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Whiteley Wood Grange, Sheffield

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Walked past some big gate posts at the weekend marked 'Whiteley Wood Grange', which lead to the 70's properties at the top of Hangingwater Road.

 

It looks like there was some large property on the site before they were built but I can't remember it or having ever heard anything about it.

 

Does anyone remember Whiteley Wood Grange and who lived there?

 

May be one for my mate Hillsbro!

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Taken from the book 'The Growth of Ranmoor, Hangingwater and Nether Green'

by Peter Warr who is the co-ordinator for the Ranmoor Society.

 

In 1878-1879, Charles Thompson (1815-1897) built the now demolished Whitely

Wood Grange. The front gate being on the corner of Hangingwater Road and

Carr Bank Lane. Charles Thompson ran horse buses to Broomhill and Ranmoor.

 

It is a great read for anyone who has ancestors from the area.

 

Moira.

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May be one for my mate Hillsbro!
Hi boyfriday - Hmmmm.... I'm no expert on the posh end of town, but I do recall hearing about Whiteley Wood Grange, and I knew the area quite well in the 1960s thanks to the King Ted's playing fields being nearby. The 1925 directory gives "Arnold McTurk Spencer, J.P." (1863-1927), a steel manufacturer (Walter & Co. Ltd.) as the occupant of Whiteley Wood Grange. His son Lieutenant Shirley McTurk Spencer had been killed in action in France in 1917. By 1936 "Frederick Roper M.B. Ch.B., physician & surgeon" was the occupant, and some time between 1941 and 1953 Herbert Appleby moved in. The property isn't mentioned in the 1965 directory and so it was presumably demolished some time between 1953 and 1964..:)

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Hi boyfriday - Hmmmm.... I'm no expert on the posh end of town, but I do recall hearing about Whiteley Wood Grange, and I knew the area quite well in the 1960s thanks to the King Ted's playing fields being nearby.
Funnily enough I was lamenting the demise of the KES cricket pitch and pavillion on the very same day, turned to a flippin field with horses grazing on it!

The 1925 directory gives "Arnold McTurk Spencer, J.P." (1863-1927), a steel manufacturer (Walter & Co. Ltd.) as the occupant of Whiteley Wood Grange. His son Lieutenant Shirley McTurk Spencer had been killed in action in France in 1917. By 1936 "Frederick Roper M.B. Ch.B., physician & surgeon" was the occupant, and some time between 1941 and 1953 Herbert Appleby moved in. The property isn't mentioned in the 1965 directory and so it was presumably demolished some time between 1953 and 1964..:)

 

Thanks for that Hillsbro, would have loved to see some pics of the old house.

 

---------- Post added 15-06-2013 at 20:55 ----------

 

Taken from the book 'The Growth of Ranmoor, Hangingwater and Nether Green'

by Peter Warr who is the co-ordinator for the Ranmoor Society.

 

In 1878-1879, Charles Thompson (1815-1897) built the now demolished Whitely

Wood Grange. The front gate being on the corner of Hangingwater Road and

Carr Bank Lane. Charles Thompson ran horse buses to Broomhill and Ranmoor.

 

It is a great read for anyone who has ancestors from the area.

 

Moira.

 

Brilliant, thanks Moira :thumbsup:

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...Funnily enough I was lamenting the demise of the KES cricket pitch and pavillion on the very same day, turned to a flippin field with horses grazing on it!...
I know - is nothing sacred?! All the happy hours spent there, and the lovely old green-painted pavilion "gone with the wind". See here.

 

There must be photos of Whiteley Wood Grange somewhere. I'll see what I can do....

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Is it anywhere near Whiteley Wood Clinic?
The location isn't far away. From the clinic, go down Whiteley Wood Road and turn left on to Hangingwater Road - a couple of hundred yards along on the left is where Whiteley Wood Grange was. Needless to say, the "clinic" has now been converted into up-market apartments...

 

Charles Thompson turns up in the 1881 census return as a "retired coach proprietor" of Whiteley Wood Grange - here is a scan. The 1871 census finds him at Glossop Road, and so the Grange was presumably built in the intervening decade. To judge from census returns, Charles was a self-made man who made a lot of money out of his coaches. In 1841 he was described as a "coachman", of Portobello Street, but by 1851, as a "cab proprietor", he could already afford a house servant, and in 1861 he employed 12 men as a "coach proprietor". By 1871 his business, and his income had presumably grown to the point at which he could contemplate building Whiteley Wood Grange.

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I know - is nothing sacred?! All the happy hours spent there, and the lovely old green-painted pavilion "gone with the wind". See here.

 

There must be photos of Whiteley Wood Grange somewhere. I'll see what I can do....

