Take a stroll through a Sheffield Victorian suburb with historian Graham Hague

Graham Hague of the Victorian Society S Yorks Group is your guide on part one of a tour around Ranmoor, one of Sheffield’s most prosperous 19th-century suburbs.
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The walk begins at the splendid St John’s Church, set back from Fulwood Road. Ranmoor’s wealth is seen at its height in its tower and prominent spire dating from 1879; shortly after, the remainder of the church was destroyed in a fire and was rebuilt on a grander scale in 1888.

By that time most of the larger villas in the area had been built and their wealthy occupants were enjoying the clean air away from their works in the East End.

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On the opposite side of Fulwood Road is Oakbrook, now Notre Dame School.

Thornbury Hospital as it looked before it was extendedThornbury Hospital as it looked before it was extended
Thornbury Hospital as it looked before it was extended

Up until 1860, when Mark Firth built Oakbrook, Fulwood Road, running through Endcliffe and Ranmoor, was still a mainly agricultural area. Ranmoor Road has a modest number of 18th-century buildings, some of which still survive. Through the 1860s some of the largest villas in Sheffield were built here. This reflected the town’s growth and prosperity after the arrival of the railways in 1840.

Mark Firth, with his father and brothers, had successfully developed the Norfolk Steel Works along Savile Street East in Brightside. The house was built on the former land of Oakbrook Farm, whose ruinous buildings survived until the 1960s.

Both take their name from the Oak Brook which rises near Crosspool and flows through the grounds. Fed by the brook is a decorative pond which was restored about 20 years ago.

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The house was designed in a fashionable Italianate style by Flockton and Son. Some features like the tower are not unlike Queen Victoria’s Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. In a similar but much smaller scale is the entrance lodge on Fulwood Road.

A decorative interior detail from when Moordale was the Fulwood InnA decorative interior detail from when Moordale was the Fulwood Inn
A decorative interior detail from when Moordale was the Fulwood Inn

Like many wealthy households in Sheffield the Firth family grew many of their own fruit and vegetables, and perhaps a cow for dairy produce. The estate provided their own vegetables, and fruit in a range of south-facing heated glasshouses, located between the house and Notre Dame School.

The rear wall with a central arch still survives (you can clearly see it from the top of a 120 bus).

In 1875 the Prince and Princess of Wales came to stay when Prince Edward, later Edward VII, opened Firth Park. Oakbrook was enlarged for the occasion.

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Mark Firth died in 1880 but his widow Caroline remained there until 1893. The next occupant was William Laycock, who improved the safety of railway carriages The firm later became Laycock Engineering.

The Florentine on Tapton Park Road, which began life as MoordaleThe Florentine on Tapton Park Road, which began life as Moordale
The Florentine on Tapton Park Road, which began life as Moordale

The Sisters of Notre Dame took up residence in 1919; in 1935 Notre Dame High School was built in the grounds and has since been much enlarged.

Opposite the Oakbrook lodge is the lodge and driveway to Thornbury, now a private hospital but built for Sir Frederick Thorpe Mappin. He much enlarged the Sheaf Works established in 1825 by the Canal Basin (Victoria Quays). He was a major benefactor in the early days of Sheffield University.

A short walk eastwards brings you to Endcliffe Hall - even grander than Oakbrook and built in 1865 by Sir John Brown. He developed the Atlas Steel Works, adjacent to the Norfolk Works: the two works eventually amalgamated in 1930.

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During World War One Endcliffe Hall was a military hospital; since then it has been occupied by the Territorial Army – possibly their grandest building. In 1997-8 a commendable refurbishment was done.

Back towards Ranmoor and along Tapton Park Road are further substantial houses – Moordale, Tapton Grange and Tapton Park.

Moordale, now the Florentine Inn, was built c. 1865 by James Nicholson of the Mowbray Steel Works on Mowbray Street, Kelham Island. He did not live in Moordale for long, dying in 1872/3.

He has a rather impressive memorial in the General Cemetery by the main driveway, with a kneeling woman praying by an open bible on a plinth.

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Moordale has been a pub/restaurant since 1999; sadly its garden is now mostly a car park, depriving the house of its landscaped setting.

Tapton Grange – the one that got away… Between Moordale and St John’s Church stood Tapton Grange, built in 1867 for James William Harrison, cutler and tableware manufacturer.

James, together with his brother Henry and William Howson of Tapton Park, took over a works in Norfolk Street in 1847. In 1900 the business was transferred to the much larger Alpha Works in Carver Street. It still looms over the west side of Carver Street.

Tapton Grange was in a Tudor style with a tower similar to that at Oakbrook across the road. James lived there until his death in 1897.

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The Grange became a teachers’ orphanage from 1928, a use that continued for 40 years, but it was demolished in 1970.

At the time, while working in the City Architects’ Department, I helped to do a survey of the building, then perfectly sound and still retaining its quality internal fittings, woodwork etc. We pleaded for its retention, but in vain. Sadly the era of building refurbishment had not yet arrived.

The site was re-used, partly as accommodation for men with learning difficulties, and partly as Ballard Hall of residence for students at Sheffield Polytechnic, now Hallam University); Alderman Ballard was chairman of the Education Committee.

After 30 years these uses had ceased and the buildings were demolished – again. Demolition is very bad for the carbon footprint.

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The site is now housing and some of the houses have quite a quirky design with flat roofs. One was recently advertised for sale with a private cinema inside... All that remains of James Harrison’s time is the entrance lodge. There is a fine view looking across the modern housing towards the spire of St John’s.

On the north side of Tapton Park Road is Tapton Park, William Howson’s house dated 1866; its main characteristic is several Flemish-style gables.

William Howson died in 1884 but his wife and son George continued to live there with other family members until 1936. It was George who expanded and ran the business in Carver Street.

General Refractories next occupied Tapton Park for the remainder of the 20th century.

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Today it is back in residential use, along with more housing in the grounds. It is approached by a long drive, rather hemmed in by trees.

Next time we will continue along and around Ranmoor Cliffe Road, look at an unusual iron bridge and have a deeper look at St John’s Church.

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