Moss Valley, Derbyshire
Encyclopedia
The Moss is a brook
in North East Derbyshire
, England
.
When Rother Valley Country Park
was built in 1980s, they used water from The Moss to fill the lakes.
The river flows through the Moss Valley and through the villages of Geerlane
, Birleyhay, Ford and Eckington
. Several areas of woodland are traversed, these include Coalpit Wood, Long Wood and Eckington Park
.The main tributaries of The Moss are the Robin Brook, the Owler Car Brook, Sickle Brook, Troway
Brook, Sloadlane Brook, and Ridgeway
Brook.
The Moss flows into the River Rother
in Eckington, Derbyshire
, near Eckington Mine
.
, just south of Sheffield
, England. Nearby settlements include Charnock, Troway
, Eckington
, Mosborough
, and Ridgeway
.
Moss Valley is home to the Eckington Woods and Bluebell Woods, the latter being a local term coined because of the quantity of bluebells which cover the woods in the springtime.
The valley, which is formed by The Moss and its tributaries, covers an area of about 10 square kilometre.
Moss Valley has a long history of quarrying and mining. Most of the quarries and mines are now closed, but several are still open. The coal mine near to where The Moss flows into the River Rother, Eckington Coal Mine (a drift mine operated by Moorside Mining Co. Ltd.), is still open; as is Sicklebrook Quarry in Sicklebrook (near Troway
).
There are also several mills in the valley. In several locations, The Moss has been dammed to create reservoirs and mill ponds.
Moss Valley used to be renowned for its excellent sickle and scythe production.
by English Nature
, particularly due to its value as a high quality habitat for invertebrates. This also includes about 5 hectares of the increasingly rare floodplain grazing marsh
habitat.
There is a variety of common English woodland wildlife in the woods. Species often seen include; badgers, hares, roe deer, foxes, rabbits and owls. The 85 species of moths and butterflies includes the White-letter Hairstreak
.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in North East Derbyshire
North East Derbyshire
North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It borders the districts of Chesterfield, Bolsover, Amber Valley and Derbyshire Dales in Derbyshire, and Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
When Rother Valley Country Park
Rother Valley Country Park
The Rother Valley Country Park is a country park in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, close to its border with Sheffield and Derbyshire. It covers 3 square kilometres and has four artificial lakes...
was built in 1980s, they used water from The Moss to fill the lakes.
Name
The name of the river derives from Moss Beck, which means 'stream through marshy ground'.Course
The Moss' source can be found just to the east of Jordanthorpe Parkway (B6057 road). The source is a natural spring which lies in an area of woodland called Coalpit Wood.The river flows through the Moss Valley and through the villages of Geerlane
Geerlane
Geerlane is a hamlet in North East Derbyshire, England.The hamlet is located in Moss Valley, by the side of The Moss. It has a farm, called Geerlane Farm, where a farmer was killed in 2010 after being trampled on by his cattle....
, Birleyhay, Ford and Eckington
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
. Several areas of woodland are traversed, these include Coalpit Wood, Long Wood and Eckington Park
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
.The main tributaries of The Moss are the Robin Brook, the Owler Car Brook, Sickle Brook, Troway
Troway
Troway is a village in North East Derbyshire, England.The village is located in Moss Valley, on both banks of the Troway Brook and its tributary the Vale Brook. The Troway Brook flows into The Moss near Birleyhay...
Brook, Sloadlane Brook, and Ridgeway
Ridgeway, Derbyshire
Ridgeway is a district of North East Derbyshire in the county of Derbyshire in England.-Location:Ridgeway lies just south of the South Yorkshire border, around 5 miles south-east of Sheffield City Centre.-History:...
Brook.
The Moss flows into the River Rother
River Rother, South Yorkshire
The River Rother is a river in the northern midlands of England, after which the town of Rotherham and the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency are named. It rises near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, and flows through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal...
in Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
, near Eckington Mine
Eckington Mine
Eckington mine is a drift mine situated on the eastern edge of the township of Eckington, Derbyshire, England, some South-West of Sheffield. It is presently the only colliery in production in North East Derbyshire....
.
Moss Valley
Moss Valley is the name of the valley carved out by The Moss, located in North East DerbyshireNorth East Derbyshire
North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It borders the districts of Chesterfield, Bolsover, Amber Valley and Derbyshire Dales in Derbyshire, and Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire....
, just south of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England. Nearby settlements include Charnock, Troway
Troway
Troway is a village in North East Derbyshire, England.The village is located in Moss Valley, on both banks of the Troway Brook and its tributary the Vale Brook. The Troway Brook flows into The Moss near Birleyhay...
, Eckington
Eckington, Derbyshire
Eckington is a town in North East Derbyshire, 7 miles north of Chesterfield and 8.5 miles south of Sheffield on the border with South Yorkshire.Eckington has a population of 11,152....
, Mosborough
Mosborough
Mosborough ward — which includes the districts of Halfway, Mosborough village, Waterthorpe, and Westfield — is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the eastern part of the city, on the border with Rotherham, and covers an area of 8.9 km2....
, and Ridgeway
Ridgeway, Derbyshire
Ridgeway is a district of North East Derbyshire in the county of Derbyshire in England.-Location:Ridgeway lies just south of the South Yorkshire border, around 5 miles south-east of Sheffield City Centre.-History:...
.
Moss Valley is home to the Eckington Woods and Bluebell Woods, the latter being a local term coined because of the quantity of bluebells which cover the woods in the springtime.
The valley, which is formed by The Moss and its tributaries, covers an area of about 10 square kilometre.
Industry
Moss Valley, due to its location next to a river near several coal seams and rock outcrops, has seen lots of industry over its history.Moss Valley has a long history of quarrying and mining. Most of the quarries and mines are now closed, but several are still open. The coal mine near to where The Moss flows into the River Rother, Eckington Coal Mine (a drift mine operated by Moorside Mining Co. Ltd.), is still open; as is Sicklebrook Quarry in Sicklebrook (near Troway
Troway
Troway is a village in North East Derbyshire, England.The village is located in Moss Valley, on both banks of the Troway Brook and its tributary the Vale Brook. The Troway Brook flows into The Moss near Birleyhay...
).
There are also several mills in the valley. In several locations, The Moss has been dammed to create reservoirs and mill ponds.
Moss Valley used to be renowned for its excellent sickle and scythe production.
Sport and recreation
Moss Valley is popular among walkers, ramblers and cyclists. On a bank holiday the woods can be very busy with people, families and groups exploring the woods or linking the woods into a wider walk. Mountain bikers are a common sight in the area, and several trails are popular amongst local cyclists on both the Mosborough and the Eckington sides of the valley. The two ponds on the Ridgeway side are used for private fishing, and there is a car park at this end, as well as the Bridge Inn public house.Wildlife
A 25.9 hectare strip of land along the southern bank of The Moss in the Moss Valley has been designated a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
by English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
, particularly due to its value as a high quality habitat for invertebrates. This also includes about 5 hectares of the increasingly rare floodplain grazing marsh
Grazing marsh
Grazing marsh is a British Isles term for flat, marshy grassland in polders. It consists of large grass fields separated by fresh or brackish ditches, and is often important for its wildlife.-History:...
habitat.
There is a variety of common English woodland wildlife in the woods. Species often seen include; badgers, hares, roe deer, foxes, rabbits and owls. The 85 species of moths and butterflies includes the White-letter Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
The White-letter Hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:A dark little butterfly that spends the majority of its life in the tree tops, feeding on honeydew, making it best observed through binoculars. The uppersides are a dark brown with a small...
.