Second Coppice Wheel. Rivelin Valley, Sheffield, S6 5SH

Second Coppice Wheel , Rivelin Valley, Sheffield, S6 5SH

Former water-powered grinding Wheel and water management system

Second Coppice Wheel and associated water management system are the remains of a water-powered site that was in use from mid-18th century until the early 20th century. It was mainly used for grinding knives, scythe blades and saws, as well as wire drawing. In 1852 the site included a grinding hull, a wire-drawing mill, shops and dwellings. Some overgrown walls of the buildings are still evident.

The Second Coppice water management system extends to the north-east and south-west of the site of the former mill buildings. There is no weir at Second Coppice – water feeds into the head goit directly from the tail goit and overflow of Upper Coppice Wheel (next upstream) thereby linking the two sites directly. The mill dam holds water but is very silted. The tail goit can easily be traced to the river by the large retaining wall; this emerges just above the weir of Third Coppice.

The site of the Second Coppice Wheel lies to the south of Rivelin Valley Road, about 300 m downstream from Rails Road. The site is owned by Sheffield City Council and there is open access. A public footpath (the Rivelin nature and heritage trail) passes the site between the mill dam and the river. The trail can be accessed from various points along Rivelin Valley Road, and surrounding footpaths.

A marker post installed at the site by Rivelin Valley Conservation Group gives a brief history and links to a website where further information and pictures can be found.

Upper Coppice Wheel is one of the 20 water-powered mills built in the Rivelin Valley (search for ‘Rivelin Waterpower Sites’ on this website for more details). This sequence of Rivelin mills and mill dams forms an essential part of Sheffield’s heritage. They also have a broader national and even international significance in relation to the history of the Industrial Revolution in Sheffield.

Further information and pictures of Second Coppice Wheel and other sites in the Rivelin valley can be found at https://rivelinvalley.org.uk/rivelin-trails-2/. See also the books ‘Walking the Rivelin’, by Sue Shaw and Keith Kendall (6^th edition, 2019, Rivelin Valley Conservation Group) and ‘Water Power on the Sheffield Rivers’, by C. Ball, D. Crossley, N. Flavell (Editors), (2nd Edition (2006), South Yorkshire Industrial Society).