Trev's travails: Trains and boats and planes

Our walk this week took us east of Sheffield - a circuit around Kiveton Park, taking in the Chesterfield Canal (the "boats" connection) and Netherthorpe aerodrome (the "planes" connection) before crossing to Harthill then back via Kiveton Waters to the Cuckoo Way and the canal.

To make our journey complete and to fit in with the title of the Dionne Warwick hit - we decided to travel to Kiveton Park by train (the "trains" connection).

We alighted at Kiveton Park Station

From the Norman conquest to 1868, Kiveton was a hamlet of the parish of Harthill-with-Woodall. It subsequently transferred to the civil parish of Wales which takes its name from the neighbouring village.

Kiveton gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon for the settlement in the hollow - Saxon 'kyfe' meaning dish or hollow vessel and 'ton' meaning stockaded camp. In the Domesday Book it is written Cieutone, and was under the ownership of William de Warenne. It subsequently transferred to the de Keuton family, who sold the estate on to former Lord Mayor of London Sir William Hewet in 1580.

A major Community History Project has been in progress to record and encourage an understanding of the history of Kiveton Park and neighbouring Wales, particularly their mining heritage. This was based in the Old Colliery Offices, pictured below, and can be explored at History of Kiveton

When this railway line opened in 1849 there were only three stations between Sheffield and Worksop. These were at Darnall, Kiveton Park and Shireoaks. Kiveton Park Station was built by James Drabble and Company from Carlton. It is interesting to note that it had originally intended to call the station ‘Dog Kennels’.

We joined the canal towpath - called Cuckoo Way - towards Worksop

The Chesterfield Canal runs for 46 miles from West Stockwith on the River Trent, through Retford, Worksop, Kiveton Park, Killamarsh, Staveley and on to Chesterfield. It was in daily use from its completion in 1777 until 1907 when the roof of the Norwood Tunnel collapsed, cutting off the western section from the Trent. It fell into severe disrepair in the mid 20th century, and has been since been restored largely due to the efforts of the Chesterfield Canal Trust and Chesterfield Canal Partnership - see Chesterfield Canal Trust

Construction of the canal began in 1771. It cost under £100,000 and took 6 years, 2 months and 6 days to complete. The architect was James Brindley, but Brindley unfortunately died a year after the project started. John Varley, still in his 20's, picked up the reins from Brindley and completed the whole canal, without the aid of GPS, mobile phone, motor car or laser level. Varley moved his family to Harthill whilst working on the Chesterfield Canal.

No walk alongside water is complete without a game of Pooh Sticks. Despite calls for a steward's enquiry, Martin's stick was declared the winner

The winning stick basking in its glory

We turned at Turnerwood - which is described in the tourist literature as "a hamlet straddling a basin for mooring boats on the Chesterfield Canal. There's only a few houses and it's a quintessentially picture postcard pretty English hamlet with ducks on the pond, cottages, and several locks"

Mike and Dave discussing the finer points of the differences between a hamlet and a village

Chris just wants to get to see the planes

Netherthorpe aerodrome - the home of the Sheffield Aero Club - where you can find light aircraft and tiger moths, and take flying lessons.

There are two grass runways 553m and 382m long (the smaller apparently being the shortest in England). The aerodrome is off the road between Thorpe Salvin and Nether Thorpe, and due to the proximity of the roads running around the airfield, planes have to be at an altitude of at least 20ft when they cross the perimeter - landing on the short runway must present a challenge to novice fliers.

A slight detour to this contraption - which we were informed was the Thorpe Salvin weather station - not sure that I believe that

Harthill was part of William de Warenne’s honour of Conisbrough in 1086, having previously belonged to Earl Harold. It had 13 freemen and 11 villagers. There were 12 plough teams, indicating that a considerable acreage of arable land had been cleared.

Harthill seems to have been a substantial village by the late 14th century for the 1379 Poll Tax returns list 156 tax payers. This would suggest a total population in Harthill and Woodall of around 400. The list is headed by John de Keuton [Kiveton], “serigante”(sergeant), and Agnes his wife, who paid the considerable sum of 6s 8d.

Tradition has it that Harthill Church was founded by William de Warenne in 1085. It was one of the churches that he gave to Lewes Priory. At the dissolution of the monasteries, the advowson of Harthill was one of many granted to Henry VIII’s minister Thomas Cromwell. After Cromwell’s disgrace and execution, the advowson was granted to the Waterhouse family. It was again in the hands of the crown in 1674 when Charles II granted it to Thomas Osborne.