Don Gorge Community Group
Latest News
Walkabout with Chief Medical Officer
Our Chairman organised a walkabout of the Don Gorge on 27 March 2025 to help show some of the recent achievements of the DGCG members. The event was supported by South Yorkshire's Chief Medical Officer, Don Catchment Rivers Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Well Doncaster, and Trans Pennine Trail members.
Benches installed on TPT
Over the past few months we have installed 3 benches along the TPT all overlooking the River Don, and a further 2 benches on the meadow within the YWT woodland at Sprotbrough, allowing people to take advantage of the views of the natural surroundings.
All possible thanks to grants from Well Doncaster and also Don Catchments Rivers Trust.
Canals & Rivers Trust article
See the link below to a recent article by the Canals & Rivers Trust looking at the Don Gorge between Sprotbrough and Warmsworth
Join us in Making a Difference
Welcome to the Don Gorge Community Group, where we strive to create a positive impact in the Don Gorge and its surrounding areas just on the western edge of Doncaster. Be part of our mission to support the community and conserve the natural beauty of the region.
We are a group of adult volunteers who undertake, as a part of the Group’s wider aims, outdoor activities within the Don Gorge area lying in between Sprotbrough and Warmsworth. The Group also seeks to raise awareness of the public about the Don Gorge, its nature and wildlife, and matters pertaining to its preservation and conservation. The Don Gorge area also encompasses the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (‘YWT’) woodland and Flash area, parts of the river and canal side owned or managed by Canals & Rivers Trust (“CRT”), as well as sections of the Trans Pennine Trail. The range of outdoor activities that we undertake includes cutting back bushes, shrubs and tree branches obstructing footpaths, footpath, fence and pedestrian gate repairs, hedge laying, cutting back invasive growth within designated meadow areas in order to allow flora and fauna to flourish, and also undertake litter picking. Work within the YWT and CRT areas is usually directed by YWT and CRT staff respectively, with such work often undertaken using their own equipment.
Volunteers need to be aged 18 and over. We typically meet alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our schedule can be found on our notice board beside the canal landing stage / car park off Nursery Lane.
A range of outdoor tasks
Contact us if you would like get involved:
Community Engagement
In addition to our work to help maintain the accessibility of the pathways within the Don Gorge area by helping to keep the vegetation, bushes and trees cut back keeping the paths clear, as well as laying hedges to imporve boundaries and create new habitats., We also carry out activities such as litter picking along those pathways, but also along some of the surrounding roads.
In October and November 2023 and 2024 we also supported the Parish Council by placing the Poppies on the lamp posts, and erecting 3 silhouette soldiers near the village church and war memorial.
Projects
Participate in our conservation projects that aim to preserve the natural ecosystems of the Don Gorge, as well as make the area more welcoming for those visitors that wish to come and enjoy the natural beauty.
Recently we have been working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to clear self rooted vegegtaion from around a pond in order to stimulate other plant growth and support use by wildlife. See some of the recent photo of the rejuvinated pond area below.
We have created 'bug hotels' using fallen trees / branches in select locations, and also over the past 12 months built a stone picnic table and bench for visitors to make use of. At the ebnd of last uyear and easrly this year we have installed benches on parts of the Trans Pennine Trail allowing walkers to stop and take a rest whilst enjoying the scenery.
Education
Where possible we also seek to educate the public about the work that we do, and to better understand the environment of the area.
Some Pond project photos
Working with YWT to rejuvenate the Pond area within the YWT Sprotbrough woodland area.
Many of the self rooted trees that had grown and blocked out sunlight from the pond have been removed helping to stimulate new growth within the pond.
Photos courtesy of I Carpenter
THANK-YOU!
All thanks to our team of enthusiastic volunteers without whom none of this would be possible, and thanks also to those organisations that have kindly donated to our Group in order to help enable the tasks and projects that would not have been possible without that support.
About Don Gorge Community Group
Driving Community Engagement and Conservation Efforts
The Don Gorge Community Group is a registered charity (No 1121646) that focuses on community engagement and conservation efforts in and around the Don Gorge. We are a voluntary organization dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the region and supporting the local community. Join us in our commitment to make a positive difference for generations to come.
A brief history of the Don Gorge
(written in November 2007 by Mr Bernard Pearson (former Chairman of the Don Gorge Community Group)
There is a long history of occupation of the area from prehistoric times, although much of the evidence has been lost or destroyed with continuous industrial activity. As one would expect, rivers always attracted human habitation, not only for the advantages of the water course for industrial and domestic use, but also as a means of transportation between various settlements. Limestone was used extensively for building purposes, in particular fortifications such as the nearby Conisbrough Castle which has one of the best preserved keeps in the country. Many buildings lined both banks of the river and industry flourished.
On the south bank, the small village of Levitt Hagg was occupied by quarrymen and their families. Sadly, due to the introduction of mechanised methods of quarrying and the ever-growing frequency of flooding the cottages were demolished in the 1940s and 50s. The only surviving evidence of the activity are lime kilns, the upper portions of which are still visible. The site was also used for the manufacture of keel boats. The earliest record of the area is a rental paid in 1629. The site was eventually cleared completely in 1957.
