Spooners Wheel and New Dam (Rivelin Waterpower Sites)
Location/Address
Rivelin Park, Rivelin Valley Road, Sheffield S6 5GE
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 Valley Waterpower Sites. Also known as "Holme" or "Rivelin Bridge" Wheel.
Spooners Wheel and associated water management system (including New Dam) are the remains of a water-powered site that dates from at least 1637– amongst the earliest to be built in the valley. It was variously used for grinding files, saws, fenders, scythes and cutlery, and as a knife forge. The site was in ruins by 1936. Although nothing remains of the Spooners buildings, traces of the water management system can still be seen. Of particular interest are the remains of New Dam (once used as a swimming pool) and the 17th century stone tunnel through the hillside.
The two mill buildings, each with its own waterwheel, stood where the Rivelin Park Café is today. The Rivelin Park children’s playground, was built on the site of the mill dam in the 1950s and the area landscaped, so nothing now remains of the mill dam, buildings or the tail goit, which ran across what is now the grassed area in front of the café and straight into the Hollins Bridge Mill dam.
The Spooners mill dam was originally fed by a long head goit from the weir about 300 m upstream of the mill dam. New Dam was built in the early 1850s, replacing part of the head goit, to provide a supplementary water supply for Spooners Wheel due to a demand for more waterpower. In 1909 Sheffield Council turned the New Dam into an open air swimming pool. The pool closed in the late 1930s when the long wooden shed that was used as changing facilities was destroyed by fire.
A stone-lined tunnel (which is still present), presumed to have been built at the same time at the Spooners buildings (i.e. 1630s), took the head goit through the hillside between New Dam and Spooners mill dam. A hole opened up in the hillside above the river in 2009 that shows the location of this tunnel – a grille, which can be seen from the south side of the river, was installed across the hole to prevent access.
The weir is in poor condition, but some water is still diverted into a stream flowing through the drained mill dam, which is now well-wooded. The overflow from the dam (at the eastern end) is now crossed by a footpath bridge; water from the stream flows out of the dam at the deep drainage level and drops steeply into the river via a very short channel; the outlet from the dam into the Spooners tunnel is nearby.
The site of the former buildings lies in a bend on the river, in a location now occupied by Rivelin Park Café. The remains of the water management system extends to the west. The site is owned by Sheffield City Council and there is open access – a public footpath, the Rivelin Nature Trail, runs through the site, which here can be accessed directly from Rivelin Valley Road and Rivelin Park 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.
The very popular Rivelin Chair Sculpture, by local artist Jason Thomson, was installed in 2011 on a plinth in the middle of the river on the remains of the Spooners/New Dam weir (Grid reference: SK 3181 8831) – see separate nomination.
Spooners 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 Spooners Wheel, New Dam 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
Dates from at least 1637– amongst the earliest to be built in the valley. The site was in ruins by 1936, but in use until about 5 years earlier.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. The site is unusual for its 17th century stone-lined tunnel carrying the head goit through the hillside. 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. A stone-lined tunnel (which is still present), presumed to have been built at the same time at the Spooners buildings (i.e. 1630s), took the head goit through the hillside between New Dam and Spooners mill dam. A hole opened up in the hillside above the river in 2009 that shows the location of this tunnel – a grille, which can be seen from the south side of the river, was installed across the hole to prevent access. This illustrates the technical challenges of building in the confined space of an upland river valley characteristic of Sheffield. The Rivelin Park children’s playground, was built on the site of the mill dam in the 1950s, being particularly suitable because the building of the dam created a level area. The outfalls from Spooners Wheel ran into the head goit of Hollins Bridge Mill, although subsequent landscaping has not left any visible trace. This is a technique used to enable high density exploitation of a river that is especially characteristic of upland streams such as those in Sheffield during a period of unprecedented industrialisation.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. Spooners Wheel and Hollins Bridge Mill have group value as the tail goit of the former fed the head goit of the latter directly.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. As an especially early waterpowered site, it illustrates the emergence of the power source that was to define the historic importance of the area. The remodelling of the site illustrates the changing use of industrial sites for recreational purposes, which continues at a number of other local sites.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. Heritage Gateway NMR Excavation Index Result: New Dam, Havelock Dam, Rivelin Mill Pond https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?resourceID=304&uid=1889446Landmark Status
The site of the former buildings lies in a bend on the river, in a location now occupied by Rivelin Park Café. The site therefore continues in very popular recreational use.Images and Documents
.jpg "Spooners%20Wheel%20grille%20in%20cliff_2016%20(Sue%20Shaw%20RVCG).jpg")
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.jpg "Rivelin%20cafe%20on%20site%20of%20Spooners%20Wheel_20210801-scaled%20(RVCG).jpg")
Date Listed
15 Aug 2022
Last Updated
19 Apr 2022
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