 

Thanks so much for that Hillsbro, can't believe the pavillion ever looked that good. It was on the way to ramshackled and under the care of 'Austin', when I was there!

 

---------- Post added 16-06-2013 at 22:37 ----------

 

The location isn't far away. From the clinic, go down Whiteley Wood Road and turn left on to Hangingwater Road - a couple of hundred yards along on the left is where Whiteley Wood Grange was. Needless to say, the "clinic" has now been converted into up-market apartments...

 

Charles Thompson turns up in the 1881 census return as a "retired coach proprietor" of Whiteley Wood Grange - here is a scan. The 1871 census finds him at Glossop Road, and so the Grange was presumably built in the intervening decade. To judge from census returns, Charles was a self-made man who made a lot of money out of his coaches. In 1841 he was described as a "coachman", of Portobello Street, but by 1851, as a "cab proprietor", he could already afford a house servant, and in 1861 he employed 12 men as a "coach proprietor". By 1871 his business, and his income had presumably grown to the point at which he could contemplate building Whiteley Wood Grange.

 

Well given how big WWG must have been he didn't do bad for a 'coach proprieter'.

 

---------- Post added 16-06-2013 at 22:40 ----------

 

Charles Thompson turns up in the 1881 census return as a "retired coach proprietor" of Whiteley Wood Grange - here is a scan.

 

Love the final column of the census return "Deaf and Dumb, Blind, Imbecile or Idiot, Lunatic"

 

---------- Post added 16-06-2013 at 22:42 ----------

 

I know - is nothing sacred?! All the happy hours spent there, and the lovely old green-painted pavilion "gone with the wind". See here.

 

Note my old Latin teacher, Arthur Jones captain of the staff XI and Brian Lockett sat next to him..thanks so much for this Hillsbro.

Edited by boyfriday

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HI boyfriday - glad you enjoyed my posts (I'd like to send you a PM but your box is full). It would be interesting to know a little more about Charles Thompson, and what sort of business a "coach proprietor" was in at that time. Mail coaches were in decline in the mid- to late 19th century as the railways had taken over (though as late as 1914 the London to Norwich mail sometimes went by road on Sundays). Perhaps Charles owned a fleet of cabs, rather than coaches. The words 'cab' and 'coach' may have been interchangeable; in 1841 Charles was a "coachman" but ten years later he was a "cab proprietor".

 

I've now looked in all the books etc. I have and can't find a photo of Whiteley Wood Grange. I'll make a note for the next time I'm in the Local Studies Library.

 

Austin was a really nice chap; among his duties in the 1960s were tending the boiler and looking after Molly, the pavilion cat. If ever a tabby had an idyllic existence it was Molly - hunting in the fields and hedgerows and then returning to Austin for a bowl of Whiskas before settling down in her basket (on top of the boiler where it was nice and warm). Austin and "Wag" Waghorn did an excellent job at Whiteley Woods. A former county cricketer, Leslie Waghorn lived nearby on Oakbrook Road. He retired in 1971 and two years later he and his wife returned to their home town of Robertsbridge; he's now organising sports in the Elysian Fields.

 

I met Brian Lockett at a stamp auction in 1978 and we've been in touch ever since. Arthur Jones was my favourite teacher - even though I failed Latin 'O' level four times on the trot. He also taught Russian, and I sent him a copy of my first (rather abstruse) book. He now lives in Suffolk.

 

I just looked on Google Earth but couldn't see the Whiteley Wood Grange gate posts. In the 1891 census return, Charles Thompson's address is given as "Carr Bank". I must go for a walk again in that area sometime!

Edited by hillsbro

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HI boyfriday - glad you enjoyed my posts (I'd like to send you a PM but your box is full). It would be interesting to know a little more about Charles Thompson, and what sort of business a "coach proprietor" was in at that time. Mail coaches were in decline in the mid- to late 19th century as the railways had taken over (though as late as 1914 the London to Norwich mail sometimes went by road on Sundays). Perhaps Charles owned a fleet of cabs, rather than coaches. The words 'cab' and 'coach' may have been interchangeable; in 1841 Charles was a "coachman" but ten years later he was a "cab proprietor".

 

I've now looked in all the books etc. I have and can't find a photo of Whiteley Wood Grange. I'll make a note for the next time I'm in the Local Studies Library.

 

Austin was a really nice chap; among his duties in the 1960s were tending the boiler and looking after Molly, the pavilion cat. If ever a tabby had an idyllic existence it was Molly - hunting in the fields and hedgerows and then returning to Austin for a bowl of Whiskas before settling down in her basket (on top of the boiler where it was nice and warm). Austin and "Wag" Waghorn did an excellent job at Whiteley Woods. A former county cricketer, Leslie Waghorn lived nearby on Oakbrook Road. He retired in 1971 and two years later he and his wife returned to their home town of Robertsbridge; he's now organising sports in the Elysian Fields.

