Information about Lower Whiteley Woods in Sheffield. Part of the FoPV area. Whiteley Woods - Lower Whiteley Woods, acquired by Sheffield Corporation in stages in the early years of the 20th century, is a narrow linear park which occupies an area of c11.5 hectares. The Porter Brook runs through the centre of the park with fairly steep, well-wooded valley sides to the north and south. The area inside the park, close to the Rustlings Road entrance, is formal with grass areas and shrub and tree plantings. There is a gradual transition in style from here towards the less formal character higher up the valley. The lodge at the park entrance was erected in 1908 at a cost of £640 and consisted of 2 rooms and a scullery on the ground floor, 3 bedrooms, a shelter and conveniences. Woods & Dams To the left of the main path is Trippett Wood, an area of ancient woodland, dating back to at least 1600. Woodpeckers, jays, tree-creepers and nuthatches are commonly seen in the woodland, whilst dippers and wagtails are resident near the river. A short distance into Whiteley Woods is the Ibbotson Dam, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is sometimes known as the Upper Spur Gear Dam, the name originating from the arrangement of the Wheel’s gear drive and different to that used on other wheels in the area. The Wheel and dam were bequeathed to Francis Otter in 1875 by his uncle, Robert Younge, owner and resident of Greystones Hall. Francis Otter sold them to Sheffield Corporation in the early 20th century. Mills Walter Charles Ibbotson was a grinder who leased the Ibbotson Wheel in the 1890s but by the turn of the century he had diversified as the area became more attractive for leisure activities. His advertisement in the Sheffield Independent of 1896 states “PORTER GLEN, TOP OF ENDCLIFFE PARK – Visitors will find Good Accommodation for Hot Water; Teas Provided, Schools and Parties Catered for; Boating, Swings; a large play ground -W C IBBOTSON” The Wheel was in good order in 1930 when it was suggested that it could become an industrial museum similar to Shepherd Wheel. Nothing came of the idea and the Wheel was demolished in the 1950s. Armchair Bridge There are the remains of a dam between Highcliffe Road and Whiteley Wood Road and the main path follows the goit. This was the site of the Leather Wheel, built in 1754 and shortly afterwards incorporated into the works of Thomas Boulsover. Sometimes alternatively known as the Nether Wheel, it ceased operating around 1900 and was demolished in 1907. A bridge, stone-built with seating niches and ornamental copings, across the Porter on Whiteley Wood Road, is known as the ‘armchair bridge’. Photos from the early 20th century show the sides of the bridge as being made of wooden lattices. These have now been replaced with stone.

About the Friends of the Porter Valley in Sheffield. Tietoja Friends of the Porter Valleysta Näkemys Visiomme on säilyttää, suojella ja ennallistaa Porter- ja Mayfield Valleysin ekologiaa, maisemaa ja kulttuuriperintöä kaikkien iloksi ja tulevien sukupolvien hyödyksi. Tapaa tiimi Laakson maantiede ja luonto Porter Brook nousee nummilla Sheffieldin yläpuolella ja virtaa 10 km itään kaupungin sydämeen. Sen laakso muodostaa luonnollisen vihreän käytävän, joka johtaa Peak Districtin avonumpiin Kansallispuisto ja rivitaloasunto ja ruuhkaiset tiet Hunters Barin ympärillä. Laskeutumisensa aikana Porter putoaa noin 340 metriä jatkuvasti muuttuvan maiseman läpi. Se yhdistää jyrkästi Viilloinen ja metsäinen Porter Clough'n laakso lempeämpään, viljellyyn maisemaan vihreitä rinteitä perinteisine laitumeineen ja kivirakennuksilla. Se sitten kulkee varhaisen teollisuusperintömme arkeologisten jäänteiden läpi (padot, myllylammet, myllyradat ja padot) ja edelleen muinaisempaan ja puoliluonnollisia metsiä. Se laskeutuu virkistys- ja koristeellisuuteen Binghamin ja Endcliffen puistoalueet, jotka luotiin sosiaalisiin tarkoituksiin vuonna 1800-luvulla. Puro tulee sitten maanalaisiin rumpuihin Ecclesall Roadin varrella ja virtaa itään yleisen hautausmaan ohi Sheffield City Center liittyä Sheaf-jokeen alla rautatieaseman alla. "Porter Valleyn ystävät" perustettiin vuonna 1994 säilyttämään ja parantaa Porter Valleyn luonnollisia ja historiallisia ominaisuuksia yleishyödyllinen. Ekologiset näkökohdat Noin 5 km laakson pohja ja sen sivujoen May Brookin yläjuoksu nimettiin "luonnontieteellisesti kiinnostaviksi alueiksi" kaupunkikehityksessä Suunnitelma (UDP), koska laaksossa on huomattavaa ekologista pääomaa. Kasvitieteellisesti nämä yhteisöt käsittävät useita antiikin tammimetsiä, joissa on upeita kevätkukkia ja syyssieniä; puoliluonnollinen pensaikko, joki ja lampi elinympäristöt; märät laakson varret sisältävät harvinaisia lajeja; maaseudulta nopeasti katoavan tyyppiset vanhat kukkarikkaat niityt ja syksyllä kirkkaat happamat niityt vahakärkisillä myrkkysienillä. Järjestys Myllylammikoista, jotka tunnetaan paikallisesti nimellä "padot", vaikuttaa myös merkittävästi laakson ekologiaa, vaikka ne ovatkin huonossa kunnossa useat vuotavat ja kaikki likaantuvat. Vesistöt tukevat an runsas pesivien ankkojen, kauhojen, kuningaskalojen, haikaroiden, rapujen ja muut makeanveden selkärangattomat, kun taas niityt ja pensasaidat ovat koti monia perhos- ja koilajeja. Puut tukevat monia lintuja, mukaan lukien kesävieraat, kuten paju- ja akanat, ja ympäri vuoden tutut, kuten kaksi tyyppiä tikkaa, puukoipia, pähkinää, tiaista ja corvideja, mukaan lukien Forge Damin pitkäaikainen teltta. Nisäkkäät sisältävät useita lepakalajeja, jotka lentävät