Wadsley Bridge
Encyclopedia
Wadsley Bridge is a suburb of Sheffield
3 mi (5 km) northwest of the city centre. The area is a mixture of residential housing and small industrial and commercial premises.
ground in what is now called Owlerton
. The bridge carried the track between the villages of Ecclesfield
and Wadsley
over the River Don in the early 17th century, and the immediate area around the bridge became known as Wadsley Bridge. The original description was “the hamlet near the bridge at Wadsley”. The centre of the suburb has now moved northerly and is centred on the railway bridge over the A61 road
at and many people think that the district is named after this bridge.
. John Hoult had a paper mill which was later converted into a steel tilt
and run by the Sanderson Bros firm. The suburb was changed by the opening of the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
in 1845, Wadsley Bridge railway station was opened to serve the community and the railway bridge was constructed over the rough trail which went north to Ecclesfield which was later to become the A61. The Sheffield Tramway
was extended to Wadsley Bridge in June 1924 with the ground beneath the railway bridge having to be excavated so the tram could pass under. The bridge itself was a small stone arched structure which double decker buses later had trouble getting under, having to move into the middle of the road to avoid hitting the stonework. It was replaced in the early 1970s when the A61 became dual carriageway, by a higher and wider structure.
Other industrial facilities in the area by the start of the 20th century included the Lepping Forge iron and steel works at the junction of Leppings Lane and Penistone Road, built by Joseph Clifton Allen (died 1924). This was demolished in the 1960s after the death of Joseph's son, Charles Edmund Allen (died December 1954), and the site is now a petrol station. Niagara Works on Clay Wheels Lane produced edge tools, the firm was named after the Niagara weir on the River Don. Moss and Gamble’s forge at the foot of Fox Hill Road had a ten ton steam hammer, the biggest in Sheffield at the time. The Moss and Gamble site had two ponds to supply water to the works which were filled in, in the 1960s and used for new housing, the factory itself has been converted into flats and called Baxter Mews.
ELG Carrs Stainless Steels is a large firm in the district formerly known as Richard W Carr & Co Ltd, it was formed in 1902 and produces special and stainless steels. Other prominent steel firms in the area are Hillfoot Steels and Hillsborough Steelstock Ltd. Fletchers Bakery on Clay Wheels Lane opened as a small bakehouse in 1923 and grew to a firm employing 650 people in 2006 when it suffered a catastrophic fire in July of that year. Wadsley Bridge school was built in 1906 being demolished in 1997 and is now the site of a large fitness business. One of the oldest companies in the area is the John Fairest funeral director
s who have been in the district since 1880.
parish. The new parish’s first minister was the Reverend William Sykes
and his intention was to build two churches, one for Hillsborough
and one for Wadsley Bridge at each end of the parish. Christ Church was built on Halifax Road just above the Wadsley Bridge railway bridge at the site of a tin tabernacle
which had stood since 1877 and was so dilapidated that pieces could be broken from it.
The new church cost £3,600, it is not outstanding architecturally being built in the Perpendicular Gothic style with no spire or tower. The highlight of the interior is the stained glass east window which depicts the Trinity
and was designed by Harry Stammers of York. The church was consecrated by William Dalrymple Maclagan
, Archbishop of York
on October 10, 1902. The second church intended for the Hillsborough part of the parish was never built.
Sports and Social Club, opened by the Princess Royal
on 23 August 1928. It was built on a former Victorian
tip on land purchased from the Duke of Norfolk
for £3,700. There are facilities for many sports and the pavilion is available for conferences, weddings, banquets and family occasions.
and Matalan
. Development in recent years has given the area at the foot of Leppings Lane a Burger King
and a Carphone Warehouse. There are five public house
s in Wadsley Bridge, The Gate Inn dated originally from 1828, it was demolished in the early 1970s when the A61 was widened and new pub put in its place, the Travellers dates from 1881 although parts of the building are probably much older. The New Bridge Inn dates from 1833, originally the New Inn but renamed in the 1970s when the new railway bridge was constructed. The other two pubs in the area are the Railway and the Pheasant.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
3 mi (5 km) northwest of the city centre. The area is a mixture of residential housing and small industrial and commercial premises.
Etymology
Wadsley Bridge was named after the bridge at called High Bridge near the eastern end of the Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
ground in what is now called Owlerton
Owlerton
Owlerton is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, it lies northwest of the city centre near the confluence of the River Don and River Loxley. Owlerton was formerly a small rural settlement with its origins in the Early Middle Ages, it became part of Sheffield in the early 1900s as the city expanded...
. The bridge carried the track between the villages of Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield is a suburb and civil parish in the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, about north of Sheffield City Centre. At the 2001 census the civil parish— which also includes the Sheffield suburbs of Chapeltown, Grenoside, High Green, and formerly Thorpe Hesley —had a population...
and Wadsley
Wadsley
Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...
over the River Don in the early 17th century, and the immediate area around the bridge became known as Wadsley Bridge. The original description was “the hamlet near the bridge at Wadsley”. The centre of the suburb has now moved northerly and is centred on the railway bridge over the A61 road
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
at and many people think that the district is named after this bridge.
History
Wadsley Bridge started to expand during the 18th century when water power was harnessed and various mills were built on the River Don on Clay Wheels Lane and at the foot of Leppings LaneLeppings Lane
Leppings Lane is a street in Hillsborough, Sheffield. It provides a link between the A61 Penistone Road and the A6102 Middlewood Road. It has a Supertram stop, and gives its name to the away supporters' stand at Hillsborough Stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday....
