Hidden Garden Endcliffe Park

[Rockers rule 673]

I've tried to find information on the hidden / Victorian / Private/ Walled garden in Endcliffe Park.

I can find nothing about it on the internet but by looking on Goggle maps it can plainly be seen from above

(after the stepping stones and into the woods, further in than the Mi-Amigo memorial).

Looks to be pretty tidy compared to when we found it in the 1960's.

Strange it is not mentioned when searching the history of Endcliffe Park or from what I can see on here.

Was it a private garden or actually part of Endcliffe park looks like something that might have been the place the well-to-do Victorian's would promenade around.

We had to climb in to explore it (statute of limitations rule applies) all them years ago.

Which reminds me weren't those Park keepers ruthless in them days - lol.  

 

Any one have further details?

is it something that is now accessicble?

[Lockjaw 11]

I'm fascinated by this but I don't think I can see it.  Are you talking about the bit that looks like a dodgy heart-shaped pond?

 

[Rollypolly 51]

I've looked as well and I saw the heart shape. Zoomed in but it's not very clear. I used to live on Rustlings Road and never heard anything about a hidden garden. I'd love to know where it is.

[Rockers rule 673]

22 minutes ago, Lockjaw said:

I'm fascinated by this but I don't think I can see it.  Are you talking about the bit that looks like a dodgy heart-shaped pond?

 

Yes,

if you look you can see how the wall encloses it.

It used to have a  small gate that was always locked although in the 60's the path to it was overgrown as well.

From goggle maps it looks like it has been cleared somewhat.

 

The internet is poor to what it used to be, everything is 'Trip advisor' or Pub reviews rather than the history of places.

(Take note 'New owners of the Forum' lets make our favourite forum the first place for Sheffield history)

 

 

 

[TSL 0]

There was a long thread about it on the Sheffield History forum some years ago https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/10193-is-there-a-small-victorian-park-behind-endcliffe-park/#comments

 

The gist of the discussion seems to confirm that it's actually the private grounds of a large property behind the park and not part of the park.

 

Edited October 7, 2020 by TSL
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[Rockers rule 673]

8 hours ago, TSL said:

There was a long thread about it on the Sheffield History forum some years ago https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/10193-is-there-a-small-victorian-park-behind-endcliffe-park/#comments

 

The gist of the discussion seems to confirm that it's actually the private grounds of a large property behind the park and not part of the park.

 

 TSL  - Your a super star

Excellent link - with a photo of the lake & a map as well.

My memories are a little earlier than those in the post which mention 'glass topped walls and a wooden fence in the 1970's.

I can't remember a wooden fence, i'm not saying there wasn't one but my memories from the 1960's are one of a stone wall and just the one wooden gate set into an archway . There was definitely no glass on the walls back then and the photo from 2012 is nothing like the run down, overgrown shambles we saw back then. The band stand/ summer house (which is obviously long gone) was in my mind a small affair, more of a pagoda (?) and in a state of disrepair. I cannot remember the steps at all and although these were undoubtedly there must have been so overgrown that they were not visible.

Again trying to find out about the large house ('the Glen') that the 'lost' garden belonged to comes up with no results other than house prices for the rather bland apartments that replaced what must have been a grand house.

 

Looking to your left on goggle maps the field above the 'duck' pond in Endcliffe park was a lot larger at one time before they built the three flat roofed buildings (Riverdale Rd) student accommodation ? on it.

 

Once again, Thank You TSL

 

Sheffield Forum rules.

[TSL 0]

12 hours ago, Rockers rule said:

 TSL  - Your a super star

Excellent link - with a photo of the lake & a map as well.

My memories are a little earlier than those in the post which mention 'glass topped walls and a wooden fence in the 1970's.

I can't remember a wooden fence, i'm not saying there wasn't one but my memories from the 1960's are one of a stone wall and just the one wooden gate set into an archway . There was definitely no glass on the walls back then and the photo from 2012 is nothing like the run down, overgrown shambles we saw back then. The band stand/ summer house (which is obviously long gone) was in my mind a small affair, more of a pagoda (?) and in a state of disrepair. I cannot remember the steps at all and although these were undoubtedly there must have been so overgrown that they were not visible.

Again trying to find out about the large house ('the Glen') that the 'lost' garden belonged to comes up with no results other than house prices for the rather bland apartments that replaced what must have been a grand house.

 

Looking to your left on goggle maps the field above the 'duck' pond in Endcliffe park was a lot larger at one time before they built the three flat roofed buildings (Riverdale Rd) student accommodation ? on it.

 

Once again, Thank You TSL

 

Sheffield Forum rules.

I too am unable to find anything out about the house, though I found this picture from 1966 and it was still there then - you can see it bottom right, just west of Endcliffe Glen Road.  So it looks like you remember the garden from when the house still stood there.  It's a huge house, so hopefully someone here can tell us something about it.

