Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 19^th September 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.G., M.L., S.L., D.M., C.M., K.P., J.P.

September’s meeting took place at Fulwood Church where we looked through the church’s archive. This included documents, photos, publications dating from the 19^th century to recent times.

Takeaways from the evening:

• Surprise at the range and extent of the material which gave an insight not only into the church, but also the history of Fulwood as a whole – and so the importance of preserving this archive (it’s to be deposited in Sheffield Archives)
• The materials gave an insight into local attitudes, concerns and priorities e.g. the vicar’s report of 1880 and from 1919 there were descriptions of strikes at the end of the war
• General consensus that the archive contains fascinating material and it would be good to look at it again in more detail.

Documents of note included:

• The church accounts which indicated the connection which existed between Fulwood Church and Ranmoor St. John’s, in spite of tensions existing between the two:
  • Both vicars in the 1890s were Freemasons and on good terms
  • In the 1890s many donations to Fulwood were made from those who rented pew sittings at Ranmoor e.g. James Dixon and Frederick Thorpe Mappin
  • Both churches have windows donated by Freemasons containing Masonic symbols
  • Despite the different church traditions between them, they both seemed to have been supported by the same people to a significant extent
• The recipe book of 1935 which contained not only interesting recipes but also two essays which define very clearly the evangelical nature of Fulwood worship
• The photo albums which contained a number of interesting images: e.g. picture of the vicarage (where Newfield Court apartments stand), view down Brooklands Avenue towards Brookhouse Hill which predates the Co-op/photos of remembered schoolteachers
• 
• The record of the church’s missionary work in the 1960s/70s
• The national (church) school log book
• 1946 record of the contents Fulwood Road’s Guildhall when these were being donated to the church
• Documents relating to the 20^th century development of St Luke’s on Blackbrook Road e.g. with use of a hut from Redmires Camp, the need for permanent premises as the suburb grew
• 
• Information relating to chapel at Ringinglow

Next meeting tbc

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 15^th August 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.L., K.P.

August’s meeting was to take the form of a walk-through of the Heritage Open Days tour but due to the wet and chilly weather, it took place under cover at the Rising Sun.

We produced a plan for this year’s guided walk – Sporting Fulwood (14^th September):

1. Old Fulwood Road:
   1. AC historical background
   2. 4/Blacksmith’s Arms/Hammer & Pincers – bowling green?, location for sporting competitions – pigeon shooting and venue for Hallamshire Hunt annual dinner in April 1863
   3. Before construction of ‘new’ section of Fulwood Road – field behind pub used for sports
   4. 1854 ‘capital cricket club’
   5. 1860 Hallam FC
   6. Willow Football Club 1886
   7. Porter Valley sports at Forge Dam, Wire Mill Dam, Jacob’s Ladder: boating – e.g. 1963 rescue Neville Haigh & Dick Hill (DM), model boats (F. Soc newsletters), swimming. skating (see 1938 film footage Yorks. Film Archive) & Sheffield Independent 5th February 1912 .  skiing (Yorks Film Archive footage from 1938 & F. Soc newsletters from 1970s/80s and C.M. recollections)
   8. Health Authority Sports facilities, tennis courts, old hut

2. Move onto Fulwood Road, near to Guild Hall for view across road of site of former sports fields:
   1. Works grounds: Joseph Rogers (cricket ground), Cornish Works, Dixons 1920s, DA’s recollection re great grandmother’s brothers playing cricket at Round Stubbin – could have been within current churchyard? DM’s aunt – hockey
   2. Transport provided by firms
   3. Motivation for this – avoid Communism, drink and preparation for war
   4. FC&SSCC: Fulwood Church & Sunday School Cricket Club
   5. Key roles of church and pubs in supporting participation in sports
   6. Brooklands Avenue tennis club

3. Cross road to verge at bottom of Stumperlowe Hall Road to walk between two former sports grounds and note former Bowling Green House

Google Maps 2024

4. Turn left into Slayleigh Lane and to Fulwood Sports Club
5. Walk up to Hallam Grange Lawn Tennis Club: ML
6. Review – incl. social/political aspects:
7. Changes over time: reflecting changes in demographic/population as Fulwood moved from rural community into suburban – inclusivity/exclusivity
8. Handouts? Maps? Laminated images to show/share?
9. Next meeting 19^th September: meet at Broomhill Library for debrief and plan ahead – walks, meetings, projects and events

Record of meeting 20^th June 2024

Present: J.B., A.C., M.L., D.M.

