Anyone know the history of Broadfield Road?

[Lotusflower]

I thought you may like this extract from Chantry Land by Harold Armitage.

 

It was first published in 1910 and contains the memories of an old gentleman. A wonderful read if only for the beautiful use of language.

 

Over the Sheaf, at the bottom of what until recently was Sheaf Street and is now Gleadless Road, was a stone bridge, whence the loiterer might see pleasing views of cornfields and wooded hills, meadows, and, under alders, enchanting pools where the trout leapt for the May fly.

It was indeed early on a fine May morning that Ebenezer Rhodes came this way to write his last tour for "Peak Scenery," and he mentions, " the little village of Heeley, the River Sheaf babbling and sparkling amongst shades of elms, poplars and alders."

In those days Little London Dam was very much larger, and Rhodes's reference is to, " a noble sheet of water, of many acres."

 

Given the history of flooding in that area is this a natural flood plain?

[BLITZER]

As lads,we went to Meersbrook park via the steep hill down by the Abbeydale cinema,and across the river,passing on the way Little London Place. Is that still there?Must be at least 50 years since I was last in that area. Glad to read that Heeley baths are still going strong,I learned to swim there as a school boy,and had a few slipper baths later on.

[PeterRM]

Keithwbb :Yes I remember the Walkers chip shop and the sweet shop further up where I used to buy spangles and fruit salad.I went to school with Lynne Congreave her dad worked at the rag and bone yard on Tamplin Road Just below me in the next yard down The Foggs The Mccleans and The Greens lived.The more you write the more you remember good times!

[fedex]

is the dairy still there with the cow in the window we used to think it was real and thats where all the milk came from and the clinic it was always cold big old fashioned scales.

[SputnikBoy]

Once again I read the posts on a thread that triggers places and events in my memory banks of forty-some years ago.

 

I was apprenticed to a small motor trimming firm by the name of (Leonard) Jones & (John) Robey. This was one of those businesses someone previously referred to that was tucked away up one of those 'alleys'. While I'm not 100% sure I believe it was located in Tamplin Road. The street name had previously escaped me until someone mentioned it on the thread. I remember being told that the premises of the business were once a horse stable back in the days of yore.

 

From memory there was a 'canal' of sorts at the end of Tamplin Road. During a flood that occurred around 1961, I was one of scores of sightseers who were held spellbound as a home on the flood eroded embankment broke up like a doll's house and fell into the raging waters below. We all looked on, helpless to do anything except to be absolutely stunned to silence as the remains of home and interior washed away downstream. Oh my.

 

I've looked at maps of this area and I can't seem to locate Tamplin Road at all. Does it exist any more? I also can't make too much sense from the map as to the route I used to take every weekday morning to and from work. Yes, since I was young at the time and life since then has taken me all over the world my memory is rather vague on place names. Usually my recall IS pretty sharp but I'm having real difficulties correlating places on the map with my actual memory of them. At the same time I feel a strong desire to know. I’m not sure why.

 

On my way home from work to my home in Gleadless Valley (and, of course, a reversal of this routine on my way TO work from home) I would walk down (was it Broadfield Road?) and cross a stone (?) bridge on the right that spanned the canal. This led to the two rather grotty looking industrial buildings - I believe they have already been mentioned on this thread - and the rather grim pedestrian walkway between them. This then brought me to a road which swung to my immediate right (there was a dead-end on my immediate left as I recall) and a train track and a bridge directly ahead of me. I would pass underneath the bridge and soon came to …was it Little London Road?

 

From there I would cross over Little London Road (?), branch right briefly and then turn left at an adjoining road (no idea of the name) where, further up, a kindergarten or a nursery school was situated on the right. I seem to remember that the school was situated in or beside a smallish park or similar. It was here that my little sister would spend most of her weekdays. At this point I would generally meet up with my mother, who also worked. From here we three would continue on until we came to a rather steep hill on the right …Scarsdale Road perhaps? Once at the top we would wait for the bus to take us to Gleadless Valley. I seem to recall that Graves Park was only a ten minutes or so drive away at this point.

 

Does this particular route ring a bell with anyone? It could be that I have some or all of the street names wrong. Anyway, I’d be much obliged if someone can help with any information that they can provide. As I say, I have a need to know.

 

By the way, should Skippy see this post, I wonder if he might be able to PM me? The info I had re his whereabouts died several computers ago.