. John Hoult had a paper mill which was later converted into a steel tilt
Trip hammer
A trip hammer, also known as a helve hammer, is a massive powered hammer used in:* agriculture to facilitate the labor of pounding, decorticating and polishing of grain;...
and run by the Sanderson Bros firm. The suburb was changed by the opening of the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early British railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-under-Lyne...
in 1845, Wadsley Bridge railway station was opened to serve the community and the railway bridge was constructed over the rough trail which went north to Ecclesfield which was later to become the A61. The Sheffield Tramway
Sheffield Tramway
Sheffield Tramway was an extensive tramway network serving the English city of Sheffield and its suburbs.The first tramway line, horse-drawn, opened in 1873 between Lady's Bridge and Attercliffe, subsequently extended to Brightside and Tinsley...
was extended to Wadsley Bridge in June 1924 with the ground beneath the railway bridge having to be excavated so the tram could pass under. The bridge itself was a small stone arched structure which double decker buses later had trouble getting under, having to move into the middle of the road to avoid hitting the stonework. It was replaced in the early 1970s when the A61 became dual carriageway, by a higher and wider structure.
Other industrial facilities in the area by the start of the 20th century included the Lepping Forge iron and steel works at the junction of Leppings Lane and Penistone Road, built by Joseph Clifton Allen (died 1924). This was demolished in the 1960s after the death of Joseph's son, Charles Edmund Allen (died December 1954), and the site is now a petrol station. Niagara Works on Clay Wheels Lane produced edge tools, the firm was named after the Niagara weir on the River Don. Moss and Gamble’s forge at the foot of Fox Hill Road had a ten ton steam hammer, the biggest in Sheffield at the time. The Moss and Gamble site had two ponds to supply water to the works which were filled in, in the 1960s and used for new housing, the factory itself has been converted into flats and called Baxter Mews.
ELG Carrs Stainless Steels is a large firm in the district formerly known as Richard W Carr & Co Ltd, it was formed in 1902 and produces special and stainless steels. Other prominent steel firms in the area are Hillfoot Steels and Hillsborough Steelstock Ltd. Fletchers Bakery on Clay Wheels Lane opened as a small bakehouse in 1923 and grew to a firm employing 650 people in 2006 when it suffered a catastrophic fire in July of that year. Wadsley Bridge school was built in 1906 being demolished in 1997 and is now the site of a large fitness business. One of the oldest companies in the area is the John Fairest funeral director
Funeral director
A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
s who have been in the district since 1880.
Christ Church, Wadsley Bridge
In 1895 the new church parish of Hillsborough and Wadsley Bridge was created for the district out of the WadsleyWadsley
Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...
parish. The new parish’s first minister was the Reverend William Sykes
William Sykes (clergyman)
William Sykes , born Barrow-in-Furness, was first Curate of St John's Church, Tunbrdige Wells; Vicar of Hillsborough and Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield, 1895–1919; Vicar of Audley, Staffordshire, 1919–1928; first President of the Sovereign Grace Union 1913–1930.Married Miss Anne Jane...
and his intention was to build two churches, one for Hillsborough
Hillsborough, South Yorkshire
Hillsborough is an electoral ward which includes the districts of Malin Bridge, Owlerton, Wadsley and Wisewood. It is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and covers an area of 4.6 km2...
and one for Wadsley Bridge at each end of the parish. Christ Church was built on Halifax Road just above the Wadsley Bridge railway bridge at the site of a tin tabernacle
Tin tabernacle
Tin tabernacles were a type of prefabricated building made from corrugated iron developed in the mid 19th century initially in Great Britain. Corrugated iron was first used for roofing in London in 1829 by Henry Robinson Palmer and the patent sold to Richard Walker who advertised "portable...
which had stood since 1877 and was so dilapidated that pieces could be broken from it.
The new church cost £3,600, it is not outstanding architecturally being built in the Perpendicular Gothic style with no spire or tower. The highlight of the interior is the stained glass east window which depicts the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
and was designed by Harry Stammers of York. The church was consecrated by William Dalrymple Maclagan
William Dalrymple Maclagan
William Dalrymple Maclagan PC was Archbishop of York from 1891 to 1908, when he resigned his office, and was succeeded in 1909 by Cosmo Gordon Lang, later Archbishop of Canterbury...
, Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
on October 10, 1902. The second church intended for the Hillsborough part of the parish was never built.
Niagara Recreation Ground
The Niagara ground is the present day venue of the South Yorkshire PoliceSouth Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The police force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2...
Sports and Social Club, opened by the Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
on 23 August 1928. It was built on a former Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
tip on land purchased from the Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
for £3,700. There are facilities for many sports and the pavilion is available for conferences, weddings, banquets and family occasions.
Present day
Wadsley Bridge continues to develop, the Kilner Way retail park opened in the 1970s, being built on the site of an old brick works and sandstone quarry. In 2008 it is undergoing a complete revamp with the old buildings being pulled down and eight new large retail unit being built for shops such as HalfordsHalfords
Halfords Group plc is a leading retailer of car parts, car enhancements and bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic and more recently in Poland, although it is currently pulling out of the latter two countries...
and Matalan
Matalan
Matalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
. Development in recent years has given the area at the foot of Leppings Lane a Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and a Carphone Warehouse. There are five public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in Wadsley Bridge, The Gate Inn dated originally from 1828, it was demolished in the early 1970s when the A61 was widened and new pub put in its place, the Travellers dates from 1881 although parts of the building are probably much older. The New Bridge Inn dates from 1833, originally the New Inn but renamed in the 1970s when the new railway bridge was constructed. The other two pubs in the area are the Railway and the Pheasant.