Drifthill Wood - Sold

Description:  Drifthill Wood, located on the upper parts of a sunny southwest facing slope, is an ancient semi natural woodland with oak, ash, birch and sycamore dominant. Beech, sweet chestnut, willow and some hawthorn are present. The woodland floor also provides ideal growing conditions for many woodland plants including a good show of bluebells in late spring. Birdlife abounds in the wood, all three species of woodpecker have been sighted in the area; also present is a large resident bat population.

The terrain is uneven with many flat areas amongst the humps, hollows and rocky outcrops. The remains of old workings provide areas of shelter, grass covered slopes in the more open areas are ideal for sitting and at the top of the wood a small pond which could be refreshed to encourage more aquatic invertebrates and amphibians.

Access: is from Oughtibridge Lane along a shared track up to the wood and along the south western boundary. Within the wood are a number of paths which give access thoughout the site. Purchasers will have a key to the shared access gate.

History: Drifthill Wood is part of Great Hollins and Beeley Wood which has a long history closely connected with the steel industry in the area. Ganister, a type of sandstone which was used to make fire bricks to line the blast furnaces in the works located in the valley bottom, was mined using the drift mine method. This practice ceased in the early 1900's. Looking further back into history, monks from Ecclesfield Priory were permitted to graze their livestock in the woodland as early as 1161.

A covenant, click here for details protects this and the neighbouring woodland.