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Hello Conservation Volunteers A big thank you to all our volunteers who turned out to help with more planting, digging, and fencing in Bingham Park on our latest work morning. After the disastrous floods last October which washed away most of the grass and wildflower seeds, this time we had decided to use plug plants. Along with the plants Ann had collected from our supplier and with some donated ones, we had a good selection of primroses, anemones, dog violet, wild garlic and forget-me-nots and the planting team were soon on their knees on the two areas either side of the coffee cart. Hopefully these plug plants will take root and have a better chance of survival. Further up Helena and another team were digging over a new area of compacted soil ready for further planting and sowing of grass seed. A temporary fence has been erected around this area. Meanwhile Chris and Rowena were attending to the path edges, one of those overlooked tasks but which make a great difference and improvement to the overall look of the park. Between them they removed a few barrow loads of soil and debris on a long stretch which has widened the path - more to be done in the future though! There are a few blocked drains which were full of soil along the main path and causing flooding issues, so Andy and Darron took the opportunity to tackle and clear some of these. The rest of the group were involved in removing the temporary fencing, driving in new wooden posts, drilling the holes for the rope and threading the rope through (which is more fiddly than it sounds when it is also wrapped around each post!). Additional information signs on taller posts have also been installed. The missing rope which had been deliberately cut and removed by somebody on the small triangular area by the coffee cart was also replaced. Many thanks to Andy, Darron, and everybody else from Parks and Countryside who arranged and brought all the supplies required and helped with the tasks. The next work morning is on Tuesday 23rd April. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Linda on her knees planting! Ted, Alan, Phil and Helena digging over compacted soil The completed patch fenced off and ready for sowing and p[anting Rowena and Chris clearing the path edges Part done and looking better One of the clogged up drains Andy taking a break from drain clearing Darron and Andy Tony and Dave installing fence posts Dave, Stephen and Stuart installing a post for a sign Roping up at the bottom end Top end completed Missing bottom rope replaced

The Forge Dam Playground is about to see another improvement…….. the rather worn rows of swings will be replaced by a new and extended run. We have been informed that the contractor will start this work from week comencing 15th April 2024. This will mean a few days without swings but the new ones will probably be ready for the May Bank Holiday and will meet the obvious increased demand. There will also be interesting variants ….. including at least one double unit which will please children who want to swing together. This will be the 4th improvement within the existing playground space. (2023 saw the communication signage board, a repaint of the central climbing unit and a special disability accessible swing). The existing confines of the playground just do not permit introduction of any extra or extended pieces of equipment. Ideally we need to be able to use the bank and incorporate the adjacent informal parking space, however it is still not clear whether the ground is sound enough to permit this. We are pursuing this with the Council Playgrounds Service. If the area could be extended it would be time to work up a whole new layout, but the piecemeal approach so far has actually served well: donations have been used promptly for improvements suggested in the late 2022 consultation rather than saved up only perhaps to lose value over time. There is a 5th improvement that could be made in 2024: The worn central climbing unit could be replaced in its present position if funds permitt …… and that will be the next focus of fundraising. Watch this space for further news

