Plumbley

Plumbley consists of a small scattering of farms and cottages with a couple of lanes providing access. It lies in the far southeast of the borough in a rural portion of the city, just north of the village of Marsh Lane, north-west of Eckington, west of Mosborough and southeast of the village of Ridgeway.{{NHLE|num=1017746|desc=|accessdate=19 July 2017}} The hamlet and surrounding environs are within the South and West Yorkshire Green Belt, so helping to preserve its rustic setting by curtailing development.{{cite web|title=Sheffield Development Framework Core Strategy Adopted March 2009|url=https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/dam/sheffield/docs/planning-and-development/core-strategy/Core-Strategy---adopted-March-2009--pdf--6-55-MB-.pdf|website=sheffield.gov.uk|quote=The expansion of new housing beyond the existing built-up area will occur only at Owlthorpe, in order to complete the partly built township, but will be strongly resisted elsewhere to safeguard countryside overlooking the Rother and Moss Valleys that is not already protected as Green Belt.}}

The Moss brook runs along the southern extent of the area, forming one of the southernmost Sheffield boundaries. Moss Valley is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Several small forested areas include Bushes, Kent, Cadman, and Ladybank woods, along with Wren Park which has the highest point at {{convert|178|m|ft|abbr=off}}.{{cite web|title=UDP Map 7 Mosborough|url=https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/dam/sheffield/docs/planning-and-development/sheffield-plan/UDP%20Map%207%20Mosborough.pdf|website=sheffield.gov.uk}} Several footpaths and bridleways feature through the area, with the Sheffield Country Walk route following the valley.

Plumbley was formerly in Eckington parish of Derbyshire, but boundary changes in 1967 moved it, along with Mosborough into the latter ward within Sheffield's borders, to allocate more housing land to the city.{{cite web|title=Mosborough history|url=https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/dam/sheffield/docs/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-local-studies/local-area-history/Mosborough%20community%20history%20v1-2%20(1).pdf|website=sheffield.gov.uk}}{{cite web|last1=Harston|first1=Jonathan Graham|title=MDFS::Docs.Sheffield.Borders|url=http://mdfs.net/Docs/Sheffield/Borders/|website=mdfs.net}}{{cite web|title=LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARIES (SHEFFIELD) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1967/feb/27/local-government-boundaries-sheffield|website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)|date=27 February 1967|quote=The recent decision decision of the Minister of Housing and Local Government to extend the boundary of Sheffield to include the Mosborough area to the south-east of the city will have the effect of relieving Sheffield's shortage of housing land.}}

The hamlet itself consists mainly of farmland, and historically farming along with sickle-smithing along the local brooks and streams would have been the main occupations in the area.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

There was a Plumbley Hall that existed in the early 1800s, then owned by a Mr. Pedley. He purchased the hall from Captain Stones, of Mosborough Hall .{{cite web|last1=Bridgewater.|first1=Andrew Neil|title=Mosborough – Neil's Local History & Mining Site|url=http://www.oldminer.co.uk/mosborough.html|website=oldminer.co.uk}}

A windmill was constructed in 1802, with a mention given in the Manor court rolls on 4 June 1802: ‘ Thomas Unwin of Mosborough, yeoman, John Unwin of Plumley Lane, millwright and John's wife Rebecca, had a messuage on Plumley Lane together with a newly erected windmill for the grinding of corn into flour.’ The windmill is not mentioned any later than 1852, and it is presumed to have been destroyed around this time.{{Cite book|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3680552|title=Catalogue description Derb: Eckington manor, with schedule of court rolls|date=1792–1793}}

An old tramway and quarry site are shown on 19th century maps in the Cadman Wood area.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

In the late 19th century there were two collieries in the hamlet, Westwell and Plumbley, the latter having its own railway branch line (Penny Engine railway){{cite web|last1=Mosley|first1=Sally|title=Derbyshire Walk – Troway|url=http://www.derbyshirelife.co.uk/out-about/walks/derbyshire-walk-troway-1-4451222|website=Derbyshire Life and Countryside|language=en}} and a notable engine house which is registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.{{cite book|last1=Wain|first1=Ken|title=The Coal Mining Industry of Sheffield and North Derbyshire|date=2014|location=UK|isbn=978-1-4456-3975-8}}{{cite web|title=Plumbley Coal Colliery information and photos|url=https://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Plumbley-Coal-Colliery/|website=aditnow.co.uk|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Seldom Seen Engine House: Leisure and culture – Derbyshire County Council|url=https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/countryside_sites/wildlife_amenity/engine_house/default.asp|website=derbyshire.gov.uk|language=en}} Plumbley was sunk around 1875 and was disused by 1914.{{PastScape|mname= PLUMBLEY COLLIERY|mnumber=316183|accessdate=26 March 2018}} It was the site of an unfortunate incident on 16 March 1895 when a colliery worker and children drowned in a pond while he was trying to save them after falling in.{{cite web|title=Plumbley Colliery Disaster 16th March 1895. – Natural Eckington|url=http://naturaleckington.uk/local-stuff/plumbley-colliery-disaster-16th-march-1895/|website=naturaleckington.uk}}{{cite web|title=Seldom Seen Engine House|url=https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/3083-seldom-seen-engine-house/|website=Sheffield History – Sheffield Memories|quote=From the Independent March 18, 1895: LAMENTABLE FATALITIES AT ECKINGTON FOUR PERSONS DROWNED. GALLANT BUT FATAL ATTEMPT TO RESCUE.}} Westwell was actually nearer to the area, sunk in 1876, it was disused by 1901.{{cite web|title=Westwell Colliery Mosborough.|url=https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/14506-westwell-colliery-mosborough/|website=Sheffield History – Sheffield Memories}}

A hoard of Roman denarii coins was found in 2012 in farmland by a treasure hunter using a metal detector, these are now held by Museums Sheffield.{{cite web|title=Roman Treasure: The Plumbley Hoard|url=http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/blog/2015/3/roman-treasure-the-plumbley-hoard|website=Museums Sheffield}}

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Category:Hamlets in South Yorkshire

Category:Geography of Sheffield