Dearne Valley Park was developed in 1980 (South Yorkshire Forest Partnership 2000 [accessed 6/12/07]). This was formerly the site of Mottram Wood Colliery that was operating between 1908 and 1944 (Gill 2007b). Prior to this the area is likely to have been valley meadows. There is fragmentary legibility of the colliery as the route of the railway line associated with the colliery survives.