Hello Conservation Volunteers Thank you to everyone who turned out to help in preparations for the forthcoming Duck Race. One of the main tasks was for those in wellies and waders to walk the course from start to finish removing stones and debris which would hinder the passage of the little ducks swim down the river, as well as looking out for any ducks which may have been hiding in the bankside this past year! A final course walk will take place by the launch team on Monday morning prior to the race to remove any other debris which may have been washed down. The other less glamorous task is litter picking. Armed with plastic bags and their litter pickers they went out two by two walking all over the park to collect the bottles, cans, and any other litter. We are fortunate in that Endcliffe Park does not suffer with a serious visible litter problem, although it is amazing how much was collected. The worst area is on the roadside bank of the Nether Spurgear Wheel Dam (nearest to the mini roundabout) which seems to be a dumping ground for everything from bottles and cans to garden waste in black plastic bags thrown over the railings. There is still more to be removed another time from here. Last year we found a battleship lurking in the bankside. Nothing as exciting was found this year, however, a fresh raw hens egg was found by the litter pickers in the undergrowth at the side of a path. We don't believe there is a hen running around Endcliffe Park unless it is putting a red stamp mark of origin on its eggs as they are laid! Thanks to Ranger Matt for dropping off the tables and plastic mats for the stalls, as well as pigtail spikes which are used to set up the finish line. Mandy had baked some delicious raspberry flapjack but there were only 3 stragglers who had been litter picking at the top end of the park left at the end of morning  to enjoy it! So, we are all ready for the big launch on Monday and fingers crossed the weather is kinder than last year! The next work morning is on Thursday 11th April where we will be in Bingham Park working on the grass areas, installing posts etc. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Dave/Nick/Chris "Looks a bit deep and cold in there we'll let Heather do this bit"! Litter pickers catch up with river clearer Martin Dave and Nick still discussing whether to get in the water talking to litter picker Peter Litter Pickers in action Lorna and Mel Heather now doing litter picking after helping the nesh river boys out! Hilary and Linda Phil and Peter Mandy and Lyndon in the bushes! Heather and Mandy with some of the collected rubbish Sampling Mandy's raspberry flapjack Stragglers team selfie!

Make an Online Donation If you would like to make a donation to our Forge Dam Playground Appeal please do so here.

