“The shelving slimy river Dun, each year a daughter or a son” (traditional rhyme)
The legends of the River Don are central to Sheffield’s identity
The River Don is central to the identity of Sheffield and has played in forging Sheffield’s folklore and legend. The river has not only made the obvious contribution to our industrial heritage but it has also contributed to the stories Sheffielders tell.
Between the middle ages and the 18th century the Don gained a reputation for causing many deaths by drowning and it was this that inspired the traditional rhyme in the title to this piece which was often sung by Sheffielders. Perhaps most notoriously was the death of more than 240 people in the great flood of 1864 but there are many other haunting tales of the jeopardy of the Don.
On 8 October 1848 two brothers William and Thomas Dennis fell into the river at Sheaf Yard and their bodies were recovered 60 yards down river only when their caps were seen floating in weed. Both boys were buried in Sheffield General Cemetery. On 28 July 1900 two drownings were reported in one day in the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, one of which involved a child.
On a lighter note, in the late 1800s the Sheffield music hall performer William Teasdale, famous for dressing up as animals as part of his act, drew huge crowds to the Don when he advertised that he would sale down the Don dressed as a monkey in a tub pulled by ducks. The stunt drew such a large crowd that a wall collapsed and many spectators fell into the river luckily without serious injury or fatality.
The most romantic tale associated with the Don is captured in the famous “Ballad of the Dragon of Wantley” first published in 1685 and set on the banks of the Don at Wharncliffe. The Ballad tells the tale of the slaying of a Dragon by the Knight of More Hall (More Hall still exists next to the reservoir of the same name between Oughtibridge and Wharncliffe Side). The ballad is said to be an allegory based on the true story of a long running court dispute in the 1590s in which George Blount of More Hall successfully overturned unfair taxes on landowners raised by Sir Richard Wortley (hence Wantley) whose family later lived in Wortley Hall near the source of the Don. The ballad formed the basis of a successful opera performed in Covent Garden from 1737. The supposed lair of the mythical Dragon is the Dragon’s Den Cave which can be visited on Wharncliffe Edge.
When I met Jonny and Alban of the River Don Project (RDP) at a talk they gave to the Sheffield Social Enterprise Network Conference in 2024 (see blog 18 July 2024 "River Don Project") I was impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to the RDP’s work of allowing the river to speak up for itself as a vital step in it achieving its own separate legal status. I was and remain convinced of the importance of this work in improving the health of the River Don.
This meeting inspired my idea that Open Gates could lead walks in and around the vacinity of the Don to encourage walkers to engage with and appreciate the river. In 2025 Open Gates Outdoors began working with the Mental Health Community Connector Service at Voluntary Action Rotherham (“MHCCS”) to support mental health patients to be active outdoors. The group were already meeting regularly to walk in a park in Rotherham but MHCCS asked Open Gates to support the group to enjoy walks in a wider variety of locations. It then occurred to me that if Open Gates Outdoors led the MHCCS group on walks in various locations along the Don and encouraged the walkers to share their thoughts on the engagement platform on the RDP website the walkers’ health would benefit both from the experience of the walk and from their voices being heard via reflections on the engagement platform. Open Gates Outdoors led the group on walks at Blackburn Meadows and Sprotborough Flash Nature Reserves, the latter in particular being a wonderful location to engage with the Don. MHCCS has recently requested that Open Gates do more work with its patients on a continuing referral basis.
I am excited about the potential of Open Gates Outdoors supporting more Sheffielders to engage with some of the Don’s legends and tales that have helped shape our identity, whether it be visiting the source of the Don near Winscar Reservoir, visiting the beautiful reaches of the Little Don from Langsett, or visiting the cave of the Wantley Dragon. Pleasew dont hesitate to get in touch if you are interested in Open Gates helping you disciver the wonders of our beautiful river.
George Yates
Open Gates Outdoors (Community) CIC
www.opengatesoutdoors.co.uk
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