2009/07/10 Riding the Sheffield Flood 1864
Impromptu Sheffield FridayNightRide
Friday 10 July 2009
Ride the Sheffield Flood 1864
Meet West End pub (corner of Glossop Rd and Clarkson St) 6.30 p.m.
Weather forecast – very good and these long evenings are just fantastic also moon is still fairly big but now waning (gibbous?)
Heads up! Mostly on roads but could be some use of paths. About 16 miles of which the last eight are downhill all the way
I have had 6 +ve responses, last time that happened 14 turned up
Route: I suggest from the start out through Weston Park over Walkley and down to Malin Bridge then follow the path along the Loxley to Damflask and take the road round to Dale Dyke reservoir – chat about what we know about the Flood – and then return to Lower Bradfield (refreshment and chit-chat stop) then belt down the Loxley Rd back to Malin Bridge, through the chicane of Hillsborough and then over Penistone Rd at Owlerton to cross the Don to Club Mill Rd (- have to take care of our bikes on the first part but it soon becomes metalled) and steadily cycle down to Neepsend and into Shalesmoor – making torrential noises as we go
Map at
The red route – the return route is the route of the Sheffield Flood.
Of the 270 people who were known to have been killed in this flood at least one body made it to Doncaster – so if you want to carry on cycling …
If you don’t know about the Flood then you can check out this site
www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/extracts/flood.htm
which has loads of info and photos etc. It was the crap build of the dam wot done it m’lud
or just Google “history of Sheffield Flood 1864” got to specify a date or you also get the Flood of 2007
Stop at Black Cat
Mick
“We have nothing to lose but our chains!”
w: www.sheffieldfridaynightride.org.uk
e: sheffieldfridaynightride@blueyonder.co.uk
t: 079 49 59 67 02
Ride Report: Impromptu Friday Night Ride July 10 2009 Riding the Sheffield Flood 1864.
Really good weather which contributed to ….
15(!) nightriders appearing incl. 3 novitiates which incl. a visitor from Cambridge who wanted to experience a hill or two. (Sheffield FNR is going national!)
From West End pub over Walkley down to Malin Bridge up Loxley Rd try paths beside road give that up use roads to Damflask round east side of Damflask to Plough Inn and then through Lower Bradfield and left up and up (but a gentlish gradient) to a farm track where we could see Dale Dyke reservoir and the folly of Henry Boot.
Chat a bit about the Flood and the beautiful countryside we were in and what a fine evening it was and also discuss the difference between sheep, goats and deer as some us were perplexed by the domestic beasts in the field. Having been eaten by midges we turned round and headed down (fast in my case) in the direction of the flood to the Plough Inn, two carried on home the rest had a pint and crisps there and then two stayed for more beer and 11 went on.
The three stylish road bikes went on ahead as did the two off road mountain bikes which left a crew of six zipping down to Malin Bridge, one headed off home at Hillsborough and five went over the new bridge at Livesey St to get on Club Mill Road which has been razed by a bulldozer but is not a compacted surface – two came off! Two branched off to home at Shalesmoor and three left the direction of the Flood at Lady’s Bridge and went to the Sheaf View for a last pint or two before making their respective journeys home.
A nice ride, great company, a tintoretto-esque sunset with some beautiful blues, rosy-pinks and greys and all in all approx 25 miles for each of us depending on where you live – good fun and a fine way to spend a Friday evening. Many thanks.