Grogram Wheel (Rivelin Waterpower Sites)
Location/Address
100m upstream of Malin Bridge, Rivelin Valley, Sheffield S6 5FL
Type
Other site, structure or landscape
Assets that cannot fit any of the other categories. This category includes sites of archaeological interest, where the original form and function may not be apparent without the use of archaeological techniques and interpretation.
Description
Former water-powered grinding Wheel and water management system. One of the Rivelin Waterpower Sites.
Grogram Wheel and associated water management system are the remains of a water-powered mill site dating from the 1620s (or perhaps before). There were two workshops each with a waterwheel – the larger of the two, known as ‘The Groggie’, was said to be the largest waterwheel in the valley. Trades include grinding cutlery, files, sickles, anvils. Unusually, it was also used to provide an air supply for the nearby Mousehole Forge anvil furnaces, through large cast-iron pipes that connected the two sites. ‘The Groggie’ ceased to operate around 1933 and the main building was demolished in 1935. The site of the former mill buildings is now covered in trees.
The Grogram water management system extends to the north and south of the site of the former mill buildings, feeding from and into the adjacent river. The outline of the mill dam can still be seen, including the dam wall, but it was infilled and an electricity sub-station built there. The design of the weir is unusual – the southern section is curved and is a typical block-stone slope, but on the northern side the river cascades over a straight, vertical stone wall. The tail-goit outfall is still visible.
Grogram Wheel is the last site downstream on the Rivelin, with the outfall being close to the confluence of the Rivelin and Loxley rivers. Being the closest to Malin Bridge, the Grogram waterwheels were the only ones in Rivelin to be damaged by the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864, when water backed-up on the Rivelin due to the flood water in the River Loxley at Malin Bridge.
The site is owned by Sheffield City Council and there is open access – a public footpath (the Rivelin nature and heritage trail) passes the site and gives access to the river bank beside the weir. The Trail can be accessed from various points along Rivelin Valley Road, or from the north (Stannington Road).
A marker post installed at the site by Rivelin Valley Conservation Group gives a brief history and links to a website where further information and pictures can be found.
Grogram Wheel was amongst the earliest of the 20 mills built in the Rivelin Valley. This sequence of Rivelin mills and mill dams forms an essential part of Sheffield’s heritage. They also have a broader national and even international significance in relation to the history of the Industrial Revolution in Sheffield.
Further information and pictures of Grogram Wheel and other sites in the Rivelin valley can be found at https://rivelinvalley.org.uk/rivelin-trails-2/. See also the books ‘Walking the Rivelin’, by Sue Shaw and Keith Kendall (6th edition, 2019, Rivelin Valley Conservation Group), and ‘Water Power on the Sheffield Rivers’, by C. Ball, D. Crossley, N. Flavell (Editors), (2nd Edition (2006), South Yorkshire Industrial Society).
Statement of Significance
Age
Dating from the 1620s (or perhaps before). Ceased to operate around 1933.Rarity
This asset is an integral part of an especially rare system of waterpowered sites, described in more detail in the Rivelin Waterpower Sites asset. Sites of this early date are particularly rare.Architectural and Artistic Interest
This site is one of a group that collectively and individually demonstrate the construction techniques and interrelationships of waterpowered sites, described in more detail in the Rivelin Waterpower Sites asset. The design of the weir is unusual – the southern section is curved and is a typical block-stone slope, but on the northern side the river cascades over a straight, vertical stone wall.Group Value
This site contributes to the significance of the Rivelin Waterpower Sites asset and to the waterpower sites on other rivers in the city, and is integral to an understanding of the role and impact of waterpower in Sheffield. Mousehole Forge and Grogram Wheel have additional group value, as the two were in common ownership and both were used for the manufacture of anvils. Air for the furnaces at the former was piped from the latter in the mid-19th century.Historic Interest
This site is of historic interest in its illustration of the uses of waterpower, central to the reputation fame and identity of Sheffield; the many and varied uses for waterpower; the industrial development of the area; the impact of communications and topography; the lives and trades of working people; and the practice and policy of landowners, This is described in more detail in the Rivelin Waterpower Sites asset. Anvil making as an industry started at Mousehole Forge, which for over a century (possibly two), is thought to have been the only works of its kind in the world. It was the first to specialise in anvil making and to make any attempt at standardising the shapes of anvils used for different purposes. The common ownership of Grogram Wheel and its use in anvil manufacture give it a similar historic interest. Being the closest to Malin Bridge, the Grogram waterwheels were the only ones in Rivelin to be damaged by the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864, when water backed-up on the Rivelin due to the flood water in the River Loxley at Malin Bridge. As an especially early waterpowered site, it illustrates the emergence of the power source that was to define the historic importance of the area.Archaeological Interest
This site has the potential for underground remains that with further investigation could reveal their development over time, including changes of use and the evolution of industrial processes and construction techniques. Because the sites were not overtaken by later industrial development, any remains are likely to be relatively intact.Landmark Status
The Rivelin Valley is an extremely popular leisure destination for local people, largely defined by its waterpower remains, including this site.Images and Documents
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Date Listed
15 Aug 2022
Last Updated
19 Apr 2022
Find Out More
Find out more about this Asset in South Yorkshire Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/7931
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/7931