Ringinglow Ramble Part I

For this summer solstice evening’s meeting we explored aspects of Ringinglow. AC has written four pieces about Ringinglow which are available on the FHG website – see reference list at end of these notes. The area has been known/recorded as ‘Ringin Lowe, Ringing Lawe’ and ‘Ringinglowe’, (see Harvey, 2001 for etymology and Crutch, 2023 for ancient historical background). Until around the early 20^th century, this was an industrial as well as farming area. It included quarries, mines, a wire mill and Copperas House.

1855 (click on image for link to map) Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/

1898 Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/

1924 (click on image for link to map) Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland  https://maps.nls.uk/

1947 (click on image for link to map) Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/→

1. We met at the layby opposite the Norfolk Arms; tractors were passing frequently between Sheephill Road and Hangram Lane as they transported hay – a process which had been going on from early that morning. Go back a hundred or so years and this would have been a similar scene on a dry June evening, but with horses pulling the hay wagons: Hall, 1974 contains photos of early twentieth century haymaking at Bole Hill Farm land and Brown Hills Field
2. We looked for evidence (e.g. boundary walls, types of vegetation) of the Weigh House which used to stand at this corner (Crutch 2023)
3. We also considered the evidence of mining and source of the Limb Brook in Lady Canning’s Plantation and the ‘Ring of Firs’ a little further west from the Ringinglow cross roads (see Hall 1974 and Crutch 2023)

Firs and bulge in wall 1855 and present

           Google Maps

1855 map reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/

4. We then walked round the corner onto Sheephill Road and crossed the stile into Barberfields to look at evidence of coal mining, the remains of Copperas House and other features: DM pointed out the spoil heap and referred us to FoPV report August 2006; AC shared maps and information; there are remains rail tracks but we didn’t explore that far

We discussed roads and tracks in the area:

1. important links between Derbyshire, Cheshire, Manchester and Sheffield
2. transportation of goods such as lead (Smeltings Farm nearby)
3. the evidence of Roman roads, the Houndkirk Road, Ringinglow as a turnpike road, how roads developed and became more or less significant (see Hall & Blackwell, 1972 pp 20-21 and Crutch 2023)

5. We retraced our steps over the stile and considered the buildings edging Sheephill Road

1. 1. Moor Cottage – formerly Moorcot/Moorcott- which was built on the site of Moorcock Hall in 1911, according to Hall, 1974, p. 38
   2. The Mission – formerly Ringinglow Church (Crutch 2023 and pages 39-40 of Hall 1974)
   3. The Round House (Crutch 2023 and Hall & Blackwell 1972, pp 20-21)
   4. The ‘low’ suffix of Ringinglow indicates a large pile of stones which could have been a barrow (Harvey, 2001); Crutch, (2023), suggests a site for these stones could lie somewhere between the present day Moor Cottage and The Norfolk Arms

6. We crossed Ringinglow Road and looked at evidence of the former wire mill; a resident of the cottage kindly showed us the outbuildings where the milling took place (see Crutch 2023)

We noticed the signs carved into the kerbstones on the corner of Ringinglow Road and Fulwood

7. Walking east past the Norfolk Arms, there is a Victorian wall letter box and by the car park exit there is the milestone CITY OF SHEFFIELD 5 MILES TO TOWN HALL; the reference to city dates the stone as post 1893; perhaps it replaced an earlier milestone which stood here when Ringinglow Road was a turnpike (1758 – 1825)

8. Next meeting/walk 18^th July – meet at Ringinglow layby 7pm for Ringinglow Ramble Part II

References

Crutch, A. (2023) Four Posts Giving a brief history of Ringinglow. Fulwood History Group. https://www.fulwoodhistory.uk/author/alan/

• Ringinglow Early Years
• Buildings of Ringinglow: The Chapel, The Round House and The Norfolk Arms, ‘T’ Ring o’ Firs’
• People
• Industry

