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2021.05.30 with Sheffield 40s Walking Group - Start 'Sports Parking area' SK281.862 off Redmires Road West of the Sportsman's PH, ~ thru Woods (former Prisoner of War Camp) ~WSW then S joining Redmires Conduit at SK277.858, westward toward 'Works' V turning after crossing wall at SK268.856, circle E then SSW around Resrs then generally follow Permissive Footpath Westward past 3 Redmires Reservoirs to road at SK256851, ~N on Rd to join PFP at SK257.857, continue N for about 70m then took tea break to West at Memorial Figure just West off Path, crossed Conduit at SK256.868 and continued N to SK258.873 turning E along Head Stone Bank then ~ESE thru Wyming Brook Nature Reserve down to Wyming Brook Drive at Reddicar Hollow, follow W.B.Drive ~N & ~W to cross & V turn over Rivelin Brook & ~E up to and across the A57 Manchester Rd at SK264.875, ~E then N up to Swinglee Farm then just E /NNE around Swinglee Grange continuing ~NNE up to Rod Side (Rd) at SK270.881, ~E on rd turn N down Beeton Green and then take FP ~NNE to Beacon Farm, ~E from farm to road & beyond to turn at SK284882 ~S down Flash Lane, turn ENE thru The Flash continuing to SK289.880 & turn ~S down to Woodbank Rd but follow path just below it to ~WSW to Rivelin Rough, at path junct take upper path to SK276871, ~S down to & across A57, ~S across (Lower) Rivelin Dam, follow edge of Dam ~W, at SK273.866 turn ~S / SSW up Wyming Brook to U turn at SK270.860, follow path N / E / ENE / E along 'Edge'; to SK280.863, ~N back to Redmires Rd & Start.


1 The Sportsman - see pub sign of cricketer batting

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3 Ze giving walk introduction which included details of the War Camp - brief summary here under. The camp was originally a training camp for the Sheffield Battalion in World War 1. However at some stage it was converted into a prisoner of war camp. Doenitz was a prisoner of war in WW1 at this camp and feigned ‘mental illness’ and was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. At the end of WW1 he was repatriated to Germany. In WW2 of course he led the German Navy and briefly took over from Hitler at the end of WW2 In !925 Lodge Moor Hospital could not cope with a smallpox epidemic and the camp was used to house / treat patients. In WW2 the camp was used for prisoners of war from several Axis countries. There were at one time 11,000 prisoners kept in very poor conditions and the International Red Cross complained about this.. In WW2 apparently several escape tunnels were made and used. A prisoner was accused by fellow inmates of disclosing the tunnels to the guards and was killed by two other prisoners. The killers were tried and hung at Pentonville.. See also picture 28 with Ian's contribution on the WW2 commemoration.

4 Redmires Camp Plantation reopened after forestry operations

5 A water colour picture of the camp painted by Heinz Georg Lutz - a 2nd World War POW (found on the web)

6 foundations of buildings remain on the site - now a plantation

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11 Wyming Brook Farm

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14 on the edge of the Lower Redmires Reservoir (one of the three reservoirs)

15 where a stream runs into lower reservoir the path diverted around it

16 view across the lower reservoir

17 the middle Reservoir wall is in front of us

18 Lower reservoir on the walkers right side

20 The second reservoir embankment - note walkers on top of it - not sure that this is a permitted through route? Spillway blocks access

21 The middle reservoir has been drawn down for some time - probably for maintenance & improvement works

23 group now walking past the top reservoir

24 Geese photographed from the road at the West end of the reservoirs

25 The footpath northward at the end of the parking area.

28 Some notes from Ian :

The 'Tommy' statue here was put up by the Royal British Legion in 2018 as part of an Art Project and for a Fund-raising campaign to commemorate the centenary of the end of WW2. There were thousands of these statues placed around the country. The theme of the project was - 'There But Not There'.

The statue was raised in this position because the area was used in 1914-15 by the Sheffield 'Pals' Battalion as a training ground for trench warfare. The Battalion was stationed at Redmires Camp at this time. The soldiers in training first dug trenches in what was an old abandoned stone quarry. An archaeological dig in 2006 by a group from Sheffield University produced a report on this.

The Battalion was first posted to Egypt in 1915 to defend against a possible Turkish invasion, which did not happen. The Battalion was then shipped to France and went to the trenches in the Somme. Hundreds of them were killed in the battle, many on the first day, 1st July 1916, when a total of 19,240 British soldiers died.

'There But Not There'

There but not there

Once here but not here

Men's voices on the wind

Where curlews now cry

Above your head

Sorry for the loss

Of innocence

And a toll of death

That made no sense

Listen - for their agonies

Are everywhere

Still

There but not there

The glorious dead.

29 looking back at the upper reservoir with a portion of the middle reservoir to the left.

30 all three reservoirs seen in this picture

31The 'conduit' which conveys water from moorlan into the middle reservoir

32 Swinglee Farm & Swinglee Grange passed later on our walk zoomed into - see picture 36

33 Zoomed into into Head Stone (close to but not directly on the route)

34 zoomed into Crawshaw Head on Rod Side (rd) - a nice picture even if not sharp.

35 Surrey Farm on Manchester Road - not passed on this walk.

36 Newish house in front not named. Swinglee Farm & Swinglee Grange behind - see picture 32

37 On Head Stone Bank

38 Down toward Wyning Brook Nature Reserve

40 On Wyming Brook Drive

42 Rivelin Brook above Rivelin Upper Dam

43 notice near the A57 Manchester Road

44 close up to Swinglee Farm & Grange - see picture 36

45 looking back - Swinglee Farm & Grange to left of picture

47 Beacon Farm

48 Fields of Rape Seed Oil in distance


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52 going ~ENE after passing The Flash

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55 looking across valley at Lodge Lane & Fox Hagg Farm

56 descending toward Rails & Woodbank Road

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58 Woodbank Road in view

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60 seen from path toward Rivelin Rough

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