Rotherham The Unofficial Website

www.rotherhamunofficial.co.uk

Rother Valley Country Park

Rother Valley Country Park covers a 750 acre site in the southwest of the Borough of Rotherham. The river Rother flows through here on its way to join the Don at Rotherham. There are four lakes in the park, Rother Valley Lake, Northern Lake, Meadowgate Lake and Nethermoor Lake. The lakes are part of the old course of the River Rother which was massively altered in the Nineteenth Century. They still form part of the Rotherham Flood Control System. In times of very heavy rain the flat areas around the lakes can be flooded to relieve the pressure further downstream.

Opencast mining for coal began on the site in 1976 and during the following five years 1.7 million tons of coal were removed. The site was then landscaped and trees and shrubs planted to encourage the wildlife. The mill and farm buildings were restored.

There is a network of footpaths, bridleways and cycle paths and as most of the site is flat it is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. I will also add that it can be unpleasantly busy on a sunny, summer Sunday. The park links to the Trans-Pennine Trail and can form part of a much longer walk if you wish.

Car parking £2.50 in 2007, no concessions for disabled badge holders. There was a lot of argy-bargy from the public about the huge increases and the loss of concessions, but I don't think it did any good. We had scrubbed the Country Park from our list of regular dog-walking places quite some time ago because of the parking charges.

No public transport enters the park and there is a one or two mile walk from the buses to Bedgreave Mill.

The Visitors' Centre

Rother Valley Country Park Visitors' Centre is based in the Bedgreave Mill Complex. There has long been a mill on this site. A new mill pond is recorded in the 1768 Enclosure Award and it is likely that the mill was built or rebuilt about this time. The restored mill is home to an exhibition depicting the history of the mill and the surrounding area. It also has a display about the wildlife of the park and the recreational facilities. Details of events, guided walks and the flood control system. Next door there is a cafe in the converted stables. There is a craft centre with a number of workshops where you can purchase hand-made products.

Facilities

There are two adventure playgrounds, barbecues for casual use, football pitches can be booked. Playdales is a vast outdoor play area with fun for kids large and small.

Education

• The ranger service provides a range of conservation and environmental activities for schools and colleges by prior arrangement.
• Interpretative walks and guided tours are also available.
• The centre is a recognised teaching establishment and many training courses are available in sailing, windsurfing, canoeing etc. Telephone the number above for more information or Watersports reception on 0114 2481452.

Conservation

• A herd of sheep and a herd of highland cattle are used to graze and manage the meadows. During the foot and mouth crisis these have been moved to one end of the park where visitors are not allowed. (June 2001 I believe that they have been further moved out of the park altogether)
• Meadowgate Lake is a nature reserve with access for escorted parties only.

Future Development

• It is intended that the park will expand into the former Pit House West opencast site which has been restored.
• There will be areas for informal recreation and nature conservancy.
• The proposals include the building of a hotel, public house, cafe/restaurant and Tourist Information Centre at the Swallownest entrance.
• A demonstration farm is also envisaged.

Pit House West

The Pit House West Opencast Site, nest to Rother Valley Country Park operated between 1989 and 1994. One and a half million tonnes of coal were removed from the site, 300,000 tonnes of which came from reworking the massive spoil heaps left by the former Brookhouse Colliery. The rest came from the working of nine seams ranging from 0.1 to 1.3 metres thick. When the coaling was complete another 12 months were spent landscaping the site. Today Pit House West has been extensively planted, half the area is covered in trees which form a Core Area of the South Yorkshire Community Forest. Much of the surrounding land can be used for grazing, and the area is currently being managed for recreation, environmental education and conservation until development takes place. As well as the woodland itself the area contains a watercourse, the Pigeon Bridge Brook, that for many years had existed in an underground culvert. This has been restored to its natural form as an open stream that flows through the site, feeding a series of ponds and wetlands, attracting more wildlife.

There is currently no vehicle access on to Pit House West, however visitors are welcome to explore this area on foot using the extensive network of footpaths that criss-cross the site.

This area seems to be the land that it is intended to develop as the YES (Yorkshire Entertainment Sensation) project.

In July 2008 I have had a trawl through the internet but have failed to catch any fishes large or small that might five me any information about the current situation.

The Chesterfield Canal

The park meets up with the Chesterfield Canal somewhere about the north east corner. The canal provided transportation to the Trent for large quantities of coal and iron. It is being restored by the Chesterfield Canal Society - so if you fancy restoring a canal this could be the one for you. It is planned to link the canal to the park.

Some information about the Chesterfield Canal can be found at Rotherham Town & Borough >> Rivers & Canals >> The Chesterfield Canal.

More Photographs:-
Rother Valley Country Park Slide Show

There is a regular programme of events for visitors to the park. Telephone the number above or visit their website at www.rothervalleycountrypark.co.uk.

Open 8.30am - 8pm summer, 8.30am - 5pm winter.

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