![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Common-blue-butterfly-Shire-Brook-Valley-Kevin-Steel.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
A common blue butterfly at Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKevin Steel<\/p>\n
Nature has reclaimed the 100 acres of Shire Brook Valley,
\non the south-east side of Sheffield, but there are still clues that nod
\nto the reserve\u2019s rich heritage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
A plaque on one of the bridges crossing the Shire Brook
\nhighlights its importance as a historical boundary stretching back more
\nthan a millennium. The brook separated the ancient kingdoms of
\nNorthumbria and Mercia and it was the boundary between Yorkshire and
\nDerbyshire for 900 years.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
More recently it was also an important source of power,
\nwith five water wheels supporting the manufacturing of knives, sickles
\nand scythes. The oldest water wheel was situated by Carr Forge dam, which is now a wildlife pond with a stone marking the site.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Looking out across its meadows today, it may be difficult
\nto imagine the site\u2019s industrial heyday, but from the early
\n19th century coal was a significant part of the local economy.
\n By 1840, the Sheffield Coal Company had become the area’s major
\nemployer, with several pits open in and around the valley. Around 2,000 people were employed there over the years, with hundreds of miners working
\n underground. Birley East Colliery closed in 1943, but it wasn\u2019t until
\n1986 that the last buildings were demolished, leaving few traces.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Before 1895, untreated sewage flowed into rivers and
\nwatercourses here. The original Coisley Hill Sewage Works opened in
\n1895, with a larger works opening in 1938 to accommodate a growing
\npopulation. The former office building has found a new lease of life as
\nthe Shire Brook Valley Visitor Centre.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Shire-Brook-Valley-Nature-Reserve.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
A walk through Shire Brook Valley.<\/p>\n
This year is the 30th anniversary of the Shire Brook Valley
\n nature reserve. Thanks to the tireless work of volunteers and
\npassionate rangers after it opened in 1995, the site began to see
\nimprovements. The following year, the reserve won a CPRE award and was
\nmentioned in parliament as an example of the successful transformation
\nof a derelict site. In 1999, it was officially designated a Local Nature
\n Reserve.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n