[DUFFEMS]

SputnikBoy,

 

Your description is correct about the route and the road names. The nursery you mentioned was one which was located alongside Meersbrook Park, lots of younger children went there whilst their mothers worked, it later became a Welfare Clinic or there was a Welfare Clinic at the side of it, this was where expectant mothers would receive their anti-natal care and collect their allowance of orange juice!

Behind the nursery were the tennis courts located in Meersbrook Park and then the park rose very steeply towards Cliffe Field Road where the top entrance to the park was.

The stone bridge over the canal which you mentioned was in fact the bridge over the river Sheaf which often flooded, this route took you through the two works buildings and then out through Little London Road and under the railway bridge (which is still there) and onto Chesterfield Road, once across there your route would take you up Meersbrook Park Road alongside the nursery as I've just mentioned.

Broadfield Road buildings have mostly gone with just the swimming baths remaining and the odd one or two buildings which seem to be used for second-hand furniture.

I can't recall Tamplin Road but, I'll look to see if there are any old maps showing it.

Presumably, when you lived at Gleadless valley it was recently built?

I just thought I'd put your mind at rest that you have the detail correct so that you don't ponder on it all day!

Duffems

[royalscam]

Sputnikboy

 

I think the steep road you refer to after Meersbrook Park may well be Bishopscourt Road.You would have been able to catch a bus to Gleadless Valley at the top.

[DUFFEMS]

Yes,

Bishopscourt Road was very steep and there was a bus stop around the corner at the top near Bishops House.

All Meersbrook kids must have had good leg muscles as there were so many steep roads, Kent Road/ Upper Albert Road/Scarsdale Road being such roads.

[PeterRM]

Just for info Tamplin road was/is at the top of Broadfield Road not far from the Broadfield hotel as a reference ,at the Abbeydale road end.There is a picture of it on the Sheffield library archive.On the Sheffield tram archive is a picture no192 of a tram passing the end of Broadfield Road and Sheldon Road with a view of Sabins paper shop on the corner of Broadfield Road.The internet it's a marvel!!!!!

[SputnikBoy]

Wow. Thanks for the responses to my post. One thing I never mentioned – although I did mention this on one or two previous posts from about 18 months ago – is that I’m presently located in Townsville, QLD, Australia. I’ve been here for the past 20-some years but I was previously a long-term resident of the U.S.A., Kansas to be precise. So, it’s been many moons ago since I had anything to do with Broadfield Road or the environs of Gleadless Valley Estate. Hence the problem I have in trying to piece locations together with present-day maps that seem to be incomplete.

 

DUFFEMS, you filled in one or two memory gaps and I appreciate that. Does that nursery school in Meersbrook Park still exist? The little sister that mom and I would collect from the nursery every weekday afternoon is now a mother herself of two late-teens. They live in a suburb of Melbourne. Mom, unfortunately, passed away about 3 years ago in Caloundra, QLD.

 

Is the canal in Broadfield Road still there? I guess it would have to be since rivers are not so easily demolished, rebuilt, or diverted. How about the stone bridge and the walkway between the two industrial buildings? Were the buildings themselves demolished?

 

Yes, we moved to Gleadless Valley as it was in the process of being built. I still recall the address. It was 41 Ironside Road. They had basically only just removed the wrapping paper from the estate. It was a brand new and a very exciting place for kids of my age.

 

Thanks for the post, royalscam. You are absolutely correct about the steep road I referred to as being Bishopscourt Road. Do you realize that I haven’t seen or heard that name since mom, little sister and I walked it all those years ago? Is it still pretty much the same or have there been some great changes made? Can one still get the bus to Gleadless Valley at the top of Bishopscourt Road?

 

Hello PeterRM. Is it possible that Tamplin Road could have actually disappeared from the map? I’d love to see the photograph you mentioned of the tram passing the end of Broadfield Road and Sheldon Road with a view of Sabin’s paper shop on the corner of Broadfield Road. When I was apprentice with Jones and Robey, Len Jones would while away the first half-hour or so of almost every day ‘shooting the breeze’ with Tom Sabin, the newsagent. I seem to recall that Tom was a relatively young man, late 20's/early 30's perhaps, possibly of Indian descent. A couple of people have previously referred to Sabin’s paper shop. Surely it no longer exists …especially under that name?

 

Thanks again guys. If there is anything else you can think of that may be of interest to someone who hasn’t seen the area for well over 40 years, please post it.