Friends of the Porter Valley. (2006). Mining and Quarrying in the Porter Valley – Delving Into the Past. Friends of the Porter Valley. https://www.fopv.org.uk/product-page/mining-and-quarrying-in-the-porter-valley-delving-into-the-past

Hall, M. and Blackwell, R. (1972). The Mayfield Valley. Mail Graphic

Hall, M. (1974). More of the Mayfield Valley with Old Fulwood. J. W. Northend Ltd

Harvey, P. (2001).  Street Names of Sheffield; The stories behind Sheffield’s street names. Sheaf Publishing.

Record of Fulwood History Group Meeting 16/5/24

Present: J.B., A.C., R.F., M.G., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P. & K. P. + 1

A Ranmoor Ramble : for this meeting we strayed off Fulwood territory

Link to 1906 map of area

We met at Ranmoor St John’s and heard about MG’s Scissors Paper Stone project

We then walked north up Ranmoor Park Road which included:

• site of Ballard Hall: named after Alderman Ballard: Chairman, National Co-operative Party; member of Sheffield City Council; Chairman, United Sheffield Hospitals, Board of Governors
• Ranmoor Parish Centre – Ranfall – in late 40s was Ranfall Nurses’ Home
• Impressive house at 16 Tapton Park Road
• Triangular green
• Where Ranmoor Park Road ends at ‘The Rigi’, which forms a cul-de-sac; discussed reasons for its name, its boundary wall

Left down Ranmoor Crescent which included DM’s explanation of inscriptions seen on telegraph poles

Onto Ranmoor Road – including discussion of remarkable drain covers

Ramble concluded at Ranmoor Inn.

N.B. Graham Hague’s piece from The Star 29/12/20 covers some similar ground

Next meeting/walk 20^th June – details tbc

Record of Fulwood History Group meeting 18^th April 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P. & K. P.

• Discussion around Fulwood Society documents over period 1970s-90s which are being looked through by group members: newsletters, letters, photos, press cuttings etc. E.g.
  1. Lost Dore – Fulwood Path 1977
  2. Wire Mill Dam boating (1975) & Hallam Ski Club Activities (1972 & 82) – useful for this year’s Heritage Open Days focus
  3. The 12” to a mile maps reproduced by society – AC shared one of these from c.1951; the number of sports grounds noted, even in the rural, farming outskirts of Fulwood; considered the possible reasons for this
  4. Fulwood Old Road coffee house and item relating to Hewlett 1895
  5. Richardson 1931 booklet History of Fullwood: page 5 recounts old route to Fulwood with suggestion that Birks Green was situated at Whiteley Lane; indicates fluidity of places and how they’re identified – a recurring theme

• Stumperlowe Hall in the 1920s was divided in two; discussion about use of land here and elsewhere in Fulwood and how it was sold off
• Historic England’s Missing Pieces project: see also link on FHG Facebook page; JP gave great example of a potential contribution to this,(house with listed railings on Taptonville Rd); each member of the group has much to offer to this and it’s a valuable way of recording valuable local information which can be used now and in the future – plug from JB!
• Fulwood History website – there seem to be two: KP has since clarified this
• Friends of Ecclesall Woods event on July 13^th to be held at café/Discovery Centre area: ‘What have you Found?’ JB asked for volunteers if anyone interested in covering stall for a couple of hours
• DA reflected on Ranmoor Society talk given by Catherine Warr on 16^th April: A Yorkshire Year: Folklore, customs and traditions and how the creation of folklore, myths and legends is a continuous process – the Mi Amigo story is an example of this; see also Hallam University’s Centre for Contemporary Legend
• DA reminded group about Fulwood Church archive: KP/DA to contact FL to arrange a meeting with group
• Organising walks instead of/in addition to indoor meetings in coming months e.g. on the trails of the Oak Brook and the Griffin Sick
• DM passed next batch of Fulwood Society documents on to JB and AC to look at over the coming month
• Next meeting: 16^th May 2024

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 22^nd March 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P. & K. P.

