Leash Fen

One of only two named fens in Derbyshire, the other being within half a mile on Big Moor, Lucas Fen.

As the name suggests, it is a very wet and boggy area of land, and care should be taken in parts if a wander takes the fancy. Wellington boots and a good stout stick are the usual mainstay of equipment., it might be wise to tell someone of your route.

During the second world war, a bombing decoy site, (Starfish) was documented as active on the Fen, between 1941/42 to deflect enemy bombing from the City of Sheffield. Shepperton Sound City special effects were also drafted in to help create the image of the glow of steelworks foundries and the flash of tramcars cables picking up their overhead current , thus diverting the German bombers away from the actual city and the crucial work that Sheffield and Rotherham contributed to the war effort. The exact location is unknown, but some historic aerial photography suggests that it was located north of Clod Hall cross roads. After the war, huge amounts of munitions were brought to Leash Fen to be disposed of by controlled detonation. Amazingly, one of the stockpiles was lost, possibly sunk? so be extra careful where you tread if you do go for a wander. The name Starfish was derived from the words, Special Fires, the project title. Another site existed at Curbar and on the Houndkirk track towards Ringinglow. A very informative link to the Curbar Starfish site is below.

The Decoy

Whibberley Cross is sited within the south eastern sector of this expansive moor, a stone throws from Clod Hall farm, and forms a lasting and tangible reminder to our moorland heritage. It is one of approximately six worn crosses and boundary stones to be found on the moor.

Houghton Cross gets a mention in the 1942/43 edition of the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers booklet, you can see it on the map that Bert drew at the time, however the Derbyshire Historic Environment records show it across the road on Clod Hall moor at SK 2838 7348. I have seen this stone which is now laid flat on the ground. It was thought to be just a marker stone with no historic significance with another similar stone by the same track 200yds away.

Bert Ward was pictured at the side of another such cross stump, known as the lost cross of Leash fen, it still alludes me to this day. Update me if you find it.

A boundary stone exists near to the Unthank and Rumbling street junction, see map.

Bert at the lost cross of Leash Fen

Blake Brook is the main natural drainage off Leash Fen which in its self tips into the Barbrook around Clod Hall junction. The mile long Whibberley Cross drain along with several other drains on Leash Fen, helped to bolster Blake Brook. These drains were constructed under the instruction of the Duke of Rutland trying to emulate the drainage of the Lincolnshire fens.

Today, mainly thanks to the Eastern Moors Partnership set up in 2011, the Fen is now home to a diversity of wildlife, from Dragonfly’s, frogs, Hen Harriers, Kestrels, Red Poll and a whole host of other species. This has been thanks to the blocking up of the old drains to let the peat retain its water content. Another major environmental spin off from that is that the carbon Dioxide levels are kept locked in to the peat. Dry peat will release high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

The Duke took ownership of Leash fen after he secured the moorland from the Baslow, Barlow and Holmesfield enclosure awards of 1820/1826 and 1820. After the death of the 8th Duke of Rutland in 1925 and the family were faced with crippling death duties. The 9th Duke was forced to sell the entire Longshaw estate in 1927, along with the 681 acres of Leash fen. A great deal of our countryside was sliced up in the controversial enclosures acts and awarded to the already wealthy landowners, in many peoples opinions, including my own, one of the great injustices at the time, and still resonates to this day.

While the Dukes men were draining the fen, objects of pottery, building materials and carved wooden structures were unearthed. There is reference but nothing more, of a sunken village on Leash fen, also some speculation that it may have predated Chesterfield as a market town. A poem exists that the story may carry some weight, I will let the reader decide.

When Chesterfield was heath and broom,

Leash Fen was market town,

Now Leash Fen is all heath and broom,

and Chesterfield a market town.