Does anyone know anything about THE KNOLL mansion handsworth rd,Sheffield?

[mickyboy]

I remember reading that it was the home of an Industrialist ? {Mr Craven} who owned the railway carriage company in Darnall / Kettle bridge area.

Apparently this company was resposible for a lot of local deaths due to the prolific use of asbestos in the manufacture of the old carriages.

The site of the factory was where the new houses are being built on Staniforth Road.

Not sure I got this info from but it does seen to ring true, and may be worth further investigation.

[SILLY]

Becky23

I assume you are Michaels daughter if you are could you please let me know as my husband is related and we are trying to get in touch with your dad. Have sent a pm

Edited April 14, 2009 by SILLY

[mickyboy]

There is actually an old photo showing the garden on the Sheffield libraries photo section.

It was then called "The Knowle" according to them.

 

 

 

themhttp://www.picturesheffield.com/database_search.php

Edited April 14, 2009 by mickyboy
Gave link to photo

[me-and-pippo]

There is actually an old photo showing the garden on the Sheffield libraries photo section.

It was then called "The Knowle" according to them.

 

 

 

themhttp://www.picturesheffield.com/database_search.php

Think this is what your pointing to mickboy .. The Knowle

Edited April 14, 2009 by me-and-pippo

[becky23]

this is AMAZING. mickyboy thankyou SO much for that picture! iv shown it dad and hes over the moon! it was hard 2 imagine the sunken garden he was describing to me when all i could see was a car park. He said this was just what it was like just not as tidy! and yes SILLY i am michael's daughter! can't believe this had helped make contact with my grandmas side of the family that I know so little about!

[Nise52]

I am from Handsworth and remember it being Sutherlands and then Quaker the house was used as offices. Can't remember anything being said about cravens, as my dad worked there for a while,.

[becky23]

Hi everyone, have rang the number for yfn group and they don't own any offices at The Knoll. Does anyone know who may own the house now? Are cars outside in the day? Or is it always locked up? Any sign really that it is still being used x

[SheffNiner]

I lived on the Triangle estate behind the Knoll in 60's/70's, .all my maternal family were Handsworth types. I remember my family, telling me during the war there was a barrage balloon and and a small army detachment to set it up sited in front of the big house..obviously there'll be no trace of that now. But I always wondred what or who owned the house

 

Obviously the Germans were trying to bomb the east end towards the steel works and in the blackout, Handsworths not that far away

 

n.b. a Bomb dropped accross the road about maybe 250 yards away towards Handsworth Avenue, so it obviously was sited in roughly the right place.

[hillsbro]

I went to look at The Knoll ten years ago when I was doing some local history/philatelic research. At that time you could gain access to the back, where I remember seeing the disused Sutherlands factory. What inspired me to go there was the discovery of some postcards, dating from 1901, addressed to a "Miss Monson" who was evidently a governess working for the Craven family. As "mickeyboy" wrote, The Knoll (or The Knowle) belonged to one of the Craven family - it was actually the residence of Ernest Craven, who together with his cousin John Alfred Craven owned the large metal-fabrications firm just down the road.

 

A scan of one of the postcards is here. The 1901 census return confirms that, at that time, Ernest Craven and his family lived at "The Knowle". The Cravens were still there in 1911 but they had moved out by 1925 - the directory of that year shows "Cuthbert Cooper, boot & shoe rivet manufacturer" resident at The Knoll, with "Brown Bayleys Golf Club Ground" at the back.

Edited April 22, 2009 by hillsbro

[becky23]

yes that is true, my dad and my uncle played on the barrage baloon! The base of it was still there when my dad lived there, and when they were investigating dug up many different military objects. That's so interesting thankyou! They did put it in the right place didn't they!