Hi

As i live in Handsworth i am interested in it's history. I believe that at one time there was a swimming pool where the parkway is now, i believe where there is a roundabout. I even believe it's still under there somewhere and have an old picture of them building it. Does anyone actually know where it was/is?

Cath x

Im led to believe the swimming pool was sited roughly where the roundabout at the end of the Mosborough parkway is.

I live in Handsworth but have never heard of it.

Originally posted by Bloomdido
I live in Handsworth but have never heard of it.

Get yourself a copy of the Handsworth book (1st series) compiled by Sandra Gillott, you'll find pictures in there of the swimming pool.

I have it I think. Will have another look

The outdoor swimming pool was in Bowden Woods and was quite visible although derelict up to the time the Parkway was turned into a dual carriageway.

My Family moved on to the manor when it was first bulit in 1928
when my dad was born and he used to swim in there.
When I was a kid we used to play in it too but that was just ffishing for tadpoles and catching frogs as it was half full of green slime.
Beleive it or not it was fed by the stream that runs from the Springwood pub through Darnall and into the Don.
I dont think any of it is still visible as it was covered with spoil from the Parkway alterations but for its exact location from Handsworth follow the path in to the woods from the Asda cross over the mosborough pakway into the second section of the woods and as you face in the direction of prince of Wales Road the path takes a sharp dip down .
In the dip as you look to the left you can see the stream which disappears under the parkway.The baths was on the left adjacent to the stream. Ther are photos in some local history books.

Wow, thanks for that Mickyboy. I live next to the woods, will have a look next time i go in!

Cath x

i remember playing on the remains of the pool as a kid,we once found a very old rusting axe head close by the pool and took it to western park museum,they sent a letter back saying it was used for copising and was made in darnall around 17 oo,s,

we also found a small leather bag full of powder,when we took it home my mates dad said it was blasting powder and got rid off it,imagine walking all the way from bowden woods to the woodthorpe estate with a bag of gun powder?

wow im just browsing pages from ages ago and stumbed across this
i never knew there was a baths here it facenates me history of sheffield
has anyone any stories about the darnel area and handsworth of interesting places that no longer exist ?????
ooo do tell ......... cheeres x

the executioner of king charles 1 came from darnall, a giant of a man,he had to be smuggled into the tower to do the job then smuggled out again, cant remember where i read it as it was years ago but it could be worth a search..

edit

quick look brought this up
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=a4YgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA140&lpg=PA140&dq=+william+walker+the+executioner+of+king+charles +came+from+darnall&source=web&ots=YNRxUBpdsr&sig=Ci1T4NuA90HxG7RUrFi8PF1gesE&hl=en

william walker is said to have been the executionor of the king and a plaque was placed in the parish church after his death in 1700

We used to go to the swimming baths there. It was then called Bowden Homestead Woods. I notice in all my reference books I have sent me the changed name just Bowden Woods now. Never swam in it always full of rocks and debri. The old woodkeeper forgot his name was always on patrol there. I lived just on Pipworth so it was easy just to pop into the playing fields and stroll down to the woods to get Bluebells. How things change eh! HELLO to Depoix how are you.

Vera.

hi vera im fine thank you,just lost in the murky past of 40 odd years ago playing in bowden homestead woods,hot summers and long days,a den in every field and bottles of tap water with crumbs floating in them...:hihi::hihi:

Local miners built an open air swimming pool in the woods in 1926. It was fed by waters from a natural spring and surrounded by a fence comprised of old railway sleepers. Alterations to the Sheffield Parkway, with the addition of the Mosborough link in 1990, included the construction of a new roundabout on the site of the old pool

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowden_Housteads_Woods

Local miners built an open air swimming pool in the woods in 1926. It was fed by waters from a natural spring and surrounded by a fence comprised of old railway sleepers. Alterations to the Sheffield Parkway, with the addition of the Mosborough link in 1990, included the construction of a new roundabout on the site of the old pool

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowden_Housteads_Woods

Mr. Squirrel,
Thanks for posting that info of the woods.the picture was good too.Brings back a lot of memories it does and these are very interesting when you have been out of the country for a long time. You tend to forget until you something like this so great to share old memories thanks.
Vera.

yea mr squirrle thanks for the info even though im only 38 and was too young to see all this it stil facinates me local historys amazing dont you think
i went for a walk up there for the first time yesterday its verry derilict and full of graffiti which is a great shame but still a lovley place x

i used to live on the lower manor about 25 years ago in the summer we used to walk through bowden woods to get to handsworth i can remember the remnants of an open pool in bowden woods it was all broken in and deralict but you could still see the white tiles of the sides of the baths

i used to live on the lower manor about 25 years ago in the summer we used to walk through bowden woods to get to handsworth i can remember the remnants of an open pool in bowden woods it was all broken in and deralict but you could still see the white tiles of the sides of the baths

Walking through the woods there to get to Darnall was always great, part of the way you could get on to the stepping stones in the little creek there. Ha !you could fall off them just as easy. Finishing up with wet feet to sit in the"" little dick"" for a couple of hours. It was always lovely and peaceful down there. I think we came out near Davey United?? Coming home we could call on Poole Rd was it , to the chip shop and walk home back thru the woods again. Wow wouldn't like to think of kids doing that these days.
Bushbaby sorry you didn't see it at it's best , Oh yes it was quite a lovers lane too.
Sharon You would have loved the beautiful bluebells down there
Regards Vera.