Hill Bridge/Hillsborough Bridge after the flood. They seem to be working their way upstream, ve-e-e-e-ery slowly!

[mick851]

Great photos, they show an enormous amount of silting has taken place over the last 50 years. When I was a kid in the 1950's and living nearby we used to play under the Rivelin Valley Road bridge and the top of the arches was way over our heads. I should think there must be 5 feet of silt or more. The arch nearest Rivelin only had a minimal flow of water and we used to build dens and light campfires. We used to cross the river along the large water-main running along the west side of the bridge. I remember making a map of all the little islands formed by the various mill goits as a kid, long consigned to the fireback.

i can see the house where some of my family lived,( top pic ) from about 1910, its the house thats been painted white, next door to the old mill. 7 loxley road

[Dickdioxide]

Malin Bridge.

Origin of Malin

In Welsh a mill would be called "melin". I understand that although "moulin" is most common French form, there is a dialect word "melin". Dutch can use "molen". All derived from the Latin "molinum".

[RichardB]

Hopefully not! They did the same at Hill Bridge/Hillsborough Bridge after the flood. They seem to be working their way upstream, ve-e-e-e-ery slowly!

Another "Reverse-to-the-the-flow-muck-removal-extraveganza-thingie then" ? Typical ...

[vox]

Another "Reverse-to-the-the-flow-muck-removal-extraveganza-thingie then" ? Typical ...

My thinking on this is very clear (to myself) but I doubt if I could put it into words properly

I know it sounds illogical to start at the bottom and work upwards, but I don't think it is. The only ideal is to do it all at the same time (which will of course never be an option), the next best thing is to do the "flatter" areas first. The "gain" in doing it this way is small, but there nevertheless.

It's sort of on the lines of - Either a lot of damage to a small number of properties or less damage but to a much greater number.

Besides that point, the ammount of water doesn't change, merely the speed at which it drains. Therefore doing the top first would only get the water down to the bottleneck more efficiently.

Does that sound right to anyone. ??

I know what I'm trying to say anyway. :)

[Stuart0742]

My thinking on this is very clear (to myself) but I doubt if I could put it into words properly

I know it sounds illogical to start at the bottom and work upwards, but I don't think it is. The only ideal is to do it all at the same time (which will of course never be an option), the next best thing is to do the "flatter" areas first. The "gain" in doing it this way is small, but there nevertheless.

It's sort of on the lines of - Either a lot of damage to a small number of properties or less damage but to a much greater number.

Besides that point, the ammount of water doesn't change, merely the speed at which it drains. Therefore doing the top first would only get the water down to the bottleneck more efficiently.

Does that sound right to anyone. ??

I know what I'm trying to say anyway.

I'm thinking the opposite, if there is a bottleneck at say Malin bridge and there are flood conditions, the water will then flood the local area (Mailin Bridge).

If Malin Bridge is cleared/dredged as is happenning and the same flood conditons occur all the water flows down to the next bottleneck (Hillsboro corner) and floods there.

Therefore if you clear Hillsboro Corner 1st, then clear Malin Bridge and said flood conditions happen the water should flow through both locations.

Is this the oposite to what VOX has put.

Like Vox I know what I mean.

[DaveH]

Reading the last 2 posts carefully it appears that both of you are presenting different good, logical sound arguments (which I can follow and know exactly what you both mean) but although the arguments are different they both reach the same conclusion, - that it is better to clear the river of blockages "against its flow", i.e. from the town out to Hillsborough and then out to Malin bridge.

[vox]

Reading the last 2 posts carefully it appears that both of you are presenting different good, logical sound arguments (which I can follow and know exactly what you both mean) but although the arguments are different they both reach the same conclusion, - that it is better to clear the river of blockages "against its flow", i.e. from the town out to Hillsborough and then out to Malin bridge.

Right then Dave - that's it now - you've got yourself a job. Get yourself round to my place and start translating some of the ideas that come from "She who shall be obeyed". I can never get my head around her so called logic. he he

[Waterside Echo]

My thinking on this is very clear (to myself) but I doubt if I could put it into words properly

I know it sounds illogical to start at the bottom and work upwards, but I don't think it is. The only ideal is to do it all at the same time (which will of course never be an option), the next best thing is to do the "flatter" areas first. The "gain" in doing it this way is small, but there nevertheless.

It's sort of on the lines of - Either a lot of damage to a small number of properties or less damage but to a much greater number.

Besides that point, the ammount of water doesn't change, merely the speed at which it drains. Therefore doing the top first would only get the water down to the bottleneck more efficiently.

Does that sound right to anyone. ??

I know what I'm trying to say anyway.

Nothing to do with water I know, but when I was converting my old Beetle from 6 to 12v I started furthest away from the source, simply because it was my everyday car and had to remain mobile until I could afford the new 12v battery. SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! must be an age thing.

[SteveHB]

Nothing to do with water I know, but when I was converting my old Beetle from 6 to 12v I started furthest away from the source, simply because it was my everyday car and had to remain mobile until I could afford the new 12v battery. SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! must be an age thing.

Maybe your connection could be something to do with 'currents'

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[DaveH]

Right then Dave - that's it now - you've got yourself a job. Get yourself round to my place and start translating some of the ideas that come from "She who shall be obeyed". I can never get my head around her so called logic.

But thats not the same vox, thats FEMALE logic.

It still works but seems to be in a totally different language, - something to do with women being from Venus lol

[ukelele lady]

I know some of the trees had to be felled to help stop the flooding but to go to this

extreme is crazy.We will never see it grow back to how it was in our life time.

It now looks so stark and bare and to think they never even made the people

who have riparian rights aware of what they were going to do. Typical

Across the road ,Watersmeet road.