From Village to Suburb – New Book Published

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So much fascinating detail about places all around us”

For many centuries Fulwood was a small community, remote from Sheffield. Over the period covered by this book it was transformed into a suburb fully integrated into the City.

Focussing on the landowners, the builders and the people who lived in the new houses, the book gives a vivid picture of a diverse community over the 60 years up to the second world war.
Copies (cost £12.99) are available from

Fieldwork at Fullwood Hall 27/1/25

 FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP: Fieldwork at Fullwood Hall 27th January 2025 Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., G.C., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P., K.P.

  • Thanks to Alan’s connection with Fullwood Hall[1], we were able to explore one of its fields; it is south facing, rising steeply to meet its northern boundary on Harrison Lane

  • Our focus was a local belief that there was once a ‘tunnel’ between Bennet Grange and Fullwood Hall:
    • Chapter 20 of Fullwood Hall: The First 600 Years[2] provides a thorough exploration of the tunnel story
    • Clarke & Wilson (1987)[3] discuss Sheffield’s ‘Subterreanea’ (pp.22 -32). They suggest that a perceived connection between two points, (such as Fullwood Hall and Bennett Grange), can develop into a belief around a physical connection such as a passage or tunnel in local lore; they add that drains, sewers, mines and culverts may also feed into local tunnel lore
    • Frank Brindley, a Sheffield news photographer, wrote newspaper articles about Sheffield’s ‘Tunnel Mystery’ in the 1930s, including the ‘underground passage’ between Fullwood Hall and Bennett Grange
    • Hall (1974, p.18)[4], also refers to ‘a secret passage’ between the two houses
    • There is also a possible connection with priests’ escape tunnels dating from the Elizabethan era, of which there is reportedly evidence in the city centre; Hostombe and Crutch (2023, pp.16-17) discuss this in relation to Priest Hill across the valley
  • We were also informed by a Lidar map and by a Friends of the Porter Valley publication (2004)[5]; the following features identified in their Catalogue were of particular interest:
    • ‘Underground culvert’ in Bennett Grange grounds
    • ‘Possible lynchet’: a ‘short, well-defined bank’
    • Traces of possible hollow-way running E-W near the top of the field
    • Lynchet: ‘well-defined’, running N-S down the field
  • We began in the timber room, under which was a cellar identified as the place where the tunnel allegedly began; differences in flooring materials were noted
  • On reaching the field, we were joined by four curious horses who followed us for the first part of our investigation

  • Various features were noticed:
    • those listed above by FoPV (2004)
    • a paved pathway which is now almost obscured by earth and turf

    • boundaries: e.g. curved Bennett Grange east boundary drystone wall which may date from 18th century

    • waterways & intriguing humps & a rusted metal plate in the wall of Bennett Grange
    • terracing which took the form of parallel tracks on the north side of the steep bank; these were later identified as most likely to be “terracettes” – a form of soil creep that gets trodden down by animals to create narrow ridges

    • a sheep-through or sheep creep: ‘purpose-built rectangular holes set in walls to allow access by sheep…typically capped by a long stone lintel.’ [6]

[1] Hostombe, S. & Crutch, A. (2023). Fullwood Hall – The First 600 Years. Northend.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Clarke, D. and Wilson, R. (1987). Strange Sheffield: Legends, Folklore and Mysteries of Hallamshire.  Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena.

[4] Hall, M. (1974). More About Mayfield Valley and Old Fulwood. J. W. Northend Ltd.

[5] Friends of the Porter Valley (2004). Porter Valley Landscape History and Archaeology; Final Report. Ardron Unified Landscape Assessments.

[6] Ibid.

Notes on Old Fulwood

Colin Cooper wrote many short articles on aspects of Old Fulwood. Muriel Hall used some
of these in her book “More of the Mayfield Valley” and she noted that she was grateful to
Cooper’s widow for permission to use these. These two articles were found in the Central
Library and copied by Alan Crutch. He notes that he has not found them since.
Alan’s copies are photographs. I have used OCR to transcribe these in this PDF document.
There are some biographical details of Colin Cooper at the end of this paper.

The articles are here

Record of FHG Meeting 16/1/25

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 16th January 2025

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., G.C., A.H., M.G., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P., K.P.

