The River Rother in Rotherham
The River Rother rises in Derbyshire near Pilsley and flows by North Wingfield and Wingerworth, past Chesterfield, Staveley, Eckington and Beighton and down through Treeton and Whiston to Rotherham. The Rother is not a navigable river but it is fishable. I whiled away many a pleasurable hour of my childhood fishing for tadpoles, minnows and sticklebacks where it runs through Whiston Meadows.
For much of its length the Rother is an industrial rather than a recreational river. I have unearthed an undated route survey (probably quite old in 2003) looking at possible walking and cycling routes along the river. Whilst there are public footpaths available along short stretches, other parts of the proposed route deviate well away from it. There are proposals for new paths but it may be some time before these come to pass.
The river enters the Borough of Rotherham pretty much at the point where the boundaries of Sheffield, Rotherham and Derbyshire all meet near the nature reserve south of Rother Valley Country Park (a former open cast site). The Rother flows north here past Bedgreave Mill which contains the visitors centre and park office, then alongside the recreation and boating lakes. For anyone who is interested the county boundary between Rotherham and Sheffield wanders somewhat erratically slightly to the west of the present river so it looks as if the course has been changed and straightened here in quite recent times. The flatlands around the lakes form part of the flood defenses of Rotherham and can be inundated to prevent more serious damage further downriver after heavy rains or snow melt. What there is of the village of Waleswood and the extensive remains of Brookhouse Colliery lie to the east.
The River Rother then heads in a north westerly direction where it forms the borough boundary up to Sheffield Road at Woodhouse Mill. The river valley is industrialised here with railway sidings, forges, works and sewage works. The wetland area called Woodhouse Washlands is a Local Nature Reserve.
The course of the River Rother runs approximately northward again towards the village of Treeton. It passes through Orgreave. The pit, coking works, slag reduction works, pit tips and slurry ponds were once described as the most polluted site in Europe. Afterwards the site was open cast with a major coal washing operation and was a giant scar on the countryside. I understand that this has now ceased and that the former industrial site is being redeveloped as Waverley, a mixed area of housing and technological industries. The river has been diverted and reshaped as a part of the reclamation of the Orgreave site. This was completed in 1999 to slow the rapid flow of the river when in spate and help prevent flooding. To the east of the river here is Treeton Dyke, part of the old course of the river. The Rother then flows generally northerly past a number of ponds including the Local Nature Reserve at Catcliffe Flash.
The river flows past Catcliffe turning east by slagheaps and slurry ponds. The presence of an oxbow lake here indicates that by this point the Rother has entered its mature phase and was given to meandering across its floodplain, before man decided to stop it doing so. Although the river is deeply embanked at Catcliffe there was still serious flooding here a few years ago when the floodwaters of the Rother backed up through the drains. The river valley here is full of serious roads, Sheffield Parkway passes through Catcliffe and the M1 and the Rotherway cut swathes through the meadows.
The Rother then runs northward before turning west to join the River Don at Bow Bridge. This is a wet, wet area with Whiston Brook and Ulley Brook flowing to join the old course of the river. There are marshlands at Blue Mans Bower and Old Flatts but the washlands of have been largely submerged under industrial estates and works. The area now covered by the Bradmarsh Industrial Estate next to the bridge was long famous for flooding. Although not in my recollection, others have told me that the Sheffield buses used to stop either side of the floods and that passengers were rowed over in boats.
The Catcliffe and Brinsworth Community partnership have restored the 'Link Path' along the River Rother. This links the communities of Catcliffe, Treeton, Brinsworth, Canklow and Whiston. The land over which it passes is mainly owned by the Environment Agency but the resurfaced path will be maintained a public pathway by RMBC. It starts at Treeton Lane and presumably ends at Whiston.
More information about the wetland areas along the River Rother can be found onsite at Rotherham Parks under various headings:–
Recreation in Rotherham
>> Parks >> Other Nature Reserves, Woodlands & Wetlands >> Rother Wetlands.
>> LNRs >> Catcliffe Flash.
>> Country Parks >> Rother Valley Country Park.
>> Other Nature Reserves, Woodlands & Wetlands >> Treeton Dyke.
>> LNRs >> Woodhouse Washlands.