Wicker Arches

[Arfer Mo]

During the Second World War, the outer arches on both sides, were bricked up to form air raid shelters.

 

I was told, that on the night of the Sheffield Blitz, when the Wicker was badly damaged, many people were killed in the makeshift shelters, due to suffocation, caused by the air being sucked from the shelters when the bombs exploded.

How true this is, I do not know.

The pedestrian arches were bricked with open zig zag entrances ,no chance

of suffocation, there were no doors fitted.

[seriessix]

The Hole in the wall pub was just past the car show rooms on Savile st.

 

So not on the wicker then - there must of been some pubs along there in the 50's/60's?

[poppins]

I use to work in a very small place in the Wicker, run by some Jewish brothers, I think it was a textile firm, i just answered the phones, apart from that I don't really recall many place, pubs or shops being there, it was like a dead part of Sheffield, there were other factories there but they were all past the Wicker, not right near the archers.

[Falls]

Hi,

 

Wicker Pubs

 

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

 

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

 

The Hole in the Wall pub was not in the Wicker but on Saville Steet, next to Henry Matthews saw mill. Bentley's showroom was closer to the Arches. On the other side of the pub was a small brewery type business that made vinegar.

 

Bombing of the Wicker Arches(?)

 

During the blitz (12 December raid) I was in a shelter with my parents under Viner's cutlery works on Andrews Street. When Viners moved out , this building was kept and made part of Snow & Co. I have been told that has recently been pulled down.

 

While in the shelter, I remember a big explosion and all the doors blew open with the blast. I was told that a bomb had gone through Wicker Arches and blown up on the road below. If it didn't actually go through the arch, it certainly was close. The top of the arch had a masonry parapet made up of very big blocks of sand stone. I think some of these were dislodge with the bomb and the rest were removed later for safety. All these stone blocks were just dumped on various vacant sites in the Wicker Area and were there until the sites were redeveloped, starting in the late 50s.

 

 

Regards

[seriessix]

Hi,

 

Wicker Pubs

 

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

 

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

 

The Hole in the Wall pub was not in the Wicker but on Saville Steet, next to Henry Matthews saw mill. Bentley's showroom was closer to the Arches. On the other side of the pub was a small brewery type business that made vinegar.

 

Bombing of the Wicker Arches(?)

 

During the blitz (12 December raid) I was in a shelter with my parents under Viner's cutlery works on Andrews Street. When Viners moved out , this building was kept and made part of Snow & Co. I have been told that has recently been pulled down.

 

While in the shelter, I remember a big explosion and all the doors blew open with the blast. I was told that a bomb had gone through Wicker Arches and blown up on the road below. If it didn't actually go through the arch, it certainly was close. The top of the arch had a masonry parapet made up of very big blocks of sand stone. I think some of these were dislodge with the bomb and the rest were removed later for safety. All these stone blocks were just dumped on various vacant sites in the Wicker Area and were there until the sites were redeveloped, starting in the late 50s.

 

 

Regards

 

 

Very interesting - thanks!

[nanrobbo]

I don't know if this true but I was told, as a child, that Grandads horses were stabled under the Wicker Arches- my Grandad was an ostler in the army and always worked with horses after wards so this could have been a true tale.

[pressy]

The repair of the hole in the roof was a temporary one after the bomb failed to explode...... the workmen did such a good job in such a short time with the temp repair that it was left.

[tosh13]

Tosh,Regards the elephants story that is TOSH

It's only what I was told ,did not know if it was true,the arches in our garage were big enough though.

[depoix]

Hi,

 

Wicker Pubs

 

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

 

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

 

 

 

 

Regards

wasnt the new inn you mentioned known as the little white lion ? and the bull and oak was accross the road next to the brown cow, the licencee of the brown cow once told me that the pub had the second oldest licence in sheffield

[Falls]

wasnt the new inn you mentioned known as the little white lion ? and the bull and oak was accross the road next to the brown cow, the licencee of the brown cow once told me that the pub had the second oldest licence in sheffield

 

Yes, the pub next to Schweiters (not sure if I have the spelling right) was the White Lion, now that I think about it.

 

I remembered that there was another pub on the other side of the Wicker (in addition to the Brown Cow) but had totally forgotten the name: Bull and Oak sounds about right. Wasn't this a small place with two bay windows and the entrance in between? Didn't Balfour's canteen used to be between the pubs?

The Bull and Oak and the Canteen used to be set back from the rest of the buildings around there.

 

Although I lived in the Wicker area until I was almost 24, I only ever went into the Station Hotel (a relative was the licensee at the time) and even then they wouldn't serve me anything but soft drinks.