Our first meeting of 2025 took place upstairs and included:

  1. Welcome & introductions to two new members who joined us this evening

 

  1. AC: discussed maps and plans relating to forthcoming group visit to Fullwood Hall grounds to investigate the reason for a local belief that there was once a ‘tunnel’ between Bennet Grange and Fullwood Hall; investigation of Fullwood Hall field to be arranged for later this month (AC)

 

  1. DA shared copies of a colleague’s photos and press clippings relating to his family who lived in Fulwood in the 20th century; these included:
  • Percy Lawson & Edith Hancock c.1930
  • Golf Cottage at top of Crimicar Lane
  • Ocean View Guesthouse
  • Fullwood Show early 1940s

 

  1. Maps/documents/discussion relating to development of housing on School Green Lane

 

  1. Group split into discussions around various topics including:
  • Scissors, Paper, Stone project
  • Whitham Road and its development/links to Crookes Rd and Fulwood Rd
  • Fulwood Spa
  • Local streams, brooks and underground waterways and their impact on Fulwood’s suburban landscape – land slippage etc.

 

  1. JB & AC’s visit to Sheffield City Archives earlier in week which included a look at:
  • Plimsoll Letters Patent
  • various items from the Fairbank Collection

 

  1. KP will follow up re transfer of Fulwood Church archive to Sheffield City Archives. DM/JB to follow up re passing Fulwood Society documents to Sheffield City Archives after AC has completed cataloguing them

 

  1. Next meeting February20th at Broomhill Library

 

Record of FHG Meeting 19/12/24

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 19th December 2024

Present: J.B., A.C., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P., K.P.

 Our final meeting of 2024 included discussion of:

  1. FHG’s social media and agreement to continue with website
  2. Developing links with other local groups, how they’re organised and comparison with FHG
  3. Whiteley Green area including Whiteley Woods Hall, Stanley Royle and the ‘stone-roller re-used as a gate-stoop…likely used during the Victorian Period for agricultural purposes, such as clod-crushing, compressing soils prior to sowing, and smoothing grasslands’ Pp.43-4 Porter Valley Landscape History Final Report. Ardron Unified Landscape Assessments. April 2004. https://www.fopv.org.uk/shop?Category=Reports
  4. Maps of the area dating to 1960s which the National Library of Scotland has added to their database recently
  5. Sheffield City Archives’ recent acquisitions: A Volume of Maps of the Township of Upper Hallam, Wm. Fairbank II, 1795 and Plans, Valuation and Descriptions of Houses, Warehouses and Workshops situate in the Township of Ecclesall Bierlow’, 1842
  6. The Crookesmoor Racecourse and how it passed through the Broomhill Library site
  7. D. M. shared several items he’d brought:
    1. Tradespeople in Sheffield, a directory of 1789; this sparked discussion of terms such as ‘anvilling’, hammering and smiths
    2. Walks in the Neighbourhood of Sheffield. Book published by Leader in 1830
    3. Report of the Sheffield Waterworks Failure Dale Dike or Bradfield Reservoir, May 1864; this included a record of the enquiry along with maps and diagrams

  1. Next meeting January 19th (tbc) at Broomhill Library
  2. Proposed visit to Sheffield City Archive in January – tbc

 

 

Record of FHG Meeting 21/11/24

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 21st November 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.G., M.L., D.M., K.P., J.P.

  1. This was the first meeting to take place at Broomhill Library since the early summer and we began with a look back at events etc. over the last few months including:
  • MG’s recent talk for the Ranmoor Society: Who Built St John’s Church?
  • FHG stall at Fulwood shops which took place the previous Saturday 16th
  • Recent publication of KP’s book From Village to Suburb: A history of Fulwood between 1880 and 1940
  1. We studied a set of BT maps of the area DM had brought dating from the 1950s/late 1960s:

  1. There was discussion of the conduit, and its small stone ‘stiles’ which could have supported the waterpipes; here’s a link to Ranmoor Society notes on the conduit and Hidden Sheffield Walks may also have information
  2. We talked about ethical issues associated with historical research
  3. General discussion included:
  • Comparisons between the trades of bricklaying and stonemasonry, from past and present perspectives
  • A look at DM’s book Wall-to-Wall History: The Story of Roystone Grange. R. Hodges (1991)
  • Styles of Sheffield church architecture
  • Sheffield’s connection with the Titantic
  • Scissors, Paper, Stone project
  • Wills as historical sources
  1. Next meeting December 19th at Broomhill Library

 

Record of FHG meeting 21/10/2

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 21st October 2024

Present: J.B., A.C., D.M., C.M., K.P.