1. General discussion around trails, tracks, holloways, desire paths with reference to recent talk given on Packhorse Routes of the Rivelin Area by Melanie Fitzgerald of Heritage Highways; also discussed current measures taken to manage water around Hallamshire, Chorley Roads and Slayleigh area; local brickworks and quarries – see Ranmoor Historical Society notes for August 2022
2. AC shared Upper Hallam sections of Scurlfield’s 1986 reconstructed map of John Harrison’s 1637 An Exact and Perfect Survey of the Manor of Sheffield; many interesting features were pored over, e.g., Burnt Stones – theories around name relate to William the Conqueror and (more likely), that iron smelting took place in the area and Hell Hole – see page 54 of Hall’s More of the Mayfield Valley (1974); Link to Scurfield’s full article in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, vol 58, pp147-173
3. AC shared Ronksley’s 1908 transcription of Harrison’s 1637 survey
4. JB asked group to add to FHG website post about Stumperlowe Mansions visit on 10^th March
5. AC shared map from early 19^th century(?) showing area around Ringinglow Road which fell into Derbyshire at that time
6. Brooklands Tennis Club – formerly at numbers 45/47 Brooklands Avenue; KP exploring history of site; led to discussion of newspapers/journalism, focus of articles and how this evolved over turn of 19th/20th centuries
7. CM shared article he’s written about Fulwood Skiing Club: he will send it to ML for publication on FHG website
8. HoD – sport and recreation in Fulwood 
   1. 1. Hallam Grange Tennis Club
      2. Fulwood Sports Club
      3. Brooklands Tennis Club
      4. Dixons’ and Rogers’ sports grounds opposite the Guild Hall
      5. Bowling Green House
      6. Old Fulwood Road – tennis courts and sports associated with Hammer & Pincers
      7. Forge Dam – skating, swimming and diving
      8. Wire Mill Dam – model boat racing; concrete blocks which were used to support staging for this are still in situ
      9. See Ranmoor Historical Society notes August 2022 for article on this subject

9. DM shared the collection of Fulwood Society documents he introduced in last month’s meeting; JB and AC borrowing them until next meeting

10. KP asked about stone markers he’d come across on a footbath leading between Cottage Lane and Ringinglow Road inscribed with letters SEO and EH; referred to as boundary markers on p. 99 of JB’s Dog Walks book – perhaps connected with nearby reservoirs; also curious markers embedded in field adjoining ‘Waggy’s Field’ on Whiteley Woods Road: https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/17938-anyone-know-what-this-is/?do=findComment&comment=155394 Any info on the purposes of these would be great

Next meeting: 18^th April 2024

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 15^th February 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., M.L., C.M., D.M., J.P. & K. P.

• KP shared George Cunningham painting depicting Brookhouse Hill1920; discussion of its houses, shops and cottages
• DM shared selection of documents from the Fulwood Society which have come into his possession; included minutes of meetings, map, writing of Muriel Hall; decision made that after FHG members have had opportunity to look through the papers, they will be passed on to Sheffield City Archives as a revokable loan
• KP shared 1908 map of Nether Green shops area; sparked DM memory of Woodward’s Electrical shop from 1940s/50s
• Forge Dam boating lake rescue: photo shared by DA and people involved remembered by DM
• Stumperlowe Mansions – see December meeting notes – ML organising visit for 10th March
• Heritage Open Days September 2024: theme is Routes, Networks, Connections e.g. transport routes, communication networks, trade unions and social clubs; agreed FHG theme of Fulwood’s sports clubs, beginning at Hallam Grange Sports Club, and finishing at Old Fulwood Road
• Mi Amigo Flypast 22^nd February; discussion of the memorial
• ML told us about U3A archaeology group he is organising; led to JP telling us about Broomhill Library’s Percy Caine garden and Uni of Sheffield’s Roots and Futures project
• KP suggested coffee mornings which could be way of reaching out to community
• Next meeting: 21^st February 2024

 FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 19^th January 2024

Present: D. A., J.B., A. C., M.L., J.P. & K. P.

