About Hareshaw Low Dam
Hareshaw Ironworks and the nearby Ridsdale Ironworks were part of the short lived rural iron industry in Northumberland which sprang up in the early 19th century was the site of two blast furnaces and associated works established in 1833 by Messrs Bigge and Partners. The Low Dam was constructed in 1838 and abandoned in 1848. It was a very solid structure; left unmaintained, it survived the 1911 flood, but collapsed in 1968.
Hareshaw Ironworks Dam is now a scheduled ancient monument in the ownership of Northumberland National Park Authority and included in English Heritage's 'Buildings At Risk' Register. During the autumn of 2004, the dam was repaired in a £40,000 scheme. Draining of the pool below the dam revealed the extent of the problem which was solved by the introduction of stainless steel rods to tie the unsupported rock to the bank side. This 'invisible' repair has no impact on the appearance of the dam.
Today Hareshaw Linn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), designated for its rare ferns and lichens. Strictly speaking, 'Linn' is a waterfall; it is at the farthest point of Hareshaw Dene, a densely wooded glade full of wildlife that the waterfall of Hareshaw Linn is to be found. Over 300 different types of mosses, liverworts and lichens can be found. The ‘Linn’ is also home to red squirrel, great spotted woodpecker, wood warbler, spotted flycatcher, badger, roe deer and Daubenton’s bat.