Geology & Archaeology in Loxley

A view downstream at Malin Bridge

In the last 4 years, I have encountered a lot of interesting historic architecture during my travels around South Yorkshire and the surrounding counties and, when going out with the Sheffield U3A Geology Group, some interesting rocks and landscapes too. 

A Google Map view of the Loxley Valley

Also, having explored various parts of the courses of the principal rivers, and their tributaries, which flow into Sheffield – the Don, Sheaf, Porter Brook and the Rivelin - I have now acquired a much better appreciation of the industrial history of Sheffield.

A packhorse bridge

For this reason, having thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Stoneface Creative Woodland Weekend event at Storrs Wood, I looked forward to my walk along the River Loxley to Malin Bridge. Starting at Rowell Bridge, where there was once a forge mill, I found a path to the north side of the river where I soon encountered what looked like a packhorse bridge.

A geological map of the area around the Loxley Valley

Crossing over it, I came across what appeared to be an old quarry face, where there are extensive exposures of thinly bedded flaggy sandstone from the Rossendale Formation, which I assume would have been used for stone roofing tiles.

An example of  the interaction between geology and botany

Unlike other mines and quarries in Loxley, there is no mention of it on the Victorian maps I have seen. What interested me particularly was the large tree in the rock face, whose roots have deeply penetrated the bedding planes and joints. 

The Olive Wheel Weir

With the path soon dying out shortly after I had encountered the Olive Wheel Weir on the river, I had to retrace my steps to Storrs Lane, where I continued along the path to the north of the river until I came across the dam at Olive Wheel Mill. 

A view of the Olive Wheel Mill and its dam

Here several stone buildings from the old mill complex still remain and some of them have been redeveloped as housing, although others still appear to be disused and in need of some repair.

 A view of some of the buildings at the Olive Wheel Mill

At this point, there is a gorge where the river has cut through the bedrock and a section of the Rossendale Formation - several metres high - is exposed along the south bank of the river. 

A riverside exposure of sandstone from the Rossendale Formation

With the option of crossing the river here, I stopped on the north bank and eventually came to a small hamlet at Low Matlock Wheel which, like several other places along the course of the River Loxley was devastated in the Great Sheffield Flood, but none of the buildings relating to the working rolling mill or the old water wheel could easily be seen from the public thoroughfare.

A distant view of the buildings at Low Matlock Wheel

Low Matlock Lane continues to run parallel to the course of the river here, but at a distance of 50 metres or more and, except for a few fragments of foundations etc. from the Broadhead Wheel and Tilt than can be seen in the woodland at Wisewood, I didn't see any other evidence of the industry that once thrived here.

Ochreous staining in the riverbank

In the south bank, opposite the dam to Scythe Wheel, an ochreous spring flows into the river, which are very similar to those that I had seen in Ecclesall Woods and the Porter Valley. These are the result of the oxidation of the mineral pyrite by groundwater that flows through the various shafts and tunnels of the shallow coal mines, which were once active around here.

Remnants of the old forge at Loxley Park

The buildings at Scythe Wheel have long since disappeared – although the position of various dams and goits can be seen on Google Map – but in the grounds of Loxley Park, a private residential care home, various parts of plant and machinery from the forge have been preserved, although I don't know what their function was. 

A view upstream at Malin Bridge

Continuing my walk along the river, the sediments in the river bed were still seen to be distinctly coloured red and at Malin Bridge, where the River Rivelin joins the River Loxley, large rocks in the water are heavily iron stained but at the weir in Hillsborough the colour seems to disappear.

The River Loxley at Hillsborough

My walk ended here but the River Loxley continues down to Owlerton and, before it joins the River Don, there used to be several more dams, goits and mills along this stretch of the river. 

An easy going trail along the River Loxley

I don’t profess to be an enthusiast of industrial archaeology but, as I have written before when describing visits to Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet and the Shepherd Wheel, the industrial heritage of Sheffield, as a whole, doesn’t receive the attention that it really deserves. 

An information board on Storrs Lane

As a geologist and field trip leader, who has been encouraging similar minded professionals from Europe to visit South Yorkshire and the surrounding counties in recent years, I was very surprised to discover that – except for a well designed board when I began my walk at Storrs Lane - I don’t recall seeing any other information that would us to really appreciate this part of Sheffield.

An attempt to make the River Loxley accessible to the less-agile