Bents Green and Millhouses: What's the craic with Sheffield's most expensive area to buy a house?

Sometimes you need to go and see those expensive parts of Sheffield to fully understand what the fuss is all about. We did exactly that earlier this year, when David Walsh visited Bents Green and Millhouses.

The district has the highest average house price - £538,000 - beating what is usually thought to be the city’s poshest area, Dore and Whirlow, at only £525,000.

The difference might be that it has no smaller or terraced houses at all. They start off pretty big on Abbeydale Road and just get larger as you go up the hill on Dobcroft and Silverdale roads to Ecclesall Road South - and on up to the edge of the national park (but excluding Ringinglow village).

At its heart are the shops at Millhouses, on the junction of Abbeydale Road and Archer Road, Springfield Road and Millhouses Lane. And at the centre of that is Abbey Friar chippy, owned by Andrew Cutts, who has worked there for 34 years.

He said it was a “fantastic” area, there was never any trouble and all the children were polite.

He could remember Abbeydale Grange kids coming in at lunchtime before the former grammar school was closed and knocked down. It was replaced by Mercia Academy which doesn’t let pupils out at all until 4.30pm. Known for its strict rules, he said they act and dress like they were from a private school.

Mr Cutts added: “It feels safe round here. Shops are busy but struggling because of the cost everything. The price of fish never comes down and potatoes have been crazy for the last few months.” 

The opening of three big supermarkets within walking distance - Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl - had killed traditional shops including a greengrocer, off-licence GT News and a small supermarket, he added.

They have been replaced by cafes, beauty parlours, alternative therapists and wealth managers. Although there are more traditional shops like a Roses the Bakers, pet shop and post office. What is noticeable is that no units are empty.

Ann Dean has lived on Abbeydale Road for 34 years and loves the area, particularly Millhouses Park. By no means one of Sheffield’s biggest, it nevertheless has two enormous car parks and public loos. It also has a boating lake, cafe, tennis courts and play areas.

She said: “People ask us if we’re going to downsize. But why, when what I’ve got it so good? Everything is in easy reach and I don’t have to get in a car”

But she acknowledged her children couldn’t afford to live in Millhouses.

“You might think the houses are posh but the people in them are quite ordinary. I work in admin in the NHS and my husband’s a roofer,” she said.

Earlier this year Bents Green and Millhouses was branded the most trusting area in the country.