The
Unofficial WebsiteTreeton Dyke
I think that Treeton Dyke is just about large enough to be classified as a lake instead of a pond. I don't know much about its origins but it is next to the Rother in the floodplain of the river. It is too big to be an oxbow. I don't think that it is natural though this is a very wet area. I would guess that it may be the filled up remains of gravel workings. I'll put it on my list to pursue and we'll find out whether I'm right or wrong. I'm wrong! During the Nineteenth Century the River Rother flowed through the course of the Dyke, prior to being canalised when the railway was constructed to the west. The new Rother then flowed in an entirely different course hence Treeton Dyke.
On the western side of the lake is a site known as Forgemaster's tip which is partly developed as a nature reserve. At the north east end of the lake there is a cut off piece of water which is a good place to watch for dragonflies. As you can see from the photograph (August 2003) there is a fine growth of algae for slime specialists. The site includes many plants typical of derelict land which makes these places so attractive in late summer - teasels, buddleias, tansy, marjoram, and birds foot trefoil. The dyke is home to Rotherham Ski Boat Club who share it with a very wide selection of wildfowl including swans, herons, mallards, grebes and the ubiquitous gulls.
There is a pleasant flat walk around the dyke, and walks can be extended through the woods or over the fields to Treeton.