Visit of the Sheffield naturalists

August 1882

Mexborough and Swinton Times August 28

Visit of the Sheffield naturalists

The members of the Sheffield naturalist club taking their last excursion for the season came on Thursday afternoon in the last week to Conisbro and Sprotbro wood.

Mr George Booth of Conisborough took a number of the party on board his steam screw launch down the river to Sprotbrough locks.

Others of the party strolled through the woods down to Sprotbrough conducted by Mr Carr and were all rewarded for the exertion by the abounding flora especially in the limestone quarry.

The reunited party then accepted the generous invitation of Sir Joseph Copley to visit Sprotbrough Hall and were taken through the beautiful grounds and conservatories by Mr Tindall the head gardener.

The quaint old hall built in the seventeenth century; the richly picturesque effects produced by the landscape gardener who must have planted many of trees before the present hall was built; the luxuriant beauty of the present flowers and borders; and not least the immense proportions and symmetrical form of a giant elm tree supposed to have been planted two centuries ago; excited the administration of the party whose interest was further increased by the information given by Mr Tindal.

Returning to the locks some of the party boarded the launch, which steamed merrily back to Conisborough and then returned to meet those who had walked through a part of the woods which skirt the river.

After tea in Andersons gardens the party returned home by the 7.50 pm train