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- Jan 6, 2013
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1. The History
The remains of Whirlow Mill sit above Ecclesall Woods on the outskirts of Sheffield, deep in the undergrowth by the side of Limb Brook. John Bright owned a water wheel here in 1586 and it passed to his son Henry Bright in 1655. The mill was used to grind corn. It then was sold to Thomas Hollis, a former Sheffield cutler, in 1726. The site was looked after by the Trustees of Hollis Hospital who rebuilt the mill twice in 1734 and 1783 as it continued as a corn mill. In 1803 and grinding wheel was added along with a new waterwheel followed three years later. William Tyzack, the famous Sheffield tool-maker, leased the wheel between 1831 and 1847. The tenancy then passed to William Furness, a file maker, in 1853. He was still in tenancy in 1901 when a water turbine replaced the water wheel. In 1933 the mill, now in a state of disrepair, was sold to the City Corporation who used it as a store for maintenance equipment. When the mill proved to be surplus to requirements in the late 1990s they demolished much of the mill.
The building is now roofless and only the end wall at the side of the wheel pit remains to its full height. The remaining three walls have been demolished down to below the original windows. However the wheel pit is still in place and contains some remains of the water feed pipe and turbine drive shaft.
Uncovered an interesting archive picture to add to the report:
Whirlodale Mill by HughieDW, on Flickr
2. The Explore:
Hardly an explore - at best a mini-explore to be honest, and a revisit. Not much left. There were a lot of waterwheels in Sheffield but in terms of those where traces are still left, they are few and far between. Hence it still has some significance in Sheffield's former industrial heritage.
3. The Pictures:
One of the mill's side walls:
img4933 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4934 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Round the side and down to the wheel house:
img4945 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the wheel pit itself:
img4946 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4948 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4951 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4949 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4957 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The reason the mill's here in the first place, Limb Brook:
img4950 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4958 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And up-stream to the mill pond that fed the mill:
img4969 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4970 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img4981 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The remains of Whirlow Mill sit above Ecclesall Woods on the outskirts of Sheffield, deep in the undergrowth by the side of Limb Brook. John Bright owned a water wheel here in 1586 and it passed to his son Henry Bright in 1655. The mill was used to grind corn. It then was sold to Thomas Hollis, a former Sheffield cutler, in 1726. The site was looked after by the Trustees of Hollis Hospital who rebuilt the mill twice in 1734 and 1783 as it continued as a corn mill. In 1803 and grinding wheel was added along with a new waterwheel followed three years later. William Tyzack, the famous Sheffield tool-maker, leased the wheel between 1831 and 1847. The tenancy then passed to William Furness, a file maker, in 1853. He was still in tenancy in 1901 when a water turbine replaced the water wheel. In 1933 the mill, now in a state of disrepair, was sold to the City Corporation who used it as a store for maintenance equipment. When the mill proved to be surplus to requirements in the late 1990s they demolished much of the mill.
The building is now roofless and only the end wall at the side of the wheel pit remains to its full height. The remaining three walls have been demolished down to below the original windows. However the wheel pit is still in place and contains some remains of the water feed pipe and turbine drive shaft.
Uncovered an interesting archive picture to add to the report:
Whirlodale Mill by HughieDW, on Flickr2. The Explore:
Hardly an explore - at best a mini-explore to be honest, and a revisit. Not much left. There were a lot of waterwheels in Sheffield but in terms of those where traces are still left, they are few and far between. Hence it still has some significance in Sheffield's former industrial heritage.
3. The Pictures:
One of the mill's side walls:
img4933 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4934 by HughieDW, on FlickrRound the side and down to the wheel house:
img4945 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd the wheel pit itself:
img4946 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4948 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4951 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4949 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4957 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe reason the mill's here in the first place, Limb Brook:
img4950 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4958 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd up-stream to the mill pond that fed the mill:
img4969 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4970 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg4981 by HughieDW, on Flickr