1. Website payment settled with thanks to AC
2. Sheffield Heritage Fair 2025: KP suggested combined stall with Ranmoor Society
3. Heritage Open Days September 2024: theme is Routes, Networks, Connections e.g. transport routes, communication networks, trade unions and social clubs; initial ideas shared e.g.
   • guided walk with suitability for groups of people
   • based around shops
   • Forge Dam
   • Woofindin area
   • A walk round the block with FHG
   • Where roads/lanes meet (e.g. Fulwood Road, Brookhouse Hill area)
   • Fulwood’s lost greens
   • Fulwood’s sports clubs

4.  A.C. shared c1935 map of area which sparked discussion around:

• development of northern suburbs of Fulwood
• Lodge Moor Hall
• the Black Brook and Elliot stone
• the Oak Brook
• Crimicar Lane Hospital
• sewage/waterworks across the area

5. KP. shared information about Gilcrest wood – building on last month’s discussion:

• plans relating to land purchases around 1900s with view to building development which wasn’t realised
• Castlewood Drive area development in 1930s
• variations in naming for this area – 1700s Goulhirst, Gallhirst and Gilcrest and links to Goole/Gold
• air raid shelter built into the slope of the land which was lost beneath 1980s housing on Canterbury Crescent

6. Involvement of Rotherham-based solicitors in land transactions noted

7. JB. shared extract from Reminiscences of Henry Coward (1919) which recalls performance for Plimsoll at Whiteley Woods Hall, probably around 1866

8. A.C. shared photos showing Fulwood area in past times

9. Everyone agreed wording to accompany AC’s article in Fulwood Messenger; led to discussion of Fulwood Chapel and when it was a boarding school run by the Misses Rhodes around 1880s

10. Website development

11. Everyone encouraged to contribute articles etc. to website

12. Reviewing chapters of KP’s book

13. Next meeting: 15^th February 2024

Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 21/12/23

Present: D. A., J.B., A. C., M.L., C. M., J.P. & K. P.

1. K.P. shared selected Minutes of Council Meetings 1915-18, (kept at Local Studies Library); these relate to widening and lighting of Fulwood Road. Dr. Inkster is mentiond: Samuel Macaulay Inkster was born in 1848 in Shetland and was one of Sheffield’s Certifying Factory Inspectors in the early days of health and safety
2. A.C. shared research into Ringinglow, including Roundhouse
3. A.C. shared research into Whiteley Woods Hall and Phoebe Silcock’s brother which led to discussion around the ways in which medical conditions were understood and labelled
4. Paths and roads: recent publication of Fullwood Hall – the First 600 Years (Hostombe & Crutch) sparked discussion of siting and construction of Harrison Lane, rights of way, comparisons with Longshaw estate, causeways, cart tracks and footpaths, (recommended book on this topic by archaeologist Jim Leary: Footmarks – A Journey into our Restless Past (2023))
5. K.P. shared copy of brochure for newly built Stumperlowe Mansions c.1938; notable in its promotion of gas as form of power, quality of its architectural style, its fittings and furnishings (supplied by Cockaynes), as well as social aspect; ML’s connection with the site and waterway running through it
6. D.A. shared late 18^th century field maps relating to Fulwood Spring – could this be the spa? Fieldnames with ‘spring’ and ‘well’, probably located in woodland between Woodcliffe and Hangram Lane: needs further investigation
7. D.A. shared maps relating to Crimicar Lane’s Goulhirst woodland area; discussion around naming/misnaming/evolution of names – Goole, Goul, Gilchrest
8. Bower Hill Farm and its last residents c.1950s
9. Goole Green hamlet dating from the 18^th century at least until the late 1960s: buildings included Goole Green Farm with its surviving barn, (Guild Hall), Goole Green House and Goole Green Cottage; members of that community remembered by D.A. as well as members of local FB groups
10. M.L. demonstrated a test website he’s developing and its search facility/database; feedback given about the usability of the online web search for Fulwood addresses and Census data; group encouraged to visit the website and give further feedback on search facilities
11. More discussion of memories of Fullwood Hall
12. Sports grounds: large number of sports fields in area; often belonged to works sports clubs such as Dixon’s Cornish Works; indicates philanthropic/paternalistic attitudes of factory owners towards workers
13. Next meeting: 18^th January 2024; no February open meeting; writing/posting on FHG site encouraged in meantime