Hiya Folks.
Called in at the bioblitz at Old Moor last Saturday, and got talking to the warden (Mat?), and mentioned we lived near the North Ings at Mexboro. After all the rain we've had this year, the fields have reverted to their original wetland state, and a lot of birds have taken up residency. Before the river Dearne was diverted to it's present route in 1960(ish) (to the south of the old railway embankment), the whole area was a large flood meadow, full of bullrushes (...and stuff ; so my dad says), and was known locally as 'Swallows Bottoms'. So it's good to see it getting recolonised!
Anyway, thought i'd post a few pics. It's easily accessible, with parking at the TPT Carpark at Adwick, or Mill Lane, Harlington, or Denaby Ings (or in Mexborough); and can be walked around on the fieldside and riverbank paths giving good views over the area (...i'll draw a map maybe!), and is very safe (...there are always plenty of friendly locals out and about!)
Here's a few pics
All the best!
Thanks for posting the photos and also the historical info. We have been interested about the various diversions of the Dearne over the years. Some of the old paths obviously headed for crossing points of what must have been very marsh areas in days past before it was all drained.
I can still (just) recall seeing the old course by Darfield Bridge before it was diverted (in the late 50's / early 60's I think) following extensive mining subsidence. The old arch bridge was taken down and replaced by the new one on the present A635 line. The old line can still be traced by the line of the trees alongside the road to the north. However, before that - late 1800's /early 1900's I guess, it had been diverted before to make way for the new railway line - now disused for many years.
Hi guys
Good to see you at the Bioblitz.
North Ings has been incredibly wet this year and very productive for waders such as Lapwing.
The picture below was taken by ours friends at The Garganey Trust who manage the Broomhill Flash reserve.
We have both been out taking some aerial photos this year of the Dearne Valley, partly for management of our reserves and monitoring the habitat types but also for the wider work we are doing as part of the area's Nature Improvement (NIA) Status. RSPB and The Garganey Trust are both partners in the NIA and one of the photo sets was along the course of the River Dearne.
North Ings (c) Garganey Trust
As you can see the site is very wet - this was taken just after the July flooding. What is interesting and ties in with Bridgeman's post is that you can still see the course of the old Dearne on the opposite side of the river. The water body just beyond that is Denaby Ings.
I will post some other aerial shots of the Valley in due course if people are interested
Cheers
Matthew
Hiya Bridgeman/Matthew
Sorry for not responding sooner (...but my computer's been on the blink!). Remembered I'd got this old photo in a local history book (...it's actually the main reason i bought it!), showing the route of the old river Dearne sometime in the late 1950's, as it winds it's way to the confluence with the Don. You can see the pit-stack of Denaby Main colliery, and the village at the bottom of the pic. Looking at some maps in the book, it seems the last half mile of the Dearne had been diverted in the late Victorian times (...to make way for the Glassworks I think ); the old course must have wandered across what was the old Earth Centre/Cadeby Pit site.
Makes you realise how much the valley must have been messed around; from Stairfoot to Sprotbrough. Good that it's getting back to it's natural state. Just been reading something about the Dearne Valey NIA/ Green Heart Project (...i followed a link somewhere!?) and think it's a great idea!
That is a properly wiggly river! The Dearne Valley is very different now to how it was. Even sites like Adwick that looked pretty natural before we started to turn it into a nature reserve were drift mined opencast not that long ago.
And that means Adwick has thrown up the odd surprise - such as the massive herring bone pattern of clay pipe drains that were laid before they reinstated the soil on top. There was a danger that the site would have drained whatever we did. Luckily we were able to use it to our advantage but the drainage system didn't appear on any plans!
The Dearne Valley Green Heart Partnership are managing the Natural Improvment Area projects and we are hopeful of plenty more good things to come for the Valley and its wildlife - watch this space!
Very interesting old photo - fascinating to compare it with the current Google Earth images. The Don used to have a big kink in it right where the Earth Centre is/was and the Dearne had a big backward loop flowing into the Don from the East rather than as now....around the bottom of the big green mound with the dished bowl on the summit....
There were some quite big feats of engineering done to facilitate the mines and the railways in the late 1800's but it is interesting that there were still pretty big changes taking place right up to relatively recent times.