silmiinpistävästi patojen yli, kettuja, vesimyyrät ja useat mäyräyhteisöt. Tunnistamalla ja hallinnoimalla asianmukaisesti ne laakson osat, joilla on keskeinen rooli tämän biologisen monimuotoisuuden tarjoamisessa, haluamme varmistaa, että Porter Valleyn kaikkien osien käyttäjät kohtaavat jatkossakin ikimuistoisen valikoiman. villieläimistä. Tämä sisältää alueita, jotka ovat kaukana laakson pohjasta, joille pääsee kävelyreittejä ja hiljaisia kaistaa pitkin. Amenity and recreational value Urban parks were created throughout Britain in the 19th century as a response to the often appalling urban environment brought about by industrialisation and rapid population growth. They are still a vital amenity in our 21st century lives. The whole Porter Valley, except for Endcliffe Park, lies entirely within the Green Belt. It also forms a significant part of the Sheffield Round Walk and a Strategic Cycle Route out to the Peak District. Because the valley provides a direct link between the city and the countryside it is used extensively by people from all over the city and beyond. Its accessibility and unique atmosphere appeal particularly to the communities along its flanks, to Sheffield schools, ramblers, cyclists, and nature lovers. There are several frequently used access points from the roads and footpaths that border on, or run across, the Porter. Half a million people may use the Valley every year; and over 30% come from parts of Sheffield other than the nearby relatively affluent wards of Broomhill, Hallam, and Ecclesall. Archaeological Aspects Man has inhabited this Valley since Palaeolithic times but the most obvious evidence of human impact is the sequence of dams. In the 18th century the Porter Brook was one of Sheffield’s intensively used industrial streams and drove 20 mills mostly for the manufacture of cutlery, hand tools and other metal products. All but 6 of the original 20 millponds have disappeared over the years as their original industrial use declined and the valley became a focus for leisure. What remains is an attractive linear amenity and wildlife habitat studded with features of exceptional historic interest. The dams provide a compelling thread of interest to the linear valley walk. Unusual features are that the mills were constructed for the metal (e.g. cutlery) trades and not preceded by corn mills. Forge Dam impounds the full flow of the stream, whereas all other dams use the by-pass system. Wire Mill once had the largest diameter wheel in Sheffield. Many of the remaining monuments and buildings in the valley have listed Grade II status and Shepherd Wheel, a water-powered grinding hull and dam, is a scheduled Ancient Monument. A conservation area encompasses Fulwood Chapel, Forge Dam and Wire Mill Dam. The UDC map also shows an “Area of Special Character” on the northern slopes of the valley from Harrison Lane down into the brook bottom. In 2001 Endcliffe Park was included in the South Yorkshire county volume of English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest as a grade II site. The whole Valley was given grade II listing by English Heritage in 2002 in recognition of its unique mosaic of features. It is a landscape that has appealed to English Heritage’s interest in “the engine room” of our 18th and 19th century heritage. Neil Cossons, a former President of English Heritage, recognised the importance of the national heritage of waterways, mills, and workers’ cottages. The Porter Valley retains examples of this heritage. The Porter Valley is also recognised as linear parkland of particular and historic interest. Patrick Abercrombie’s 1924 civic survey for Sheffield City Council describes the Porter Valley as follows “The Porter Brook Parkway, consisting as it does of a string of contiguous open spaces, is the finest example to be found in this country of a radial park strip, an elongated open space, leading from a built–up part of the city direct into the country, the land occupied being a river valley and so for the greater part unsuitable for building. As compared with the finite quality of an ornamental park of more or less square shape, there is a feeling of movement in a continuous park strip …….the human being ….is lead onwards until the open countryside is reached.“ Trustees FoPV is run by volunteer trustees who give their time and efforts to the above. To find out who does what, see our meet the trustees page

The legal documents of the Friends of the Porter Valley in Sheffield. Asiakirjat Käytäntömme ja sääntömme on lueteltu täällä, ja ne ovat ladattavissa luettavaksi. Constitution Privacy Safety Safeguarding Volunteers Conflict of Interest Finance Complaints Bingham Park Sub Group Insurance - PLI As a registered charity we are required to hold Public Liability Insurance. It provides cover for slips, trips and falls, and injuries suffered by third parties as well as claims made against us for accidental damage caused to someone else's property. The 'blame and claim' culture combined with tough economic times has seen the number of claims (genuine and 'speculative') rise at a fast pace and for many years our trustees have elected to have public liability insurance to protect themselves and the Friends of the Porter Valley against allegations of negligence, including any legal fees or expenses should a case need to be defended in court. Volunteers Importantly however, the cover we have with our insurer also covers our volunteers whilst taking part in any of our organised activities, irrespective of their membership status.