Shepherd Wheel facts for kids
Shepherd Wheel is a cool place to visit in Sheffield, England. It's a working museum that used to be a workshop. This workshop used the power of water to grind things. It sits right by the Porter Brook river. Shepherd Wheel is one of the oldest water wheels on this river. It's also one of the few complete workshops like it left in the area.
The site has a huge water wheel that is 5.5 meters (18 feet) wide! This wheel gets its power from a big dam. Water from the Porter Brook fills the dam. The buildings, dam, and water channels are very old. They are even protected as a Grade II listed site and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This means they are important historical places.
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History of Shepherd Wheel
Early Days and Owners
Shepherd Wheel has a long history, going back to the 1500s! The first mention of a water wheel here was in 1584. A man named William Beighton, who made knives, left it to his sons in his will. He called it "Potar Whele." This name likely refers to the same wheel that a Mr. Shepherd used later.
From the 1820s, a family called Hinde worked at Shepherd Wheel. They kept the workshop running for over 100 years. The workshop finally stopped working around 1930.
From Private Land to Public Park
For a long time, the land where Shepherd Wheel sits was owned by powerful families. First, it belonged to Gilbert Talbot, who was the Lord of the Manor of Sheffield. Later, it passed to the Dukes of Norfolk.
In 1900, Sheffield City Council bought the land. They wanted to turn the area, called Whiteley Woods, into a public park for everyone to enjoy. Shepherd Wheel was part of this new park.
Becoming a Museum
After many years, local history groups worked hard to save Shepherd Wheel. They wanted to fix it up and open it to the public. Their efforts paid off! The site opened as a museum in 1962.
The museum closed for a while in 1997. But in 1998, the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust took over. They now manage Shepherd Wheel, keeping its history alive for visitors.
What to See at the Museum
Since 1998, the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust has run Shepherd Wheel as a museum. It's a great place to learn about how things were made long ago.
Inside the Workshops
The museum shows you how water power was used. You can see the big water wheel itself. Inside the workshops, there are two "grinding hulls." These are rooms with many large grinding wheels built into the floor. The water wheel made these grinding wheels spin.
You can also see a collection of old tools and equipment. These items show you what workers used every day.
Recent Restoration
Shepherd Wheel got a big makeover! A project, partly funded by a £500,000 grant, helped restore it. The museum reopened its doors on March 31, 2012. Now, even more people can visit and learn about this amazing historical site.
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Buildings
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Millpond
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Grinding wheels in a workshop
More to Explore
- Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet
- Kelham Island Museum
- Listed buildings in Sheffield
