Can anyone remember the Rock Face behind the Rivelin Hotel that looked like the profile of a mans head ?.

Its covered by trees now so you cant see it. It was always pointed out to us as kids as we travelled along Rivelin Valley Road.

yep used to play cowboys n indians,germans n english, round there with me mates in the fiftys ...it was black rock was'nt it ?don"t no what type... i think u could only see the profile lookin back towards sheffield .ive got a photo of it somewhere.took it when i was back there in the 70"s......[lets go up t mans head and have a war]was the sunday afternoon catch phrase after roast beef n y puddin for a bunch of 10 year olds who did 'nt have tv.

Just found my old post. Surely people can remember it. I bought an old post card in an antiques shop on Scarborough that should the head in all its glory. Trees have now grown over and covered it up.:mad:

For anyone who hasn't seen it, here's a photo picturesheffield (http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/w00201.jpg)

It looks a bit like David Coulthard !

It's a pity that trees now obscure the profile as it was a well-known landmark, easily seen from further up the valley. As children we used to climb up the cleft at the left-hand side of the "face". Here's another postcard view, published in c. 1910 by F.D. Thomas of Angel Street: http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/MansHeadRock-1.jpg

We saw it from Bole Hill Rd. Its not as good a profile as looking down the valley, I've never seen this view before.

Hillsboro the postcard doesn't show from photobucket, just a window saying the image has been moved or deleted.

Any chance of resending the image somehow, it would be appreciated.

PopT

I don't know why this happened but here goes again (http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/MansHeadRock-1.jpg) ! It's the same URL but seems to work this time.

We used to call it "The Old Mans Head". It's perhaps part of the outcrop that runs all the way back to Stanage Edge. In Hillsbro's pic I think the houses are The Glen Cottages near Glen Bridge.

The cottages are the ones adjacent to the Rivelin Hotel known as "Albion Row". They can also be seen, together with Man's Head Rock and Rivelin Hotel, in the background of this old photo of Hind Wheel: [http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s10367

Hillsbro - yes, in retrospect they did look a little high up from the valley bottom!

Thanks for the pics Hillsbro your a star.

PopT

I wonder who added the pipe?.:hihi:

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s09569

The caption reads "RIVELIN'S OLD MAN ENJOYING A SMOKE".

Thanks for the posts guys, I cant open the pictures Sheffield ones for some reason. I know someone who lives in one of the cottages below this landmark, I think he was against chopping the trees back as it used to attract kids years ago and was pretty dangerous to climb on etc. Am I right in thinking that you got a good "mans" profile from both sides ie. Travelling up and down Rivelin Valley Road in both directions?
Its a real shame its been lost.

...I cant open the pictures Sheffield ones for some reason.

I don't know why they stopped working, but here goes again:

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s09566

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s09569

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s10367

Growing up near the Bole Hills & spending a lot of time around Rivelin, I remember the rock face so well, but can't for the life of me remember where it was situated these days, where is the Rivelin Hotel ?

Here's the Rivelin Hotel (now "The Rivelin"), on Tofts Lane:

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=sheffield&countryCode=GB#map=53.38588,-1.53937|20|256&be=7695895|North&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.38565:-1.53934:20|sheffield| Click on "OS Map" or "Map" and zoom in to get a better idea of the location. Man's Head Rock is just behind the pub. You can (almost) see the profile on this shot: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=sheffield&countryCode=GB#map=53.3856,-1.53936|20|256&be=7713894|East&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.38574:-1.53888:20|sheffield|

Many thanks Hillsbro' Looking at the map it's at the rear of the Rivelin just to the right.

I might start a campain :banana:bring back the man :banana:bring back the man.

Growing up near the Bole Hills & spending a lot of time around Riverlin, I remember the rock face so well, but can't for the life of me remember where it was situated these days, where is the Riverlin Hotel ?

Heading back down the river from the post office, half a mile on the left is the old king edward V11 hospital, now houses, another half mile there is a left fork which i think is tofts lane, take this then a further half mile on the left is the pub, opposite a steep lane back down onto Rivelin valley road. Then a further half mile is liberty hill at stannington.
I think
When I was younger the hospital was known as
"cripples home pronounced ooam"
Rivelin valley Rd. was called Rivelin New Rd. I think it's a long time since it was new, perhaps in the twenties, it could have been one of the jobs they did to create employment in the recession.
I remember Doug Hague from Bradfield telling me that when he had a machine working on the road, I think between the post office and rivelin dams, they unearthed tree trunks laid across the road this was I assume before Mr Macadam had had his brainwave. The fields to both sides of the road are boggy, so I suppose the timber was the only thing they could use.
to stop hardcore sinking in.
By the way Skippy which side of the Bole Hills were you Walkley or Crookes

Rivelin valley Rd. was called Rivelin New Rd. I think it's a long time since it was new...