Ringinglow Ramble Part II

October’s meeting took the form of fieldwork around the Ringinglow area, building on our first Ringinglow walk in June. Our main focus was the mines and quarries of the area. Throughout our walk, DM referred us to the report From Cairns to Craters: Conservation Heritage Assessment of Burbage (Bevan, B. 2006. Moors for the Future) which contains information relating to features we looked at. See also Friends of the Porter Valley’s publication Mining and Quarrying in the Porter Valley – Delving into the Past (Peter Kennett, 2006) which provides details of most of the features we looked at.

  1. We met at the layby opposite the Norfolk Arms where we began by looking at AC’s copy of Burdett’s 1791 Map of Derbyshire
  2. We headed west towards Sheephill Road, passing the site of the old Weigh House and weigh bridge – see notes from June’s Ringinglow Ramble
  3. We took a short diversion over the stile on Sheephill Road and into Barberfield and the Limb Valley to revisit the site of former mines and remains of spoil heaps (see Bevan, 2006). We discussed the alignment of the Roman Road between Brough and Templeborough, how it may well have run across this area and recent archaeological work on this – a focus for a future walk.
  4. After returning to Sheephill Road, we crossed over to the Houndkirk Road which leads to Stanage Pole. A couple of hundred metres along the track, (what3words) there are a number of embedded stones which appear to have a range of marks cut into them, one of which is a benchmark-type symbol. It was suggested that this could be connected with the military, who were active in this area during WWII.
  5. After following the boundary of Lady Canning’s Plantation round to the northwest, we crossed Ringinglow Road and followed the track leading north to Brown Edge Quarries. Immediately to right of the footpath, we passed the sites of bell pits which were obscured by the heather and bracken. We heard about scars in the land left by peat workings and the remains of Kelly’s House, all of which lie to the west side of the footpath. For information on Kelly’s House, see AC’s December ’23 post on this website: Ringinglow People: Henry Kelly
  6. Heading up to Brown Edge, we passed the site of a WWII bomb crater.
  7. We then dropped down over the edge and walked in a roughly westerly direction towards Brown Edge Quarries. On the way, AC pointed out possible boundary stones marking the former Derbyshire/Yorkshire border. See Alan’s Substack piece ‘Searching for Knaves’ to find out more.
  8. We reached the Brown Edge quarry complex, ‘the most extensive in the [Porter Valley]’ (page 6, Kennett, 2006). It dates from at least 1715 and was still in use in the early twentieth century when Henry Hancock was the owner. The different types of stone extracted were suitable for various aspects of building such as walls, roof tiles, flagstones and paving stones. AC discovered what may have been a quarrymen’s shelter in the rock as well as an intriguing hole which seemed to have been built into the turf.
  9. A rainbow led our walk back to the layby along Ringinglow Road
  10. Next meeting November 21st at Broomhill Library

 

 

Record of FHG meeting 19/9/24

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 19th September 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.G., M.L., S.L., D.M., C.M., K.P., J.P.

September’s meeting took place at Fulwood Church where we looked through the church’s archive. This included documents, photos, publications dating from the 19th century to recent times.

Takeaways from the evening:

  • Surprise at the range and extent of the material which gave an insight not only into the church, but also the history of Fulwood as a whole – and so the importance of preserving this archive (it’s to be deposited in Sheffield Archives)
  • The materials gave an insight into local attitudes, concerns and priorities e.g. the vicar’s report of 1880 and from 1919 there were descriptions of strikes at the end of the war
  • General consensus that the archive contains fascinating material and it would be good to look at it again in more detail.

Documents of note included:

  • The church accounts which indicated the connection which existed between Fulwood Church and Ranmoor St. John’s, in spite of tensions existing between the two:
    • Both vicars in the 1890s were Freemasons and on good terms
    • In the 1890s many donations to Fulwood were made from those who rented pew sittings at Ranmoor e.g. James Dixon and Frederick Thorpe Mappin
    • Both churches have windows donated by Freemasons containing Masonic symbols
    • Despite the different church traditions between them, they both seemed to have been supported by the same people to a significant extent
  • The recipe book of 1935 which contained not only interesting recipes but also two essays which define very clearly the evangelical nature of Fulwood worship
  • The photo albums which contained a number of interesting images: e.g. picture of the vicarage (where Newfield Court apartments stand), view down Brooklands Avenue towards Brookhouse Hill which predates the Co-op/photos of remembered schoolteachers
  • The record of the church’s missionary work in the 1960s/70s
  • The national (church) school log book
  • 1946 record of the contents Fulwood Road’s Guildhall when these were being donated to the church
  • Documents relating to the 20th century development of St Luke’s on Blackbrook Road e.g. with use of a hut from Redmires Camp, the need for permanent premises as the suburb grew
  • Information relating to chapel at Ringinglow

