DEEP DOWN TO DEEPCAR

The tributaries of the River Don are many and north from Bradfield we come across the Ewden, which was dammed to form a couple of reservoirs. A railway was used to aid in the construction of the works.

The next valley along contains the Porter, also known as the Little Don. A small village called Langsett grew up near the reservoirs here.

There was a railway used in the dam construction here too. "Little Don" was one of the locos.

Langsett village and reservoir seen in an old postcard.

A 2006 view of Langsett Reservoir.

The village pub, once called The Inn, is now the Waggon & Horses.

Here's me - looking down over the Langsett area. You might want to see the map to follow the route.

Some of the route of the railway to Langsett Reservoirs can still be traced and this bridge is a remarkable survivor.

Next stop, Midhopestones and the Midhopestones Arms, seen in 1994. It's since been renamed as The Olde Mustard Pot.

Today's route has been largely rural, but now we drop down into the industrial town of Stocksbridge (Phil Shirley - Creative Commons License).

Stocksbridge Coke Oven and By-Products Plant.

Samuel Fox owned the steelworks here and had a good many locos to aid in operations.

Associated with the steelworks was the Stocksbridge Railway, connecting to the Great Central at Deepcar.

Here's the GCR station at Deepcar.

A Stocksbridge Railway train sits in Deepcar station.

In 1946, LNER J62 0-6-0ST 8292 is seen at Deepcar.

By 1986, Deepcar became the terminus of the former Woodhead route. The station building was still in situ and a class 08 diesel was stabled here for shunting steel traffic.

Further up the Upper Don Valley is Wortley , where LNER 5506 Somme is seen with a Marylebone-Manchester express circa 1935.

Wortley station in GCR times.

The station building was still standing in 1979.

Nearby is the historical Wortley Forge. The miniature railway here was out of use in 1994.

High above the Don Valley is Wortley village and its pub, the Wortley Arms. It once brewed its own beer.

That seems like a good place to finish this post. Next time - the back end of Barnsley.





 

FORGET THE PENNINE WAY, LET'S HEAD TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Right, I've cancelled the Pennine Way, so we stay in the Hope Valley and make our way to the village of Hope. Here, in the centre, is the Cheshire Cheese pub.

 Outside Hope village is the Travellers Rest, once a cider house owned by Bulmers, Today, it has beer too.

North now (see the map here), to the Ladybower Reservoir, with the railway built to aid in the construction.

Down into the valley and Bamford station, seen in 1966 (Ben Brooksbank - Creative Commons License).

The next station along the Hope Valley line is Hathersage. 156 468 arrives in 2012 (Phil Richards - Creative Commons License).

Now we know where we are! (Creative Commons License).

St Michael & All Angels church in Hathersage (Creative Commons License).

The Little John is a nice pub, handy for the station.

The Millstone is pretty decent too, in the centre of the village.

Next, we're into the outskirts of Sheffield (though we're not going into the city just yet), where we meet the city's trams at Fulwood terminus.

On Fulwood Road is the Rising Sun, owned by Abbeydale Brewery.

On the same thoroughfare, the Ranmoor Inn.

Sadly, the nearby Fox & Duck is now deceased.

Up the hill to Crookes in 1906.

The centre of Crookes.

Sheffield tram 256 at School Road, Crookes.

Today, the Ball is owned by Greene King.

The Noah's Ark is a busy boozer.

The Old Grindstone is a great ex Ward's pub.

Down into the Rivelin Valley.

The Man's Head Rock peers down over the valley.

The Rivelin is a tributary of the River Don. Here's a view below the Rivelin Dams.

At the Rivelin Dams terminus is Sheffield Transport Leyland bus 712.

Stannington comes next, with a view between the fields circa 1906.

The Robin Hood, at Little Matlock, Stannington, was worth a visit, but no longer. It's closed.

Oh dear! The Royal at Dungworth has also recently shut.

Up into the hills and we reach Bradfield. Sheffield Transport 1008 was once found here.

By the church in High Bradfield is the Old Horns Inn.

From here there are views of the reservoir and the hills.

That's where I'll end this post. Next time we'll have to drop down into the Upper Don Valley.