RSPB Old Moor is situated in the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, England. The site and the surrounding landscape has an abundance of history that very few people could even imagine. Now, birds, wildlife and native plants take centre stage, but since its creation in 1755 horses, yeomanry, cavalry, airplanes, farming and the coal industry have all played their parts.
In the 20th century Coal was King. The Dearne Valley was a key component in the machine driving industrial Britain. The 1980’s would see coal swept away, bringing massive social and economic changes to the area. Old Moor Farm at that time was part of an area know as “the most polluted site in Europe”; a single generation later, it is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest! Just one of the remarkable transformations the site has undergone.
This website seeks to capture and preserve this incredible story. Our archive allows you to access hundreds of original documents and photographs uncovered through our research. Please enjoy them, but observe that some items will have copyright restrictions.
If you have stories, documents or photographs which would add to our archive, please contact us.