Pitsmoor
Encyclopedia
Pitsmoor is a former village, now a suburb of Sheffield. The name derives from Or-pits as, anciently, the main local industry was the mining of ore
.
was the lord of the manor
and owned the large woods surrounding it, now almost all covered by housing. A coal mine was developed, with its entrance on what later became Grimesthorpe Road. Its outflow ran by the side of the lane as far as Burngreave
Vestry Hall, where it was joined by a burn which rose in Old Park Wood.
A small number of old houses survive in Pitsmoor, including Abbeyfield House and Toll Bar Cottage, which was built in 1837 on what was then the main road from Sheffield to Barnsley
, Wakefield
and Leeds
. A few more survive in Crabtree, formerly a separate hamlet, lying immediately north west of Pitsmoor.
In the early 1900s houses were still being built in the area. If you take a walk up Burngreave Road from Spital Hill you can follow this progression uphill from the dates marked on the front of each villa on either side of the road. The people who lived in them were doctors, teachers, shopkeepers and business men. Pitsmoor was described as eminently respectable and a languorous and soothing suburb, in an article in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph in 1906. In 1909, Abbeyfield House and its grounds were purchased by Sheffield City Council
for £10,500, the grounds becoming Abbeyfield Park
. In 1913, another patch of land off Abbeyfield Road became Devon Gardens. The creation of these public green spaces was in aid of an urban population of factory workers who needed access to fresh air and space to exercise.
During the 1920s some of the back-to-back houses began to disappear but many of the courts persisted until after the Second World War. Areas around Verdon Street and Gower Street were still dominated by this type of housing.
The King Mojo Club
was based in Pitsmoor.
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
.
History
In 1906, thirteen Roman coins were found in the suburb. In the late Middle Ages, the Duke of NorfolkDuke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
was the lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
and owned the large woods surrounding it, now almost all covered by housing. A coal mine was developed, with its entrance on what later became Grimesthorpe Road. Its outflow ran by the side of the lane as far as Burngreave
Burngreave
Burngreave ward—which includes the districts of Burngreave, Fir Vale, Grimesthorpe, Pitsmoor, and Shirecliffe—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northern part of the city and covers an area of 7.3 km2. The population of this ward in...
Vestry Hall, where it was joined by a burn which rose in Old Park Wood.
A small number of old houses survive in Pitsmoor, including Abbeyfield House and Toll Bar Cottage, which was built in 1837 on what was then the main road from Sheffield to Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. A few more survive in Crabtree, formerly a separate hamlet, lying immediately north west of Pitsmoor.
In the early 1900s houses were still being built in the area. If you take a walk up Burngreave Road from Spital Hill you can follow this progression uphill from the dates marked on the front of each villa on either side of the road. The people who lived in them were doctors, teachers, shopkeepers and business men. Pitsmoor was described as eminently respectable and a languorous and soothing suburb, in an article in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph in 1906. In 1909, Abbeyfield House and its grounds were purchased by Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors...
for £10,500, the grounds becoming Abbeyfield Park
Abbeyfield Park
Abbeyfield is a park in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, bought by the City Corporation in 1909. The park comprises the park itself, a bowling green, as well as Abbeyfield House, a former secondary school. Abbeyfield School opened in 1919 and was the first school to be built outside...
. In 1913, another patch of land off Abbeyfield Road became Devon Gardens. The creation of these public green spaces was in aid of an urban population of factory workers who needed access to fresh air and space to exercise.
During the 1920s some of the back-to-back houses began to disappear but many of the courts persisted until after the Second World War. Areas around Verdon Street and Gower Street were still dominated by this type of housing.
The King Mojo Club
King Mojo Club
The King Mojo Club, often known as the Mojo, was a nightclub in Sheffield, South Yorkshire that operated from 1964 to 1967.Peter Stringfellow and his brothers had been running the Black Cat Club in the city, which proved a success. In 1964, they opened a new venture, the King Mojo Club, in a...
was based in Pitsmoor.