Shire Brook

It rises in the suburb of Gleadless Townend and flows in a general easterly direction for 4 miles (6.5 km) to its confluence with the River Rother between Beighton and Woodhouse Mill.[1] The course of the stream has been influenced by human intervention in the 20th century with the brook being diverted underground and flowing through culverts on three occasions as it traverses locations which were formerly landfill sites and extensive railway sidings.Shire Brook rises as an underground spring at a height of 630 feet (192 m) above sea level beneath the Red Lion public house in the Gleadless Townend residential area at 53°20′41″N 1°25′32″W / 53.3447°N 1.4256°W / 53.3447; -1.4256.It initially flows NE going beneath housing to emerge on the Jaunty Park recreation and sports grounds as an insignificant and rubbish strewn stream running at the rear of the Birley Vale Industrial Estate.The final 220 yards (200 m) of Shire Brook’s journey before it joins the Rother is again through an underground culvert beneath the site of the former Woodhouse Junction railway sidings which is now disused brownfield land which was being considered by Network Rail as a location for a new National Engineering Centre before plans were rejected in April 2008.[5] In 1967 the City of Sheffield expanded its borders south to take in the suburbs of Hackenthorpe and Mosborough and the Brook no longer marked the frontier between the two counties.The reserve includes Beighton Marsh, an area of reed-grass swamp, situated at its eastern end, which supports birds such as reed bunting, grasshopper warbler and barn owl, as well as mammals such as harvest mouse and water vole.
Shire Brook‘s source is a spring beneath the Red Lion public house at Gleadless Townend.
Carr Forge Dam is a haven for animals and plants. The houses of Woodhouse are in the background.
Shire Brook as it runs through the nature reserve. The stream from Birley Spa flows in on the left.
streamCity of SheffieldSouth YorkshireRiver RotherBeightonWoodhouse MillCanterburyculvertslandfillspringpublic houseculvertNormanton SpringA57 roadShire Brook Valley Local Nature ReserveBirley Spawetlandsidingsbrownfield landNetwork RailAnglo-SaxonMerciaNorthumbriaYorkshireDerbyshireHackenthorpeMosboroughwater wheelsscythessicklesThomas Staniforth & Cocoal miningBirley CollieriesLocal Nature Reservereed buntinggrasshopper warblerbarn owlharvest mousewater volelisted buildingHeritage Lottery FundcoppicedClive Bettsstorm drainYorkshire WaterRiver DonPorter BrookRiver LoxleyRiver Porter or Little DonRiver RivelinRiver SheafThe MossAllen SikeBagley DikeBlackburn BrookBurbage BrookCarr BrookEwden BeckHartley Brook DikeLimb BrookMeers BrookOchre DykeOld Hay BrookRobin BrookSheffield Lane DikeStorrs BrookTongue GutterTotley BrookWyming BrookAike BeckArram BeckDerwentDriffield BeckFoulnessGypsey RaceHedon HavenHumberLambwath StreamPocklington BeckTrent FallsWest BeckWinestead DrainArkle BeckBedale BeckBishop DikeCock BeckCod BeckCosta BeckCrimple BeckEller BeckGreta (Lune)HertfordHodge BeckHolgate BeckMalham BeckOak BeckPickering BeckRamsdale BeckRibbleRiccallRisedale BeckSea CutSkeeby BeckSkelton BeckSkirfareSpital BeckWashburnWenningWharfeCheswoldDearneEa BeckLittle DonLoxleyRivelinRotherBradford BeckBlack BrookCalderHarden BeckHebble BrookHebden WaterHolme BeckLaneshawMeanwood BeckPudsey BeckRyburnTyersal BeckWyke Beck