It is one of Sheffield’s most scenic suburbs, which is on the cusp of a major transformation.
Stocksbridge is set to undergo a £24.1 million regeneration, with a new community hub and a fresh town square among the big changes coming its way and proposals to restore the long-lost passenger railway service linking it to Sheffield city centre.
These photos show how the area has changed over more than a century, from the 1990s all the way back to the 1860s. They capture a neighbourhood once dominated by the huge Samuel Fox and Co steel works, where the game-changing paragon umbrella frame was developed.
Old shops, pubs and other landmarks can be seen in this retro photo gallery, which also shows new homes being built in the area, surrounded by the rolling countryside.
While the steel works is still a huge part of life in Stocksbridge, retail and tourism are today crucial contributors to its economy, with the popular Fox Valley shopping centre and and a variety of pubs, cafes and restaurants in which cyclists and hikers can refuel.
Without Stocksbridge, meanwhile, there might have been no Arctic Monkeys, as the boys from High Green met at Stocksbridge High Green before forming the band which would become one of Sheffield’s greatest musical exports.
The photos are taken from The Star’s archives and from Picture Sheffield.
1. Manchester Road
Manchester Road, Stocksbridge, pictured some time between 1900 and 1919 Photo: Picture Sheffield
3. Wheelchair marathon
Mick Kelly, Terry Willett and Derek Curson are welcomed home warmly in May 1979 after their epic week-long London to Stocksbridge wheelchair marathon in aid of the British Paraplegic Society which was started by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
