On a nice evening, we like to have a walk around nearby Elsecar Reservoir. Elsecar Res was made to feed the Dearne and Dove Canal that was built to take the Coal from Elsecar Colliery and the iron from it's ironworks to the rest of the world. The mining industry in the area ended in 1983 and nature has been busy taking back the surrounding area from it's industrial past.
The Res was used a lot for recreation in the past and a man made beach was made so that children could paddle and even swim (although a lot of graves in nearby Wentworth Old Church show that this was possibly not a great idea!). In 1910 a photographer from a Sheffield newspaper captioned his photographs "Elsecar by the Sea" . As the village had a direct train line from Sheffield, a bit of a tourist destination sprung up and the Res and Park were often very full. I remember it still being extremely popular in the 1960's and 70's and it was always a big treat for us to visit.
The park has had a bit of a resurgence theses days. A friend of mine has taken over the cafe and is making a grand job it.
The Res is still used a lot by locals for fishing. We saw lots of walkers and joggers and it also has a bird hide that we sat in for a while. It's a lovely peaceful little haven.
Lots of wild flowers that I remember from my childhood still exist around it's banks. We used to call these "Milkmaids"
.. and Cowslips.
And we still find things we have not noticed before.
4 comments:
Isn't the beauty of nature marvelous! Love the duck and bird pics. I can never take any that are so crisp and clear. Well done!
Looks like a lovely tranquil place for an evening stroll Diane, I bet though, as you are walking round, that you can imagine how the area was when it was a noisy hive of industry:)
lovely evening shots Diane, and nice to know your friends cafe is doing well.
xxx
Lovely spot for n evening wander. I'm pleased your friend is doing well with their business. What a lovely place to go to work.
Lisa x
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