Tintown at the Derwent Dams

[Guest Djelibeybi]

According to my grandad (passed away in 2003) his mother (Alice Maria Blagg) was assistant to the postmistress at Birchinlee aka Tintown, so it holds a special place in my heart. To date I've not managed to find documentary evidence supporting that fact, but hopefully I will. I also have a couple of books on Birchinlee.

[Guest Djelibeybi]

Photos of Derwent Valley & Birchinlee taken by me a while back xxx

[ukelele lady]

My husband's grandad worked on the Derwent Dam and also lived at

the Tintown for a while.

He previously worked on the dams in Wales as a steam crane driver then moved up north to work

on the Derwent and other dams.

At work in Ewden Valley

After the completion of the Derwent Dam he settled in Bradfield with his family.

When sorting my late mother -in -laws personal items out when she died we found many photos

and references about the dams in that area.

Here is the exact wording of a hand written note which was found with some old photos.

The Wall of the Derwent Dam, with Fairholmes Farm

Excavation for the dam commenced in 1902 , brought to use in 1916 , white mass of water down the wall all 114ft of it.

Derwent wall is a smaller version of Howden wall , and is 1,110 feet long.

The base being 178 feet thick, tapering to 10 feet at the overflow crest.

As with Howden , Derwent wall was constructed using large stone blocks set in concrete, some of which can still be

seen piled on the embankment just above " Tips " memorial.

The wall was tthen faced with dressed stone , most of it being dressed locally at the stone mason's yard sited at

Fairholmes, named after an old farm that once stood in the valley.

Now it has taken on a new look as a purpose built picnic area.

Stone for the Derwent and Howden wall was obtained from the Bole Hill quarries near Gringleford and required some

one and a quarter million tons.

[Ponytail]

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s22829&pos=34&action=zoom&id=25289

There are more photographs of the buildings and the residents on Picture Sheffield. Research under Birchinlee

[Ponytail]

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s22831&pos=44&action=zoom&id=25291

[Ponytail]

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s03919&pos=46&action=zoom&id=7458

[Athy]

I've just discovered this topic - I had never previously heard of Tin Town.

 

It does remind me that the corrugated-iron chapels which were once common in Derbyshire were known as Tin Tabs (short, I imagine, for tabernacles).

[SteveHB]

 

[Athy]

That's excellent. I'm particularly pleased to note that one of the buildings has been saved - though what the Tin Town residents would have thought of it being a beauty salon is probably not printable.