Old Hay Brook

The Old Hay Brook is a stream in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Near Totley Grange the streams joins Needham's Dyke, which flowed from within the Grange estate, joins the Brook under one of the many footpaths in the neighbouring woods.

There were a total of four dams, mills and wheels on the Old Hay Brook.

• Totley Forge. A paper mill was on the site in the XVII^th century, then in 1839 was converted into a scythe forge and continued working until 1891 when Joseph Tyzack converted the premices into a farm. Visible remains are the stone-overflow shuttle from the upper dam, the lower dam and a channel which fed water from the wheel back into a stream.

The tilt shop and buildings were rebuilt as barns in 1901 and have since been restored as stables.

• Old Hay was used by 1585 as a lead smelting mill and ended in 1805. Shortly before 1830 a drinding wheel to make swas was up and running. The site closed in 1895. The wheel buildings have been replaced by a wheel and the dam filled and grassed over.

• Upper Mill was in 1625 a corn mill. By 1839 production had changed as well as the name to Totley Scythe Mill. The buildings were desroyed and Totley Grove built on the site.

• Nether Mill was a lead smelting mill from 1658. A hundred and fifty years later, around 1800, it was recorded as a corn mill. The arrival of the Hope Valley Line removed all traces of the mill.