 

I met Brian Lockett at a stamp auction in 1978 and we've been in touch ever since. Arthur Jones was my favourite teacher - even though I failed Latin 'O' level four times on the trot. He also taught Russian, and I sent him a copy of my first (rather abstruse) book. He now lives in Suffolk.

 

I just looked on Google Earth but couldn't see the Whiteley Wood Grange gate posts. In the 1891 census return, Charles Thompson's address is given as "Carr Bank". I must go for a walk again in that area sometime!

 

Hi hillsbro,

 

If you look on Google street view at the junction of Hangingwater Road and Armthorpe Road you can see one of the gateposts at the entrance to what I believe was Whiteley Wood Grange. The other post is hidden behind a tree.

I guess that when the Grange was constructed Carr Bank Lane came right down to Hangingwater Road but subsequently when Armthorpe Road was built the latter name superseded the first for the first 75 yards or so ... if that makes sense!

 

echo

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The location isn't far away. From the clinic, go down Whiteley Wood Road and turn left on to Hangingwater Road - a couple of hundred yards along on the left is where Whiteley Wood Grange was. Needless to say, the "clinic" has now been converted into up-market apartments...

.

 

When did that happen? It had an international reputation as a psychiatric medical center that moved away from the prison-like model that prevailed elsewhere, e.g. Middlewood. Set in pristine surroundings with understanding staff, it was forward looking and catered to people with less serious illnesses who would have felt most uncomfortable in the more traditional institutional setting. Has anything similar replaced it?

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HI boyfriday - glad you enjoyed my posts (I'd like to send you a PM but your box is full). It would be interesting to know a little more about Charles Thompson, and what sort of business a "coach proprietor" was in at that time. Mail coaches were in decline in the mid- to late 19th century as the railways had taken over (though as late as 1914 the London to Norwich mail sometimes went by road on Sundays). Perhaps Charles owned a fleet of cabs, rather than coaches. The words 'cab' and 'coach' may have been interchangeable; in 1841 Charles was a "coachman" but ten years later he was a "cab proprietor".

 

I've now looked in all the books etc. I have and can't find a photo of Whiteley Wood Grange. I'll make a note for the next time I'm in the Local Studies Library.

 

Austin was a really nice chap; among his duties in the 1960s were tending the boiler and looking after Molly, the pavilion cat. If ever a tabby had an idyllic existence it was Molly - hunting in the fields and hedgerows and then returning to Austin for a bowl of Whiskas before settling down in her basket (on top of the boiler where it was nice and warm). Austin and "Wag" Waghorn did an excellent job at Whiteley Woods. A former county cricketer, Leslie Waghorn lived nearby on Oakbrook Road. He retired in 1971 and two years later he and his wife returned to their home town of Robertsbridge; he's now organising sports in the Elysian Fields.

 

I met Brian Lockett at a stamp auction in 1978 and we've been in touch ever since. Arthur Jones was my favourite teacher - even though I failed Latin 'O' level four times on the trot. He also taught Russian, and I sent him a copy of my first (rather abstruse) book. He now lives in Suffolk.

 

I just looked on Google Earth but couldn't see the Whiteley Wood Grange gate posts. In the 1891 census return, Charles Thompson's address is given as "Carr Bank". I must go for a walk again in that area sometime!

 

Hi again hillsbro, as echo beach says the gateposts are at the junction of Armthorpe and Hangingwater, and lead to the first of the 'new' houses.

 

Amazing you're still in touch with Brian Lockett, he'll not remember me as I wasn't one of his more able students..to put it politely. Arthur Jones was a fab bloke he must still be around somewhere. I remember Austin making extra money by selling hot Ribena after winter football at Whiteley Wood and cold showers!

 

Have emptied my inbox!

 

---------- Post added 17-06-2013 at 12:25 ----------

 

When did that happen? It had an international reputation as a psychiatric medical center that moved away from the prison-like model that prevailed elsewhere, e.g. Middlewood. Set in pristine surroundings with understanding staff, it was forward looking and catered to people with less serious illnesses who would have felt most uncomfortable in the more traditional institutional setting. Has anything similar replaced it?

 

The clinic was redeveloped about 15 years ago, I think it had been empty for some time before that and could easily have fallen to ruin, so I guess it was saved. Not sure where the psychiatric facility went but there is something similar at Nether Edge which looks after psychiatric outpatients (Nether Edge Hospital has also been developed into flats and houses btw!)

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