Springvale House Special School information sought

[goldenfleece 11]

can anyone assist with details about the building that was adjacent to the old Springvale House special school in Broomhall. I am seekingh information about a detached house that was in the grounds of the school, so possibly belonged to the headmaster or caretaker? The house was known as "Springvale House" in its own right, and was right at the end of Gloucester Street on one side, and the end of Park Crescent on the other.

 

The site is now a car park for modern flats, but I believe would have been part of the old school up to its demolition. The house itself was not demolished at the same time as the school, but was taken over in 1974 by King Edward VII school and used as an Annexe at the same time as Lynwood House (now the Francis Newton pub) was in use by KES.

 

I am talking about the LARGE detached Georgian house which had its own garden and access via a private driveway from park Crescent. The gates and driveway are still there at the end of Park Crescent, but the house seems to have been demolished sometime in the 1980's.

 

Anyone have ANY pictures or information about this property? I can't find a postal address for the house as such, ie wether it was listed on Gloucester Rd or Park Crescent. All I know is the old maps show this large house in the grounds of the Special School, probably less than 50 yards from the school buildings site.

 

Please do not be confused that I am talking about Lynwood House (Francis Newton..Springvale House annexe was further down into the area known as Lynwood gardens now, and was in a walled 'dell' with a private driveway, but had pedestrian access from Lynwood House in the late 1970's as it was part of king Edward school for a while.

Edited September 9, 2014 by goldenfleece

[tam1 10]

I grew up in the area and used to play in the school grounds as a child in the 1970s. As far as I remember the old detached building was part of the school. Three houses stand there now. To one side of the building was the gate that led onto Gloucester Crescent and on the other side was a lawned area and path that led out to Park Crescent. Opposite the house and up a grass embankment was a play area with small climbing frames and a single story more modern school building. I think the old building was demolished in the early to mid 1990s

[goldenfleece 11]

I grew up in the area and used to play in the school grounds as a child in the 1970s. As far as I remember the old detached building was part of the school. Three houses stand there now. To one side of the building was the gate that led onto Gloucester Crescent and on the other side was a lawned area and path that led out to Park Crescent. Opposite the house and up a grass embankment was a play area with small climbing frames and a single story more modern school building. I think the old building was demolished in the early to mid 1990s

 

great information indeed. I thought the house was demolished in the early 80's so this throws up some better chances that there may exist some pictures of it.

It was actually an important historic house, being occupied early on by one of the great tycoons of the Sheffield Steel Industry and who became a Lord.

 

Anyone who can shed more light on this building, now assumed demolished as late as the 1990's, please reply to this thread. I am convinced SOMEONE has a photograph and Sheffield archives do not appear to have anything, but a large house that stood for 100+ years must have been photographed by someone.....

 

When you say the 'school grounds' do u mean the old Sheffield Special School or King Edward VII school?

[tam1 10]

I mean the old special school. The only picture I have ever seen is on Picture Sheffield. Type in Hallamshire Hospital in search and there is a aerial photo taken from the hospital. Hope were talking about the same building. Its not a great photo but you can see the old houses on Gloucester Crescent bordered up and at the edge of the photo is the old school house.

[goldenfleece 11]

I mean the old special school. The only picture I have ever seen is on Picture Sheffield. Type in Hallamshire Hospital in search and there is a aerial photo taken from the hospital. Hope were talking about the same building. Its not a great photo but you can see the old houses on Gloucester Crescent bordered up and at the edge of the photo is the old school house.

 

cant find it...can you link me to it the exact photogrpah you mean?

[tam1 10]

I will give it a go not tried this before. If it doesn't work the photo is on page 8

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;w00788&pos=76&action=zoom&id=46077

[goldenfleece 11]

I will give it a go not tried this before. If it doesn't work the photo is on page 8

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;w00788&pos=76&action=zoom&id=46077

 

Yes got the picture ref w00788?

I cant make out the building...can you explain where on the picture I am looking? What is that road in the foreground? cant seem to get my bearings on this image at all....

 

---------- Post added 10-09-2014 at 14:38 ----------

 

Actually is the school the long building bottom right and the house just above that slightly to the right? I THINK I recognize the road layout......as it was.....but there are more old terrace houses there than I remember..

Edited September 10, 2014 by goldenfleece

[DUFFEMS 56]

If anyone has details/maps etc. it will be Hillsbro, I'll send him a pm in case he hasn't seen this post.

I've just been looking around "picture Sheffield" under various headings and I can't see any information there.

Regards,

Duffems

[tam1 10]

The house is more to the foreground on the very right of the picture. It is mostly painted white. The houses leading up to it are a row of old terraces with most of the windows boarded up, this is Gloucester Crescent. The gates to the school grounds cant be seen in this picture because of the tree.

[goldenfleece 11]

Would anyone know the original address of this property? Was it Park Crescent or Gloucester Crescent? The house was known as Springvale House in the 1970's, or "annexe" as the school using it since 1974 (King Edwards VII). I want to see if I can trace its original build date and other details, as it is of quite historical importance as it happens and probably should NEVER have been demolished. However, information about it is scarce, but one source tells of the house in very poor state of repair and was deemed not economically viable as the land was worth more than the house in its dilapidated condition after being neglected by the LEA. However this is all unsubstantiated.

 

But very few houses in Sheffield can claim to be have been built by a genuine peer of the realm, a LORD in this case.

 

of interest, I remember well the boarded up terraced houses adjacent to the house shown in the picture....I explored some of these in 1979 for a school photography project....they were in dire need of demolition and seriously beyond help, having been abandoned for some years. Now if ONLY I could fine my old 35mm film I took...but sadly, it's missing....

Edited September 10, 2014 by goldenfleece

[hillsbro 32]

Would anyone know the original address of this property? Was it Park Crescent or Gloucester Crescent?...

The building doesn't seem to have a separate entry in any of the directories I have (back to 1905). "Springvale Open-Air School" is given as the last entry on Park Crescent from about the late 1920s onwards. The building was evidently part of this school as others have noted (old maps show it in outline without any additional name). It was after my time at King Edward's but I found this in John Cornwell's book "King Ted's":

 

In 1976, to aid the continual pressure of pupil numbers, the school acquired its fourth teaching site. At least a good five minutes walk away from the main buildings. Springvale, a nearby LEA building, had recently housed a special needs school and was now re-furnished at a cost of £3000 and handed over to the Domestic Science Department. Situated in a pleasant dell below Lynwood, it was approached from Park Lane and it was this building that, a little later, also became the new home of the Sixth Form Common Room.

.

[goldenfleece 11]

The building doesn't seem to have a separate entry in any of the directories I have (back to 1905). "Springvale Open-Air School" is given as the last entry on Park Crescent from about the late 1920s onwards. The building was evidently part of this school as others have noted (old maps show it in outline without any additional name). It was after my time at King Edward's but I found this in John Cornwell's book "King Ted's":

 

In 1976, to aid the continual pressure of pupil numbers, the school acquired its fourth teaching site. At least a good five minutes walk away from the main buildings. Springvale, a nearby LEA building, had recently housed a special needs school and was now re-furnished at a cost of £3000 and handed over to the Domestic Science Department. Situated in a pleasant dell below Lynwood, it was approached from Park Lane and it was this building that, a little later, also became the new home of the Sixth Form Common Room.

.

 

Thanks for that information. That certainly clarifies the house was part of the Open air school 'other' building, which is a long building adjacent to the house. I am trying to get some information from the LEA for my research, but no joy so far. Have yet to find a photograph of the house that is not a distant aerial shot.