Other evidence of industrial activity has also suffered a similar fate on the grounds of progress. There were two mills on the banks of the river, the first reference to which was made in a charter of 1279 when Sir William Fitzwilliam let to Henry Carpenter the corn mill at a rental of 20 marks. This mill was sited on the island between the canal and the river. The walk or fulling mill (where cloth was prepared) was situated on the south side of the river on land near the weir. This later became a flint mill. Both were powered by the water of the Don. Unfortunately, little remains of either building, although it is still possible to see large stones on the island downstream of the weir, which were once part of the corn mill, which was demolished when the canal was widened in order to allow larger commercial vessels to operate. This development was also the cause of the destruction of the old lock keeper's cottage.
In what is now a large housing state known as The park, was the local stately home of the Copley family, Sprotbrough Hall, which was built by Sir Godfrey Copley in 1685. Due to the imposition of death duties, the Hall was demolished in 1926 and the land sold for development. There are a few remnants of the outbuildings and gardens, the main one being the stables, now converted into residential accommodation. There is also a balustrade, which can be seen from the Trans-Pennine Trail, which in former times would have formed part of the estate garden overlooking the river.
The connection of the Hall with the Don Gorge provides, perhaps, one of the most interesting of the remaining artefacts. On the Trans-Pennine Trail, near the Lock, are the ruins of what was a pump engine. Little now remains of the mechanism, but some cogs and other pieces of ironwork are still in situ. The pump was commissioned by Sir Godfrey Copley in the late 17th century for the purpose of extracting water from the river and conveying it to the roof of the Hall in order to gravity feed a fountain in the grounds. It is said that the inspiration for such a venture was conceived when Sir Godfrey visited Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and was shown the Emperor fountain, with its jet of 290', by the then Duke of Devonshire. The pump, powered by a waterwheel driven by the flow of the river, was powerful enough to raise water to tanks 100' above and also fed a 35' long swimming pool in the grounds. The pool could be filled in five hours. The river also suppled the village until the water became too polluted.
Several better preserved buildings of the estate are located in the Gorge. As its name suggests, the Toll House, on the north side of the river was the point at which a toll had to be paid n order to cross the bridge. Prior to the construction of the bridges, the only means of crossing the river was by ferry boat.
The Boat Inn has had a varied history, having been the Copley Arms, The Sprotbrough Boat, Boat Farm and Ivanhoe House, the latter because Sir Walter Scott is reputed to have stayed there whilst working on his novel, 'Ivanhoe'. (See http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/victorian/previctorian/scott/ivanhoe.html for further information about this book.) At one point in its history, it is said that the license was withdrawn when two fellows, 'under the influence', fell into the canal and drowned.
Alongside The Boat Inn, there is a small row of cottages which are contemporary with that of The Boat Inn and certainly formed part of the Copley Estate. The Coat of Arms on the south-facing wall the The Boat Inn is that of Sir Josph Copley. The Boat Inn was rebuilt in 1840, as were the cottages and several other budlings in the village.
Further upstream, as one walks through the beautiful scenery of the Trans-Pennine Trail, one cannot be other than impressed by the magnificent arches of Conisbrough Viaduct, a great monument to Victorian engineering. Through its arches can be seen the keep of Conisbrough Castle.
So much has been lost that it is essential that what is left must be preserved as visible evidence of the historic importance of this valuable asset known as The Don Gorge.
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If you would like to walk through the Don Gorge and appreciate the surroundings, you may be interested to view these other websites:-
1. https://www.donvalleyway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Don-Gorge.pdf
3. https://www.ywt.org.uk/nature-reserves/sprotbrough-flash-nature-reserve
4. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/places-to-visit/sprotbrough
5. https://doncaster.mumbler.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Cusworth-2.pdf?ref=moreyorkshire.com
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOpXGIESEyI
7. https://www.warmsworthparishcouncil.co.uk/dongorge
These links are provided for convenience, however Don Gorge Community Group is not responsible or liable for the accuracy of the information provided by other websites. Shared January 2026.
Policies and governance
Inclusivity
Whilst we do require that volunteers be aged 18 or over, our Group is open to volunteers of any gender, race or belief.
Whilst we do not have any upper age limit for our volunteers, we do require that all volunteers be aware of their own physical limitations and not seek to carry out tasks that exceed those.
Health & Safety
All volunteers joining our Group will be provided with a Health & Safety (and Standing Orders) guide, which they will be asked to sign to confirm that they have understood it, and that they will abide by it. (Click the link above to download a copy)
The health & safety of our volunteers is important to us
Governance
We are registered as a charity in England & Wales. We have a small committee that oversee the operation of our Group, and to ensure that our Constitution and Safety procedures are adhered to.
The committee also help to raise funds through donations to support our ongoing activities.
Get in touch if you would like to join / support us.
E-mail: enquiries@dongorgecommunitygroup.com