 Before the park was created, the area had been used for farmland and small industrial sites, which had been built to take advantage of the power provided by the river.The Ecclesall corn mill—remnants of which can be seen at the north of the park—is recorded as early as 1299, when it was given by Robert de Ecclesall to the monks of Beauchief Abbey.The Skargell or Bartin wheel was located on the site of the present-day boating lake.