About Friends of the Porter Valley Vision Our vision is to conserve, protect and restore the ecology, landscape and cultural heritage of the Porter and Mayfield Valleys for the enjoyment of all and the benefit of future generations. ​ Meet The Team The Geography and nature of the Valley The Porter Brook rises on the moors above Sheffield and flows 10km easterly into the heart of the city. Its valley forms a natural green corridor leading to the open moors of the Peak District National Park and the terraced housing and congested roads around Hunters Bar. In the course of its descent the Porter falls some 340 metres through a constantly changing landscape. It links the steeply incised and wooded valley of Porter Clough to a gentler, farmed landscape of green hillsides with traditional pasturage and stone buildings. It then passes through the archaeological remains of our early industrial heritage (weirs, millponds, millraces and dams) and on to more ancient and semi-natural woodlands. It descends into the recreational and ornamental parklands at Bingham and Endcliffe that were created for social purposes in the 19th century. The stream then enters underground culverts alongside Ecclesall Road and flows eastwards past the General Cemetery into Sheffield City Centre to join the River Sheaf below beneath the railway station. The “Friends of the Porter Valley” was set up in 1994 to preserve and enhance the natural and historical characteristics of the Porter Valley for public benefit. ​ ​ Ecological aspects Some 5km of the valley bottom and the upper reaches of its tributary, the May Brook, were designated “Areas of Natural History Interest “in the Urban Development Plan (UDP) because the valley contains considerable ecological capital. Botanically these communities comprise several blocks of ancient oak woodland with spectacular displays of spring flowers and autumn fungi; semi-natural scrub, riverine and pond habitats; wet valleyside ‘flushes’ containing rare species; old flower rich meadows of a type that are fast disappearing from the countryside and acid grasslands that in autumn are bright with wax-cap toadstools. The sequence of millponds known locally as “dams” also contributes significantly to the ecology of the valley although they are in a poor state of repair with several leaking and all becoming silted up. The watercourses support an abundant fauna of breeding ducks, dippers, kingfishers, herons, crayfish and other freshwater invertebrates, while the meadows and hedgerows are home to many species of butterfly and moths. The trees support many birds, including summer visitors such as willow warbler and chiff-chaff, and all the year round familiars such as two types of woodpecker, treecreepers, nuthatches, tits and corvids, including a longstanding rookery at Forge Dam. Mammals include several species of bat which are conspicuous flitting over the dams, foxes, water voles and several badger communities. By identifying and managing appropriately those parts of the valley that play a key role in providing this biodiversity, we would like to ensure that users of all stretches of the Porter Valley will continue to encounter a memorable range of wildlife. This includes areas away from the valley bottom that can be accessed by the network of footpaths and quiet lanes. ​ Amenity and recreational value Urban parks were created throughout Britain in the 19th century as a response to the often appalling urban environment brought about by industrialisation and rapid population growth. They are still a vital amenity in our 21st century lives. The whole Porter Valley, except for Endcliffe Park, lies entirely within the Green Belt. It also forms a significant part of the Sheffield Round Walk and a Strategic Cycle Route out to the Peak District. Because the valley provides a direct link between the city and the countryside it is used extensively by people from all over the city and beyond. Its accessibility and unique atmosphere appeal particularly to the communities along its flanks, to Sheffield schools, ramblers, cyclists, and nature lovers. There are several frequently used access points from the roads and footpaths that border on, or run across, the Porter. Half a million people may use the Valley every year; and over 30% come from parts of Sheffield other than the nearby relatively affluent wards of Broomhill, Hallam, and Ecclesall. ​ Archaeological Aspects Man has inhabited this Valley since Palaeolithic times but the most obvious evidence of human impact is the sequence of dams. In the 18th century the Porter Brook was one of Sheffield’s intensively used industrial streams and drove 20 mills mostly for the manufacture of cutlery, hand tools and other metal products. All but 6 of the original 20 millponds have disappeared over the years as their original industrial use declined and the valley became a focus for leisure. What remains is an attractive linear amenity and wildlife habitat studded with features of exceptional historic interest. The dams provide a compelling thread of interest to the linear valley walk. Unusual features are that the mills were constructed for the metal (e.g. cutlery) trades and not preceded by corn mills. Forge Dam impounds the full flow of the stream, whereas all other dams use the by-pass system. Wire Mill once had the largest diameter wheel in Sheffield. Many of the remaining monuments and buildings in the valley have listed Grade II status and Shepherd Wheel, a water-powered grinding hull and dam, is a scheduled Ancient Monument. A conservation area encompasses Fulwood Chapel, Forge Dam and Wire Mill Dam. The UDC map also shows an “Area of Special Character” on the northern slopes of the valley from Harrison Lane down into the brook bottom. In 2001 Endcliffe Park was included in the South Yorkshire county volume of English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest as a grade II site. The whole Valley was given grade II listing by English Heritage in 2002 in recognition of its unique mosaic of features. It is a landscape that has appealed to English Heritage’s interest in “the engine room” of our 18th and 19th century heritage. Neil Cossons, a former President of English Heritage, recognised the importance of the national heritage of waterways, mills, and workers’ cottages. The Porter Valley retains examples of this heritage. The Porter Valley is also recognised as linear parkland of particular and historic interest. Patrick Abercrombie’s 1924 civic survey for Sheffield City Council describes the Porter Valley as follows “The Porter Brook Parkway, consisting as it does of a string of contiguous open spaces, is the finest example to be found in this country of a radial park strip, an elongated open space, leading from a built–up part of the city direct into the country, the land occupied being a river valley and so for the greater part unsuitable for building. As compared with the finite quality of an ornamental park of more or less square shape, there is a feeling of movement in a continuous park strip …….the human being ….is lead onwards until the open countryside is reached.“

Endcliffe Park The park is owned by Sheffield City Council and is one of the most used facilities in the City, often hosting circuses and other events in the summer - most notably our Easter Duck Race every Easter Monday. ​ A playground was refurbished in 2008 by the Friends of Endcliffe Playground, and with a donation from the Friends of the Porter Valley includeded many attractions for children. In 2014 a parkour training facility, funded by the Sheffield Parkour Movement and a donation from the Friends of Porter Valley, was created. ​ The park features three monuments dedicated to Queen Victoria. Near the entrance is a statue of Queen Victoria and mid-way up the path towards Whiteley Woods is an obelisk also in honour of Queen Victoria. Both originally stood at the top of Fargate in Sheffield city centre. The third is an engraved boulder near the playground. ​ There is also a memorial stone marking the crash site of the USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress "Mi Amigo". On 22 February 1944 the aircraft was returning, heavily damaged by defending Me-109 fighters, from a bombing mission over Aalborg, Denmark. Around 5pm it crashed in the park with the loss of all 10 crew. An annual memorial service organised by the Royal Air Forces Association is held at the site on the Sunday closest to 22 February. ​ In 2019, a flypast was arranged to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the crash.