A Brief Exploration of Shireoaks

 

Welcome to Shireoaks

 

By the end of July 2020, week 19 of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I had just about exhausted all potential walks to find some new geology and historic buildings, without making multiple bus journeys as I had done the previous year.

The Chesterfield Canal between Kiveton Park and Shireoaks

Earlier in the summer, I had walked along a short stretch of the Chesterfield Canal west of Kiveton Park station and I decided to go and further investigate the canal between the latter and Shireoaks – a small ex-coal mining village just inside Nottinghamshire.

 

Kiveton Bridge railway station

The only way that I could easily get to Shireoaks was by train and, taking advantage of the Sunday X54 bus service to Harthill, I alighted at the end of Kiveton Lane and walked along to Kiveton Bridge station, where I would catch the train that runs between Sheffield and Lincoln.

 

The former Station Hotel in Shireoaks

Surprisingly, there were quite a few passengers on the train but, keeping socially distanced by standing next to the doors and wearing a face covering, after a journey of only 8 minutes I arrived at Shireoaks station.

 

Terraced houses on Shireoaks Row

Access to the Chesterfield Canal is immediately to the south of the station but, making the most of being in this remote plave, I walked down Shireoaks Row, where the brick terraced houses were built for the colliery workers, and had a quick look at the old village.

 

Shireoaks war memorial

I stopped briefly to photograph Shireoaks war memorial, which is sited in the churchyard of St. Luke the Evangelist, a Grade II Listed building in the Decorated Gothic style, which was built by T. C. Hine for the 5th Duke of Newcastle in 1863.

The west front of St. Luke's church

Dolomitic limestone from the Upper Permian Cadeby Formation at Steetley Quarry is used throughout the church, but I didn’t stop to investigate further and carried on along Shireoaks Road to look at a handful of vernacular buildings, which are constructed in limestone with red pantile roofs.

Vernacular architecture in Shireoaks

The oldest part of the village grew up around Shireoaks Hall, dated c.1600, which I didn’t get to see on this occasion but of these stone buildings, only the Grade II Listed former chapel, built c.1810 for John Hewett and which is now the Village Hall, has any architectural merit.

Shireoaks Village Hall

Returning to Shireoaks Row, after taking a quick look at the River Ryton, I was surprised to see the vicar and a few of the congregation outside St. Luke’s church and so I popped in to take a few quick photographs while it was still open.

 

The River Ryton

With my walk along the Chesterfield Canal still to be undertaken, I didn't go any further than the west end of the nave and, when I next retun to Shireoaks - to visit the Steetley Chapel and Shireoaks Hall - I will try and take a better look.

Views of the interior of St. Luke's church