River Dove, Barnsley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids River Dove, South Yorkshire
River Dove on the outskirts of Darfield
Country	England
Physical characteristics
Main source	Worsbrough Reservoir 56 metres (184 ft) 53°31′34″N 1°28′27″W / 53.52611°N 1.47417°W / 53.52611; -1.47417
River mouth	River Dearne nr Darfield 53°31′43″N 1°22′9″W / 53.52861°N 1.36917°W / 53.52861; -1.36917
Length	4.92 miles (7.91 km)

The River Dove is a river that flows through the Low Valley in Barnsley, England. It starts at Worsbrough Reservoir and flows until it joins the River Dearne.

The River's Journey

The River Dove begins its journey at the end of Worsbrough Reservoir. This reservoir was built in 1804 for the Dearne and Dove Canal. It helped supply water to the canal's Worsbrough section and also to the river.

Where the Water Comes From

Many smaller streams feed into the River Dove. The main ones are the Brough Green Brook and the Rockley Dike.

The Rockley Dike starts north of Thurgoland. It flows east and is sometimes called Crane Moor Dike on maps. Near Rockley Abbey Farm, another stream joins it. This stream starts near Tankersley and runs next to the M1 motorway. Both streams then flow under the motorway and into the southern part of Worsbrough Reservoir. These streams together are about 6.3 miles (10.1 km) long. They collect water from an area of about 6.51 square miles (16.9 km²). This area is called their catchment area.

The northern streams are called Dodworth Dike by the Environment Agency. Four main streams make up this part. Two of them start near Silkstone Common and Berry Moor. They meet near an old railway track. The Bagger Wood Dike also joins them further east. The Dove Valley Trail, a long walking path, follows the northernmost railway track. It leaves the Trans Pennine Trail southwest of Silkstone Common. These streams then become Stainborough Dike. Dodworth Dike, which flows from Dodworth, joins them. Finally, it becomes the Brough Green Brook, flows under the motorway, and enters the reservoir. This system is about 8.64 miles (13.90 km) long. It collects water from an area of about 6.43 square miles (16.7 km²).

The Worsbrough Reservoir Story

After it was first built, Worsbrough Reservoir was made bigger in 1826. The people who owned the Dearne and Dove Canal wanted to build a new reservoir. But they decided to make the existing one larger instead. They raised the water level by 4.5 feet (1.4 m), which made the reservoir's surface area 20 acres (8.1 ha) bigger.

Even though the Worsbrough section of the canal closed in 1906 because of land sinking from coal mining, the reservoir still supplied water to the main canal. In 1984, two new spillways were built. These are like overflow channels that help control water levels and keep the reservoir safe.

Worsbrough Mill and Bridges

Right below the dam is the Worsbrough Corn Mill. There has been a mill here since at least 1086! The current mill building is from 1625. It was used to grind animal feed until the 1960s. Now, it's a museum run by Barnsley Council. It's a very old and important building, known as a Grade II* listed building. Nearby, there's also an old stone bridge from 1809.

Soon after leaving the reservoir, the River Dove flows under the A61 road at Worsbrough Bridge. The river then runs close to Worsbrough Basin, which was part of the old canal. A footbridge here was washed away by the terrible floods of 2007. In 2016, a new, higher steel bridge was built. It helps people walk to Woolley Bank Wood.

Further downstream, the Blacker Dike joins the River Dove from the south. Then, Station Road crosses the river on a bridge. The old Wombwell Central railway station used to be here, but it closed in 1959. After that, the river goes under several railway bridges. Some of these bridges were part of a big railway junction, but the tracks are now gone.

The A633 Barnsley Road crosses the river at Aldham Bridge. Another unused railway bridge follows this. Next, Stonyford Bridge carries the B6096 road over the river. To the south, there's an area called Wombwell Ings. This low-lying land with lakes is used as a "washland." This means it can be flooded on purpose when the river has too much water. This helps prevent floods further down the river, especially when the River Don is also high. This system was set up in 1973 as part of a plan to improve the River Dearne. A little further on, the River Dove joins the River Dearne. This section of the river, including the Blacker Dike, is about 7.2 miles (11.6 km) long. Its catchment area is about 9.73 square miles (25.2 km²).

River Water Quality

The Environment Agency checks the water quality of rivers in England. They give each river an "ecological status" (how healthy the environment is) and a "chemical status" (how clean the water is from chemicals).

• Ecological Status: This looks at living things like invertebrates (bugs), plants, and fish. It can be high, good, moderate, poor, or bad.
• Chemical Status: This checks for harmful chemicals. It's either good or fail.

Here's how the River Dove's water quality was in 2015:

The good news is that the water quality has gotten better since 2009. Back then, the main river was in "poor" ecological health.

Places to See Along the River