Endcliffe park drinking fountain

[tony_santos]

Hmm, it appears that the general layout (as in the paths) have changed over the years, looks like i'll have to hit the books again!

 

And yes, i was wrong it was the GRAND hotel!

 

Will try and find some pictures if anybodys intrested?

[Steptoad]

Yes please, I am.

[pensionipper]

As far as I know the first pool you came to when approaching from Hunters Bar was, in the forties, a disused swimming pool. The next stretch of water was the boating lake which sported rowing boats and a motor boat(!) then, and the next was a lake with resident swans that had (has?) an island in the middle which we did manage to reach one hard winter when it froze over and some people were skating on it.

I never heard of boats on the old swimming pool. When I was a kid they once found a woman drowned there which may have prompted them to fill it in.

Just after the war they started to hold a fair on the 'rec' - fabulous!

[Beesa rider]

I lived on Riverdale Road through my childhood, late 50's - 60's. Endcliffe Park was our playground and during School holidays we spent every minute playing/exploring there.

Some memories of strange features like trips into the small square tunnel that was accessed from the river and went under Riverdale road to where ? Occupying the "long grass" - an unkempt area which was fenced off at the top side of the boating lake - now built up as Uni. Halls of residence.

Hiring a rowing boat then bravely mooring further down the pond, leaving the boat and running away.

The mysterious slate area which was later confirmed as the American plane crash site. Climbing impossibly tall trees and firing acorns at people from ridiculously dangerous aluminium bodied catapults. The old lady with the red velvet seated weigh scales, her pitch was by the small waterfall at the end of the boating lake. The swings by Rustlings Road where the "big boys" could get right up to the trees - the swings must have been suspended on 10 foot chains, deadly over a tarmac floor.

What about Sheffield Show, then an annual feature on the recreation ground at some point in our summer holidays. Included as part of the army display was the ack-ack gun which they let us have a go on - strange crank handles to move the barrel round. We used to climb over the temporary fences each day and wander the show picking up freebies (and possibly some not freebies!)

The "parkies" were always fun "Get off that bike" being the standard shout, imagine the response if they tried that these days.

 

Happy days

[Steptoad]

..... and the next was a lake with resident swans that had (has?) an island in the middle which we did manage to reach one hard winter when it froze over and some people were skating on it.

QUOTE]

We made it onto that island in the glorious summer of 76 when the pond was totally empty of water, we waded quickly through very thick, deep and sticky mud. If you stopped or moved slowly you sank and we were in fear of being sucked to our doom:(, fortunately that didn't happen

[Steptoad]

We always swam in that part of the river near the Hunters Bar entrance, behind the shelter and in the shade of a weeping willow tree. There's a small water fall there that's just a step, but the depth of water is about 6ft.

 

We always referred to that area as Dog S**t Valley as that was the name that had been spray painted onto the wall of the shelter.

 

I once lost a shoe in the water there, but found a WW2 gas mask, swings and roundabouts as they say.

 

I often wonder how much raw sewage we were swimming in back then.

[algy]

The whole layout of Hunters Bar was changed in the early 1950's, including the entrance to the park. The course of the river was changed to its present 'canalised' route. The drinking fountain stood where the river now runs, hence its removal.

I put some postcards from my collection on Photobucket for the people who are running the fund-raising for the children's playground. They're here if anyone is interested.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Algy/Playground%20group/

 

The drinking fountain had 3 drinking goblets on chains, and a drinking trough for dogs. It was presented in August 1889 by Mrs W. G. Blake in memory of her late father, Thomas Jessop

[pensionipper]

Hi Steptoad - glad to hear somebody made it to the island without the help of a 'proper' winter. We couldn't swim near Hunters Bar as it was not developed when we were of that age and the river was not stepped but ran on to near the road where it took a deep drop before disappearing under the road. There were iron bars on the tunnel to stop refuse from blocking the flow....

 

Hi Algy - the photo's are terrific!

[Steptoad]

Hi Steptoad - glad to hear somebody made it to the island without the help of a 'proper' winter. We couldn't swim near Hunters Bar as it was not developed when we were of that age and the river was not stepped but ran on to near the road where it took a deep drop before disappearing under the road. There were iron bars on the tunnel to stop refuse from blocking the flow....

 

I always find that tunnel, where the Porter leaves Endcliffe park aqnd goes under the road to the Alms houses, a bit creepy. It's definately the home of monsters, trolls and slime demons, or at least dirty great rats that live of babies and dropped ice creams.

[algy]

Hi Algy - the photo's are terrific!

Thanks for that. I'll try and post a few more when I get time. Endcliffe Woods as it was known was a real magnet for the postcard people. There are dozens if not hundreds, mostly from 1900-1910 era. There must be dozens of the stepping stones alone-with children playing, without children playing, in snow, and even by moonlight. One postcard goes over the top and shows the stones with children playing on them by moonlight! There are also some hand-coloured ones with trees in blossom that could only come from an LSD trip!