Former water powered grinding wheel and water management system
The “Never Fear” dam and former wheel are located on the River Moss, a tributary of the River Rother in Mosborough. Thought to be one of the earliest of several water powered grinding wheels in this district, it was erected around 1709 upon land that was once part of the subsidiary manor of Plumley and Westwell in Eckington, formerly within the county of Derbyshire. ‘Never Fear” dam is located near the hamlet of Ford in the Moss Valley. It is a historic site linked to the valley’s industrial past of water powered edge tool manufacture. In order to power the Never Fear Wheel, water was taken off the River Moss to feed a pond on the north side of the stream. The pond, which still exists (Figure 1) fed by the head goit, had a single building at its south-eastern end where earthworks probably indicate the site of the building.
Local legend has it that Never Fear Dam was so named since at least 1795 when a group of sickle makers from the nearby village of Ridgeway were walking home through some woods beside the dam one night when they saw a ghost coming towards them. They were horrified but the ghost, which on passing them, spoke to the men, saying “Never Fear” as it disappeared into the darkness.
It is believed that the last firm to use the wheel was John Haslam and Sons, sickle manufacturers, who continued in business for some time after 1900. A display case of sickles and hooks made by John Haslam (1806-1897) for an exhibition in London in 1854 was on display at the Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield in 1984.
The weir of the dam was washed away one night in the 1920’s, ending the life of the wheel.
The Mosborough One-Place Study 