Next meeting tbc

 

 

Heritage Open Days: Sports in Fulwood

Heritage Open Days 2024: Sporting Fulwood 14th September

Here’s a summary of FHG’s guided walk around sites associated with sports in Fulwood

  1. We began on Old Fulwood Road where AC provided historical background from Saxon and Medieval times to the twentieth century – see Alan Crutch’s article on our website: link here
  2. Staying on Old Fulwood Road, we looked at how the former Blacksmith’s Arms/Hammer & Pincers, (now 4 Old Fulwood Road), played a significant role in local sport. Cricket and football teams were associated with the beer house and the Blacksmith’s Arms was a location for sporting activity too, probably on the field which lay behind the pub. 19th and early 20th century maps refer to this field as ‘School Green’ e.g. this one from 1894 (National Library of Scotland).From 1938, maps show the ‘new’, straight section of Fulwood Road running across this former sporting green. In the nineteenth century, teams in the main were made up of the local farming community. By the beginning of WWII, however, teams reflected how Fulwood had become a suburb, with members drawn from a wider area and from ‘white collar’ professions. The Health Authority Sports facilities, tennis courts and old sports hut are evidence of Old Fulwood Road’s 20th century sporting association.
  3. We also touched on Porter Valley sports such as swimmingand skating (see 1938 film footage Yorks. Film Archive) & Sheffield Independent 5th February 1912, boating – e.g. 1963 rescue . There was also model boat sailing on Wire Mill Dam which caused distress to local people. A Fulwood Society newsletter of 1972 stated that ‘the noise [made by the engines of the model boats] is so loud as to be heard more than half a mile away. We are not in favour of interfering with the way people spend their leisure hours but this excess noise is causing people who live nearby to feel ill and one family has had to move to another, quieter home’. The range of the noise these caused was confirmed by a group member. We drew on Chris Massey’s recollections of skiing, which took place further up the valley – see this link to Chris’ post on our website.
  4. We moved a little further west to the Scout Hut/Farmer’s Guild area to consider more widely how sports reflected social history and change and hear recollections of games played in the area around Fulwood Church and of the  former Brooklands Tennis Club. We heard how the history of sport in Fulwood and how it was enjoyed and organised reflects the changing nature of Fulwood itself. From a small community or communities of people in even more specific localities such as Goole Green or Stumperlowe, etc., 4 miles west of the town of Sheffield, Fulwood became an affluent residential suburb; and so the change from the less formal teams of local people, playing on the pub or church sports fields, to works teams organised by business owners who had moved into the area as Sheffield prospered and grew. These teams themselves probably comprised mainly of people living outside the community. Then the private members clubs developed, founded during subsequent waves of residential settlement. This has been a fairly rapid change, and probably some overlap between these different communities.
  5. We crossed over to the corner of Fulwood Road and Stumperlowe Lane where we learned about the extensive Rogers and Dixons works sports grounds which had stood on either side of Stumperlowe Lane and reflect on the role of large employers in supporting participation in sport for their workers.
  6. We walked past the Fulwood War Memorial and turned up to Chorley Road and Fulwood Sports Club where we heard about its history and buildings.
  7. The final location of our tour was Hallam Grange Sports Club, hearing of its connection with W.E. Harrisons, a renowned firm of steeplejacks founded in 1845 (and still running now). In 1923 they set up a tennis club at the top of Slayleigh Lane, with the clear intent of it being usable by the local community as well as employees of the company. Table tennis was also played. Perhaps unusual at the time women and families were equally welcomed to play, and to join the organising committee. By the 1960s the facilities were getting tired, and the Harrisons sold further land to enable the club to move to its current site further down Slayleigh Lane. This also gave space for bowls. The club had/has an excellent crown green lawn, despite the difficulties of a high and exposed site. Visitors on the walk discussed how the development of this club reflected changes in society during the first part of the 20th Century, illustrated by the club’s continuing balance of social and competitive sports.