Sledging in Sheffield when you were young

[peterw 10]

When you were younger, where was your favourite spot for sledging? Along with a host of other youngsters I favoured Wayland Road, Sharrow Vale, which was quite steep and we had difficulty in either stopping at the bottom or doing a quick turn into a road which I can’t remember the name of. The whole road turned to ice very quickly, but luckily, in those days, nobody had cars so there were no complaints.

 

My second favourite was Dover Road — until a lad overshot it and finished up being hit be a tram on Ecclesall Road. Luckily, he was not seriously injured.

[floralfoote 10]

my favourite was on white lane fields in Frechville. that was a great spot. In my dads day it was from Western park right down the hill over a couple of roads he said, he also di the same route on several go carts he made in the cellar withhis brother in law!

[RADISHES 10]

I lived on Firth Park Crescent.......used to start at the top of Bevercotes Road at Windmill Lane and go all the way down towards Bellhouse Road.

Also tried the steep hill down towards the stream in Firth Park a few times ..

.............but that was a little dangerous.

A long time ago.

[nanrobbo 12]

In the little woods near Shircliffe School- (until they built the pre-fabs.) trouble was the stream at the bottom- I always ended up with a cold wet btm.

[BoroughGal 10]

Myers Grove School fields were good, steep bit, levels out, steep bit again, level, steep etc, quite easy to walk back up (even with my ancient heavy wooden sledge with runners, how I wanted a plastic one like everyone else....).

 

However, the Gas Club at Malin Bridge was another good one, soooo steep you wouldn't believe, but you'd only do it once. There was no getting back up that hill.

[gosling 10]

Britnall Street was very good as there was no traffic around in those days

[surfinjim 10]

Grenoside Park, from main street to Blacksmith Lane in 3 nano seconds!!!!

 

Jim:thumbsup:

[tazman 10]

Up at Stocksbridge, if you lived in Garden Village, we used to go up a local path known locally as the Clough and it was a fair old walk to the top.

 

We could then go hell for leather right down the hill, across the road known locally as the the Tip because cars couldnt use it as it was too slippy and then go right down to Smith Rd and Coronation Rd at the bottom.

 

In the middle there were usually a range of jumps and ramps built using old boards and sometimes my old sledge used to rattle the nuts and bolts loose as it charged down the hill, making the wooden top come loose which made the ride down a little more dodgy to deal with.

 

One of the lasses in the vilage turned up one day with a sit on toboggan that her dad had made for her and you could sit about 12 people on it. !!

 

A ' stretch ' sledge, what piece of advance thought, pity her dad didnt think to do it to a car, he could have been quids in by now .

[peterw 10]

Up at Stocksbridge, if you lived in Garden Village, we used to go up a local path known locally as the Clough and it was a fair old walk to the top.

 

We could then go hell for leather right down the hill, across the road known locally as the the Tip because cars couldnt use it as it was too slippy and then go right down to Smith Rd and Coronation Rd at the bottom.

 

In the middle there were usually a range of jumps and ramps built using old boards and sometimes my old sledge used to rattle the nuts and bolts loose as it charged down the hill, making the wooden top come loose which made the ride down a little more dodgy to deal with.

 

One of the lasses in the vilage turned up one day with a sit on toboggan that her dad had made for her and you could sit about 12 people on it. !!

 

A ' stretch ' sledge, what piece of advance thought, pity her dad didnt think to do it to a car, he could have been quids in by now .

 

My father made my sledge too! I remember the frame was made out of 1/2-inch steel and the runners were 1/2-inch, half-round steel. I sat, or laid belly-down and away I went. The trial run was fine — until I tried to turn at the bottom of Wayland Road. The frame wouldn’t stand it, and bent sideways so it was back to the drawing-board. He fixed it by putting stays underneath, but by that time the snow had gone!

[timo 10]

Concord Park was an excellent site for sleighing in my childhood, and I imagine it is so still. We called it 'sledging' though. I recall hurtling down through the golf links to the bottom of Woolley Wood, and the path near to the rear of Standon Drive.

 

Radishes is correct about Bevercotes Road too. A good friend of mine lived at the bottom [near the Wharncliffe pub? I think that was its name] and we'd 'sledge' down it on to BellHouse Rd too circa early 70s.

[jass 10]

When you were younger, where was your favourite spot for sledging? Along with a host of other youngsters I favoured Wayland Road, Sharrow Vale, which was quite steep and we had difficulty in either stopping at the bottom or doing a quick turn into a road which I can’t remember the name of. The whole road turned to ice very quickly, but luckily, in those days, nobody had cars so there were no complaints.

 

My second favourite was Dover Road — until a lad overshot it and finished up being hit be a tram on Ecclesall Road. Luckily, he was not seriously injured.

 

Hi peterw, would that possibly be Bagshot Rd?

 

Living on Brocco Bank I used to go into Endcliffe Park, although the slopes there tend to be wooded so it was always a bit tricky making the necessary manoeuvres to avoid trees and roots. We did get fairly adept at it, although on one occasion I must have lost concentration or something. Suddenly there was this huge trunk in front of me. The sledge hit the trunk, I slid forward and then I hit the trunk - with my head. The tree didn't make any attempt to jump out of the way, or fall down hurt. I did though. It was quite a while before I could stand up properly. Good thing I was sitting on the sledge, rather than going down on my stomach. That could have been really nasty!

 

Another place I used was Rossington Road. This was even more dangerous - a really steep road with Brocco Bank at the bottom. In my childhood days, Rossington Rd was cobbled. The cobbles had become smooth and shiny, and you probably didn't need snow to sledge down them anyway. Even though there were far fewer cars around in those days, Brocco Bank has always been relatively busy. We had developed (pretty much) the nack of either turning the sledge into a wall or, more often, into the front of someone's garage near the bottom. I think this was the only garage on the road. Failing that, the drive to what is now (I think) the Peace Guest House was just next to this. As a last resort we would just roll off the sledge, clutching the rope and thus avoiding the sledge continuing on its course to the main road. It was bad enough us getting hurt but we couldn't be doing with the sledge getting damaged!!!!!

 

Cheers Jass

[sweetdexter 10]

In the winter of 47 we used to go down Colley Rd and sledge down to the stream that ran parallel with Deerlands Ave.

We used a section of Anderson air-raid shelter for a sledge.

Don't know how there was never a serious accident