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| Green Moor |
Although
there is no longer a public house in Green Moor, which was always a good reason to stop in the village, whilst exploring this part of South Yorkshire,
there are very many other interesting things to see. Several guided walks have been published online, but here are just a few of my
observations – as a geologist.
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| The Village Stocks in Green Moor |
The
village stocks, along with the dry stone wall behind it, are good examples
of the use of Greenmoor Rock, for which this place is very well known - there are several old quarries, mostly infilled, dotted around the village.
The stocks are set outside
Ivy Millennium Green, where there are views across the River Don – a mere
trickle compared to its flow further downstream, where it once powered the heavy industries of Sheffield,
Rotherham and Doncaster and took the Greenmoor Rock down to London.
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| Ivy Millennium Green |
The various dips and scarps, as seen in the skyline, outline the Carboniferous geology found in this part of South Yorkshire - and there is also a small war memorial plaque.
Across the road, in the village garden, there are two well produced information boards which describe the old industries that have made this area prosperous - quarrying stone, making iron, steel and other related products - and there are also good views of the Upper Don Valley.
The old pump house, which supplied the village with its water until 1951, forms part of the Stoneway Manor development; however, it is still worth seeing, before following the footpath to Green Moor Delph.
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| A direction finder at the Isle of Skye Quarry |
It is owned by Hunshelf Parish Council, with playing fields, seating areas, established paths and solid, well constructed steps that lead you towards the Isle of Skye Quarry - now a nature reserve.
Along the way, you can see a lot of heather, which gives such a strong character to this area, when it is entwined with the underlying rocks. Here, I saw my first ever wild snake in England, as it slithered through the long grass and disappeared into the dry stone wall - in a blink of the eye.
As part of the environmental improvements to the village, the dry stone walls have now been restored and, using the direction finder, the spectacular views from the edge of the escarpment - looking over Stocksbridge and to the Peak District National Park - can be fully appreciated.
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| A view along the escarpment at Hunshelf Bank |