My mum was born at Woodland View and, God bless her, right up to the day she died she called it the "New Road". It was actually new in 1907, that is, it was officially opened on 1 September 1907, but the work (which had begun in 1905) continued into 1908. Here are a couple of old postcard views of the road; the photos were evidently taken when the road was newly built as the trees beside the road look very small with their wooden supports; the upper card has a 1913 postmark. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/NewRoad.jpg

When the road was built, the 700+ lime trees were hardly a traffic hazard, but sadly, they have claimed a number of lives over the years.

Thanks hillsbro & Tooeg, I'm with you now.
Tooeg, I lived on Tasker Rd, Crookes,until I was 12 years old, I used to walk or ride my bike to visit my Aunty and Uncle at Stannington, and either went up Rails Rd or Tofts Lane, I could see her house quite clearly from the Bole Hills, but that was long before the village became a suburb of Sheffield.

It was such a nice afternoon that I decided to see if I could get a view of Man's Head Rock - and as far as I can tell it isn't possible. One of the best views of the profile used to be from the double bend in Tofts Lane, but from that point all I could see was tall trees. I walked along the lane on both sides of the rock but again, all I could see was trees and bushes. So I then climbed up the path that goes towards Stannington, waded through grass and nettles and scrambled over rocks to the back of the "head". The undergrowth is now so thick that I couldn't get any sort of view of the profile, just some of the rocks behind (and not many of these). I suppose if the rocks were accessible someone would fall off and get injured, as suggested in post #15. So all I can show forummers is a few rocks on which someone has been at work with a paint brush: http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Private.jpg. The profile is somewhere to the right, behind the bushes. It might (?) be possible to get some kind of view from the back gardens of the cottages on Tofts Lane, but I think it's doubtful. It's a pity, as it was always such a well-known landmark.

Anyway I had a decent pint in The Rivelin..:)

It was such a nice afternoon that I decided to see if I could get a view of Man's Head Rock - and as far as I can tell it isn't possible. One of the best views of the profile used to be from the double bend in Tofts Lane, but from that point all I could see was tall trees. I walked along the lane on both sides of the rock but again, all I could see was trees and bushes. So I then climbed up the path that goes towards Stannington, waded through grass and nettles and scrambled over rocks to the back of the "head". The undergrowth is now so thick that I couldn't get any sort of view of the profile, just some of the rocks behind (and not many of these). I suppose if the rocks were accessible someone would fall off and get injured, as suggested in post #15. So all I can show forummers is a few rocks on which someone has been at work with a paint brush: http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Private.jpg. The profile is somewhere to the right, behind the bushes. It might (?) be possible to get some kind of view from the back gardens of the cottages on Tofts Lane, but I think it's doubtful. It's a pity, as it was always such a well-known landmark.

Anyway I had a decent pint in The Rivelin..:)

Thanks for the photo Hillsbro,but I don't know how you managed it must have been quite a climb.
We also used to call Rivelin Valley Road The New Road.:thumbsup:Still do.:hihi:

Thanks for the photo Hillsbro,but I don't know how you managed it must have been quite a climb.
We also used to call Rivelin Valley Road The New Road.:thumbsup:Still do.:hihi:

Well, I suppose I'm a tough old so-and-so.:P but it really wasn't too difficult by going round the back way (I just slipped on a moss-covered rock, put my foot in a rabbit hole and got stung by nettles, but I found a liberal application of strong beer gave wonderful relief). I was surprised at how the bushes have grown, as the Multimap photo shows the back of the "head" fairly clear - it must have been taken a few years ago. I'll go back in winter (maybe with crampons and an ice axe.:hihi:) to see if I can get a better view when there are no leaves on the trees.

Yes - a number of people still call Rivelin Valley Road the "New Road", I think partly because its actual name is such a mouthful.

Where were the road photos taken Hillsbro.
The first I guess from Hagg lane looking back towards Malin Bridge. Before the allotments.
Second, above the S bend, looking down the river, with the bottom of Den Bank on the right.
Ok next question, how did Den Bank get it's name.

Where were the road photos taken Hillsbro.
Hi Tooeg - the photos both show a stretch of road above what is now the paddling pools (the area which used to be the "Spooner's Wheel" mill). The top photo was taken from near the bottom of Hagg Hill, and the lower one from a bit further down Rivelin Valley Road, nearer to the bend. If you look closely in the upper-middle area of both photos you can see the same poplar trees in St Michael's cemetery.

Here are "old and new" views of the same bend in the road, the upper one dating from c. 1910 showing the buildings around Spooner's Wheel. The lower one is a photo that I took in 1995 from as near as I could get to the same spot. You can identify some of the same trees, gateways etc.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Rivelin.jpg

Where were the road photos taken Hillsbro.
Ok next question, how did Den Bank get it's name.

Hmmmm.... Good question!

Its a pity the occupants of Albion Row dont get the tree,s chopped down,the mans head is behind them.

