Ecclesall Woods can be found about 3 miles to the South West of Sheffield City Centre. This area of Woodland is vast and covers an area of approximately 140 acres making them the largest semi-natural woodland in South Yorkshire. The Woods are a very popular visitor attraction and are particularly valued for their Wildlife, and their Historic and Archaeological features.
Ecclesall Woods are designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) for the Wildlife that they support, which includes several species of Bird that are relatively common here yet not found elsewhere within the Sheffield area. These include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit and Hawfinch.
Exploring Ecclesall Woods is very easy since there are dozens of different access points. The main part of the Woods are sandwiched between Ecclesall Road South on the Northern Boundary and Abbeydale Road South on the Southern Boundary. Since these are two of the most important routes into and out of Sheffield both of these Roads are very well served by Public Transport.
At the very bottom of the Woods where they meet Abbeydale Road South this is where Millhouses Park begins. It could therefore be argued that this 32 acre Public Park is a further extension of Ecclesall Woods and it is certainly true to say that the majority of the Woodland Habitat that is found here is very similar to that found within Ecclesall Woods.
The Woods are full of different Footpaths of varying length, size and quality. The larger, better quality Woods form part of a multitude of different trails that are each colour coded and clearly sign-posted. In fact there are over 15 Kilometres of Footpaths and Bridle-ways within Ecclesall Woods. These include an 'Easy Going' trail that is suitable for the less able bodied and Wheelchair users.
The Woods also contain a number of important prehistoric and early historic Monuments.
It is now known that there are over 150 different Charcoal Hearths and over 200 Q-Pits within Ecclesall Woods. Q-Pits were used for the production of White Coal. This White Coal was a type of Fuel that was produced by drying chopped Wood over a Fire. It differs from Charcoal which is Carbonised Wood. White Coal was used in England to smelt Lead Ore from the mid-sixteenth to the late seventeenth Centuries.
There are two different Mills located within Ecclesall Woods. Ryecroft Mill was powered by a Water Wheel in the Limb Brook. This Mill was used for Lead Smelting. Unfortunately today there is very little left of this original Mill.
Ecclesall Saw Mill is a modern Mill located right in the heart of the Woods. This opened in 1962 and it is operated by a Private Company. There are currently plans to expand it.
Ryecroft Bridge is a 16th Century Stone Bridge that crosses the Limb Brook. This is a Grade 11 listed Building. Another Grade 11 listed Building within the Woods is the Charcoal Burner's Grave. This inscribed Gravestone commemorates the death of a man called George Yardley who was burned to death in his Cabin in 1786 whilst producing Charcoal. The inscription of the Stone also mentions four other Men and reads: "In Memory of George Yardley a Woodcoolier who was burnt to death in his Cabbin (sic) on this Place 11 October 1786. Also William Brookes Salesman David Glossop Gamekeeper Tho. Smith Besomemaker Samp. Brookeshaw Innkeeper."
In 1981 a Stone Cup and Ring was found in Ecclesall Woods. This was taken to the Weston Park Museum in Sheffield where it was dated to the late Neolithic or Bronze Age period around the year 2800BC. This was the first Prehistoric Carving to be found in the area and therefore caused a great deal of excitement. An extensive search around the area where this object was found later unearthed further objects and the remains of ancient Earthworks, Rock Paintings and Rock Art. This location has now been sealed off, an area of 20 metres in diameter and has now been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM).
Located at the bottom of the Woods are the Abbeydale Works, now known as the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. These Works have been largely preserved since they ceased production and were mothballed around 1676 when they were used a Water Powered Scythe Works. This is one of the best preserved examples of its kind anywhere in the World and it is one of only two Buildings within Sheffield that has a Grade 1 listed status. Today the Abbeydale Works has been re-opened as a fully operational Works powered by the original water Wheels.
Ecclesall Woods once formed a part of the Private Estate of J D Graves who was a very successful Victorian Industrialist and one of the largest Land owners in the area. He left Ecclesall Woods to Sheffield City Council in his Will and these Woods have been managed by Sheffield City Council ever since.
Finally there are a few strange and rather bizarre facts about Ecclesall Woods. Several of these include Pagan Rituals which are said to still be practiced here but the other involves the presence of Wild Boars, which many locals claim to have seen over the last 40 years. There are several photographs and a friend of mine claims to have seen one cross the Road one night right in front of him last November. I have yet to come face to face with Wild Boar in Sheffield (although I have in Germany and Poland) but I will keep my eyes open.
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