Life on the waters of the Sutton Mill Dam during Spring and early Summer of 2007

The Waterfall at the Sutton Mill Dam aka 'The Wash' photographed in November 2009

For many years a visit to the Wash was a great attraction for many Sutton families as Frank Bamber describes in his memoirs, 'Clog Clatters of Old Sutton':

  The word Wash meant a lot to us small children. It spelled out picnics during the hot summer days especially at weekends and holiday times. The Wash was the name [that] the waterfall and the old water mill was known by, to countless Sutton children. Lads and Lasses pushing trolleys and go chairs containing toddlers and babies. And packed in the trolleys were bottles of water and sometimes (if you were one of the lucky ones) a couple of pop bottles...and also the jam and treacle butties all to be enjoyed when this haven of delight was reached.  

The Sutton Mill Dam photographed frozen in February 2007

The recent history of the Mill Dam dates back to 1976 when then owners British Sidac applied for permission to fill it with industrial waste. Concerned local residents formed the Sutton Mill Dam Action Group to protest against the plans. As a result of the local community's campaign, the waste storage proposals were rejected, St.Helens Council acquired the site and commissioned Operation Groundwork (which became the Groundwork Trust) to redevelop the site. East Sutton Angling Club also did a lot of good work to keep the Dam clean and the fishermen installed many fishing 'pegs' or platforms. (More here)

It was decided at the outset that natural recovery would be encouraged as opposed to artificial landscaping and the success of the project was recognised on May 24th, 1988 when HRH Prince Charles visited Sutton Mill Dam to the delight of a crowd of 200 onlookers.

A view of the Mill Dam lake towards the east bridge by Leach Lane

Like the lake in Sherdley Park, the Mill Dam usually has a pair of mute swans in residence as well as grey herons and great crested grebes. If you’re lucky you might witness one of the swans flying the whole length of the Dam with its wings making a loud, throbbing waou waou sound. This is often as part of a coordinated movement with other birds and is quite a spectacle!

A mute swan and cygnets on the water of the Sutton Mill Dam

A grey heron can often be seen standing on the branches of a fallen tree on the Mill Lane side of the Dam with its neck stretched out, standing motionless as it stalks its food, often fish or young wildfowl. In 2006 there was a family of three to be observed. One local reported that he’d once seen a heron swoop on an unsuspecting young moorhen and carry it off in its beak!

Mother moorhen feeds its young on Sutton Mill Dam (left) A very young great-grested grebe (right)

A pair of great crested grebes, one of the more elegant waterbirds, have been on the Mill Dam for the past three years. Visitors often witness their elaborate courtship display in which they rise out of the water and shake their heads at one another. The grebes initially carry their new-born on their backs as the mute swans do with their young cygnets. Mum and Dad grebe can regularly be observed diving into the waters of the Sutton Mill Dam for fish for their babes. Their young’s stripey head and neck does give them a certain pyjama look, or is it toothpaste! Totally bald they’ve yet to grow their distinctive ornate head plumes which in the past have been a great attraction for hunters and which almost led to the great crested grebes becoming extinct.

At the west side of the Dam, beyond the foot bridge, there is a marshy area containing willow scrub and alder trees. Reed bunting birds can sometimes be seen here.

 I went for a walk around Mill Dam in Sutton the other day and I can honestly say that I would rather have walked in a sewer. The place is a disgrace 

 Over the last five years, Sutton Mill Dam has gone from a place to be proud of to a place that is anything but. 

Four fluffy cygnets on Sutton Mill Dam photographed in June 2007

There is enormous community affection for Sutton Mill Dam. It was created as a wildlife nature park as a result of community action and remains an important part of Sutton life.

More On This Website About Sutton Mill Dam:

Heritage:  Picturesque Sutton;  Memories of Sutton - 'Catching Sticklebacks in the Mill Dam' by Ken Whittaker;

Beauty Blog Posts:  Sutton Mill Dam Back in Great Shape  (16/7/2008);
Springwatch at Sutton Mill Dam (7/6/2007);  Sutton Mill Dam Health Check (26/3/2007);