The Ponderosa - what was it?

[Lotti]

Hi,

 

I have been told that a victorian tip used to stand on the ponderosa, but what was there before?

 

Was it a stately home or what? I just wondered where the gate posts and walls came from.

 

I'd also love to see any photos/drawings of what used to be there if anyone has any information.

 

Thanks

[Lotti]

Or was it a factory? I can't find any info online but then I'm probably not looking in the right place!

[bluebird62]

Hi,

I have been told that a victorian tip used to stand on the ponderosa, but what was there before?

Was it a stately home or what? I just wondered where the gate posts and walls came from.

I'd also love to see any photos/drawings of what used to be there if anyone has any information.

Thanks

Where the so called pondarosa is now in the 50's was a road full of miners houses called RANSKILL ROW. At the side of ranskill row was another row of houses called PEACOCK ROW. 50 to 100 further on was a place called LITTLE WEMBLEY which consisted of 2 football pitchches, cricket ground and 2 pavillions [1 for cricket and 1 for football] plus a running track of sorts which was used for schools.The surrounding area of the above roads was a little area called the TINSLEY PARK WOODS which consist of the raft pond which was used for swiming and a pump pond which was used for fishing. All that area was aquired by the government for THE BRITISH STEEL, which was flattened and the PONDAROSA became the BRITISH STEEL ROLLING MILLS which was opened by the DUKE OF EDINBROUGH.

hope this helps you.

[Lotti]

Thanks for the info! My dad was questioning it the other day so thought I'd ask on here - I knew someone must know!

[cat631]

Hello Bluebird. Your description of Tinsley Park brought back a few memories. As kids, we used to play there during the school holidays. From Grimesthorpe we would walk via Holywell Road, through the Bogy arches, along Weedon Street, up by the side of Tinsley Wire, over the railway and canal and then Ranskill Road. The ponds you mention and nearby ditches, were full of frogs and toads, many of which finished up in our back garden. Do you remember the mushroom shaped water tower near the ponds?

Some of the ditches had brown weed growing in the water, we would scoop it out, squeeze it by the handful and shape it into dog turds and then delight in leaving them on neighbours doorsteps. Oh happy days.

[cat631]

Hello Lotti. I have an old map of the area, if you send your email address to my PM, I will copy it to you. It shows Ranskill Road or Row and New Row which later became Peacock Row.

[Treatment]

Where the so called pondarosa is now in the 50's was a road full of miners houses called RANSKILL ROW. At the side of ranskill row was another row of houses called PEACOCK ROW. 50 to 100 further on was a place called LITTLE WEMBLEY which consisted of 2 football pitchches, cricket ground and 2 pavillions [1 for cricket and 1 for football] plus a running track of sorts which was used for schools.The surrounding area of the above roads was a little area called the TINSLEY PARK WOODS which consist of the raft pond which was used for swiming and a pump pond which was used for fishing. All that area was aquired by the government for THE BRITISH STEEL, which was flattened and the PONDAROSA became the BRITISH STEEL ROLLING MILLS which was opened by the DUKE OF EDINBROUGH.

hope this helps you.

 

Ranskill Road and Peacock Row were two roads built to serve Tinsley Park Colliery.

My dad's side of the family all lived on Ranskill Road, as did Len Badger, the Sheffield United footballer. I believe that the two roads were demolished in approximately 1962. The houses ran off DC electricity which was generated by the pit. The end of Ranskill Road was situated just about opposite what my late dad used to call the ''locks'' (presumably the canal).

[Plain Talker]

so could we have an explanation, what does Tinsley have to do with the ponderosa at netherthorpe?

 

I can tell you that during the war, the ponderosa was a station for barrage balloons.

[Plain Talker]

lotti, behind the star and garter pub, it looked like this:-

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s20681

 

and this

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=t00439

 

fawcett street looked like this

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=t00491

this pic, is before teh maisonettes on fawcwett st were built (right hand side to the pic)http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=u01761

 

another shot from the early sixties, before demolition http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=u01761

this was bellefield house, on fawcett street, some years before industrialisation

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=y00749

that's what it looked like with the barrage balloons!

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s03554

 

more wartime barrage balloons

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s03559

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s03559 this is what martin street looked like before the high-rise flats

these houses were on oxford st http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s18497

 

I've been looking for a pic of the demolition of the houses that were there, for you, lotti, but I can't find them, I'm afraid.

[Lotti]

Thanks very much PT! I've seen the pics of the barrage balloons before and because it was described as 'Crookes Valley Recreation Area' I couldn't work out where it was!

 

Thanks very much - so was the first post about somewhere else?