Lower Don Valley Lower Don Valley The Lower Don Valley, or historically the East End of Sheffield, is the mainly industrial north-east quarter of Sheffield, England. Located on the River Don, it encompasses the areas of Attercliffe, Brightside, Darnall, Tinsley and Wincobank. The area became the heart of Sheffield's steel industry during the 19th and 20th century. However it went into decline during the 1970s and 1980s as the nature of steel manufacture changed from large industrial sites with large scale employment to more streamlined and automated manufacture. As a result, large areas were derelict by the end of the 1980s despite the
Don Valley Parkway first sawmill was erected at today's Todmorden Mills by 1795 and other industry was founded soon after, including a grist mill, paper mill and brewery by 1828. Railways were introduced into the valley after 1850 with the building of tracks into Toronto. By 1900, the Don River south of today's Bloor Street was straightened into a channel for boating purposes, with roadways and industry built on both banks. North of Bloor Street, the wide valley floor became dominated by industrial concerns of the Taylor family, including the Don Valley Brick Works. The area from the Forks of the Don and