Greenfield Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greenfield Valley |
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Trinnacle above Greenfield Reservoir
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| Length | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) |
| Depth | 250 metres (820 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Greater Manchester, England |
| Rivers | Greenfield Brook |
Greenfield Valley is a beautiful river valley. It runs through Saddleworth Moor in England. This area is part of the amazing Peak District National Park. Historically, it was part of Yorkshire. But since 1974, it has been in Greater Manchester.
The valley and Saddleworth Moor are 'Open Access' land. This means everyone can explore them. Much of Saddleworth Moor is a very old peat landscape. It has a special type of wet ground called a blanket bog. The upper part of Greenfield Valley is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a protected area.
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Nature and Wildlife
The moorland here is made of millstone grit rock. It is covered with grasses, mosses, and heather. You can also find bilberry plants. This area is home to many animals.
Animals of the Valley
You might spot mountain hares here. Many moorland birds live in the valley too. These include red grouse and lapwing. You can also see skylarks and curlews. Other birds are golden plovers and meadow pipits. The RSPB runs the Dove Stone Nature Reserve in the valley. Old quarry cliffs there are home to peregrine falcons. These are very fast birds!
The Trinnacle Rock Formation
The Trinnacle is a cool rock formation. It looks like three big stone pillars. It's found at Raven Stones Brow. Glaciers carved this cliff edge long ago. This happened during the last Ice Age. Over thousands of years, weather shaped these rocks. This created the unique three-pronged Trinnacle. There are almost 200 rock climbing routes here. Climbers love Ravenstones Crag.
Water and Reservoirs
The main stream in the valley is Greenfield Brook. Smaller streams feed into it. These include Holme Clough and Birchen Clough. Greenfield Brook flows into Greenfield Reservoir. Then it goes into Yeoman Hey Reservoir. Finally, it reaches Dovestone Reservoir. After that, it flows into Chew Brook. This brook joins the River Tame. The River Tame then feeds into the River Mersey.
Building the Reservoirs
Work on the reservoirs in Greenfield Valley started in 1870. This was for the Ashton under Lyne, Stalybridge and Dukinfield Waterworks. Yeoman Hey Reservoir was finished in 1880. It can hold 780 million litres of water. It is also 20 metres deep. Greenfield Reservoir was built between 1897 and 1902. It is the smallest reservoir. It holds 464 million litres and is 20 metres deep.
Dovestone Reservoir is the biggest of the three. It can hold 4887 million litres of water. It is up to 31 metres deep. The dam for Dovestone is 38 metres high. It is also 550 metres long. It was built in 1967. The Dovestone Sailing Club started that same year. United Utilities operates these reservoirs. They supply water to nearby towns like Oldham.
Trees in the Valley
You can find Spruce and pine trees in the lower valley. Broad-leaved trees have also been planted. This helps create more different types of homes for wildlife.
History of the Valley
The valley has an interesting past. Many things have happened here over the years.
Ashway Gap House
In 1850, a rich businessman named John Platt built Ashway Gap House. It was on the south side of the valley. He used it as a place for hunting. But in 1857, his brother James was killed. This happened in a grouse shooting accident on the moors. James was also a Member of Parliament for Oldham. A memorial cross was put up on the moorland for James. It is called Ashway Cross.
The waterworks board bought the empty mansion in 1897. During World War I, it became a Red Cross hospital. Wounded soldiers were cared for there. In World War II, the house was used to hold Italian prisoners of war. The house later fell into disrepair. It was taken down in 1981.
World War II Pillboxes
There are two old World War II pillboxes in the valley. These were small buildings used for guns. They are on the A625 road, across from Yeoman Hey Reservoir. They were built around 1940. They were part of the defences in case of an invasion. The two pillboxes are connected by an underground tunnel. They are now protected buildings.
Greenfield Village
Downstream from the reservoirs is Greenfield village. It is located in the Chew Valley.