Similar subject different place. I used to enjoy my trips to Rivelin in the 50s especially the 'swing boats'! but I also used to love Toad's (Toowed's) Mouth at Fox House, sitting on top watching cars drive past, picking bilberries, paddling in the stream and under the road in the bridge. Cars then could park wherever they chose. Happy days

The swingboats I remember from the 1950s were just above Rivelin Dams, opposite where the road goes off around "the ravine". Going back a bit further, there were at least two more sets of swingboats in Rivelin, to judge from old postcard views that I have seen. Here are two photos (http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Swingboats.jpg) - the upper one shows swingboats adjacent to the double bend at Rivelin Glen, and the lower one (dated 1906) shows them beside one of the mill dams (does anyone know which one?)

hillsboro - The two photographs are of the same place. The tree centre right with the two paths on the top photo, also show on the left of the bottom photo.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/tree.jpg

The building in the foreground of the top photo and centred on the bottom photo, has the same staggered gable end.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/gable.jpg

hillsboro - The two photographs are of the same place. The tree centre right with the two paths on the top photo, also show on the left of the bottom photo.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/tree.jpg

The building in the foreground of the top photo and centred on the bottom photo, has the same staggered gable end.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/gable.jpg

Looks like it to me Hillsboro, well spotted Crookes.
It rather looks like you are going to have to get on your bike Hillsboro (tandem if Mrs Hillsboro is going to hold your camera case), and show us the current photos from these positions.
Good Luck

hillsboro - The two photographs are of the same place. The tree centre right with the two paths on the top photo, also show on the left of the bottom photo.

Aha! Well spotted indeed! I had wondered if the swingboats were the same, but didn't realise there was a dam just above the double bend - of course there had to be as the mill was there. It can just be seen in the middle of this section of the 1905 Ordnance Survey map (http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/OSmap.jpg). Clearly that's Roscoe Wood in the background. The lower view looks different as it dates from before the road and Glen Bridge were built. I thought the footbridge looked like the one a bit further up the river (it's still there) but the dam was in the wrong place!

It rather looks like you are going to have to get on your bike Hillsboro (tandem if Mrs Hillsboro is going to hold your camera case), and show us the current photos from these positions.

Maybe this is the cue for a long-planned walk down Rivelin Valley with my old postcards. Unfortunately there are a lot more trees now than when the old photos were taken, but some "then and now" shots might be interesting to see.

Hillsboro your 1905 OS map shows Steel Bank Church or Chapel at the top of the Bole Hills. Is this the same use of the word steel as in Bessemer converter, or did it have an earlier use.
Steel Bank Villas are The houses above the shops at commonside. Is there a connection, if so what is it.

On your first picture of Rivelin Rd. Is the second buliding from the left, Rivelin Glen Chapel.
Both buildings looked pretty new, when the photo was taken.

I don't know the origin of the name "Steel Bank", but on the upper photo, I think (?) it's the first building on the left that is the chapel (which if I remember is on the left-hand side as you go up the path?). Anyway here is an enlarged view, and a section of another (probably 1920s) photo taken from Den Bank. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/RivelinGlen.jpg

... on the upper photo, I think (?) it's the first building on the left that is the chapel
That's right - you can see the bell at the apex of the roof. Here is a modern view of the chapel taken from above: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1081551

Hi Tooeg - the photos both show a stretch of road above what is now the paddling pools (the area which used to be the "Spooner's Wheel" mill). The top photo was taken from near the bottom of Hagg Hill, and the lower one from a bit further down Rivelin Valley Road, nearer to the bend. If you look closely in the upper-middle area of both photos you can see the same poplar trees in St Michael's cemetery.

Here are "old and new" views of the same bend in the road, the upper one dating from c. 1910 showing the buildings around Spooner's Wheel. The lower one is a photo that I took in 1995 from as near as I could get to the same spot. You can identify some of the same trees, gateways etc.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Rivelin.jpg

I don't know anything about St Michael's cemetery (Walkley cemetery) but I guess the spire in the top photo would be that of a mortuary chapel belonging the cemetery?

.. I guess the spire in the top photo would be that of a mortuary chapel belonging the cemetery?

I imagine so - I must confess I haven't been in the cemetery for donkey's years but it seems the chapel is still there and in a good state of repair: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=sheffield&countryCode=GB#map=53.39143,-1.51745|20|256&be=7696596|East&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.38308:-1.46487:14|sheffield|Sheffield,%20Norton,%20South% 20Yorkshire,%20England,%20S1%202

The two pictures of the swingboats are indeed photos of the same place it is the Upper Cut Wheel at Glen Bridge ("S" Bend) when the swinboats were removed they built a toilet block on the same site a few years later.

Well, I promised (post #25) that I'd go back in winter to see if it's possible to get a view of the rock when there are no leaves on the trees. I had a walk up there this afternoon, but this (http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/MansheadRock.jpg) is the best I could do..:( You can just about see the profile through the trees. It might be possible to get a better view from the back gardens of the houses in the lane. Such a pity that what was once a landmark is now obscured.