Sheen Parish Council

The ancient parish of Sheen lies in the north-east of the county on the boundary with Derbyshire. It was originally 2,893 a. in area, but an adjustment of its western boundary with Fawfieldhead civil parish in 1934 reduced it to 2,875 a. (1,164 ha.). (fn. 1) Three and a half miles from north to south and at its widest 2 miles from east to west, the parish is bounded on the east by the river Dove, which forms the county boundary, and on the west by the river Manifold. The shorter northern and southern boundaries run along minor valleys. Sheen, which remains rural in character, has been described as 'one immense hill'. (fn. 2) The land rises from 711 ft. (271 m.) at Hulme End in the south-west corner to 1,116 ft. (340 m.) at Knowsley in the north on the ridge forming Sheen moor. The ridge has a steep escarpment to the Dove on the east, but the land falls less steeply to the Manifold on the west. Sheen Hill at the south end of the ridge rises to 1,247 ft. (380 m.). It is the uppermost of a series of hard bands of sandstone, known as the Sheen Beds, in the Millstone Grit which underlies the parish. (fn. 3) The land continues to slope steeply to the Dove in the southern part of the parish, with a spur projecting south-westward and providing the site of Sheen village. The soil is loam over clay, and there is alluvium along the Manifold. (fn. 4) In 1611 it was stated at the manor court that Sheen was mostly 'cold, stony, barren ground' and during the winter was 'commonly so troubled with winds, frosts, and snow as cattle cannot endure to stay thereupon'. (fn. 5) Stone is the usual local building material.