[Rockers rule 673]

13 hours ago, TSL said:

I too am unable to find anything out about the house, though I found this picture from 1966 and it was still there then - you can see it bottom right, just west of Endcliffe Glen Road.  So it looks like you remember the garden from when the house still stood there.  It's a huge house, so hopefully someone here can tell us something about it.

And yet again TSL 

you come up trumps, but I might have done better?

obviously the big house came to its demise probably the usual end of the line (succession?) or cost of maintaining such a large place.

This is what I thought until -

 

Looking at my 1972 Kelly's and ignoring the roads and appartment's that are there on Endcliffe Vale Road now. 

After Endcliffe Glen Rd and before Riverdale Rd there are only two names the first of which and corresponds with the House we're looking at, belongs to some one called -

Ruben Viner.

Any one who knows anything about Sheffield will know the name Viner's and Ruben Viner was the son that was its leading force back then.

While Viners were in their 'heyday' in the 1960's by the 1970's imports were certainly having an effect on the business.

 

Problem solved? 

 

Looking at my South Yorkshire A-Z street atlas circa 2012 the 'heart' shaped pond can be quite clearly be seen. 

 

Keep safe.

[TSL 0]

47 minutes ago, Rockers rule said:

And yet again TSL 

you come up trumps, but I might have done better?

obviously the big house came to its demise probably the usual end of the line (succession?) or cost of maintaining such a large place.

This is what I thought until -

 

Looking at my 1972 Kelly's and ignoring the roads and appartment's that are there on Endcliffe Vale Road now. 

After Endcliffe Glen Rd and before Riverdale Rd there are only two names the first of which and corresponds with the House we're looking at, belongs to some one called -

Ruben Viner.

Any one who knows anything about Sheffield will know the name Viner's and Ruben Viner was the son that was its leading force back then.

While Viners were in their 'heyday' in the 1960's by the 1970's imports were certainly having an effect on the business.

 

Problem solved? 

 

Looking at my South Yorkshire A-Z street atlas circa 2012 the 'heart' shaped pond can be quite clearly be seen. 

 

Keep safe.

It seems that The Glen was home to Sir Henry Stephenson, 1st Baronet of Hassop Hall and a Lord Mayor of Sheffield in the late 1800s and early 1900s https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Henry_Stephenson but it's frustrating that there doesn't seem to be any easily accessible information regarding the house itself, such as who built it and when it was demolished.  There's lots of online information and pictures of Endliffe Hall and Endcliffe Grange, but then it seems that there were quite a number of these grand mansions on Endcliffe Vale Road back in the day.

[Victor Meldrew 33]

11 hours ago, TSL said:

There's lots of online information and pictures of Endliffe Hall and Endcliffe Grange, but then it seems that there were quite a number of these grand mansions on Endcliffe Vale Road back in the day.

Including Sorby Hall, my former home, which has now sadly also been demolished 🙂

 

We wandered up there today and were amazed that we'd never noticed it before. So is this pond and surrounding greenery now just a 'feature' for the sole enjoyment of the occupants of the flats?

[Rockers rule 673]

8 hours ago, Paul_ said:

Including Sorby Hall, my former home, which has now sadly also been demolished 🙂

 

We wandered up there today and were amazed that we'd never noticed it before. So is this pond and surrounding greenery now just a 'feature' for the sole enjoyment of the occupants of the flats?

Hello Paul.

I'm glad as I am sure you are now that you took the time to find what must have been a little gem for the owners of the big house.

It is hard to decide who has the rights to the use of the pond.

Looking on Goggle maps, while you can zoom in the whole area is not covered with being able to see any of the buildings from street level.

There appears to be multiple walkways leading into the wood from the appartments and possible from the two properties on 'the Glade'.

From Goggle maps if you don't switch to 'satalite' the sorce of the stream into the pond can be seen quite easily.

So the next conundrum is where does the water go to ?

Porter Brook being the most obviouse answer, but how ?

The appartments and the roads are marked as 'Private property' 

An invite into the grounds for a look around by one of the residents would be nice.

 

 

I'm glad to have shared something we found all those years ago on this Forum .

We always thought it was part of the park because of the gate and that because of how overgrown the place was had been shut off to the public and with it being an enclosed area would have required constant patrols by the 'Parki's' .

 

Keep safe.

& thanks to everybody for taking the time to find out more on this little piece of Sheffield.

Sheffield Forum Rules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heartshome 19]

Hi Rockers rule. Just a bit of extra info I found  for you.

Prior to moving to EVR  sometime after 1862, Henry Stephenson (snr) lived with his father John at Endcliffe Cres.

Endcliffe Vale Road - built between 1840/42.

No property on the Glen site - up to 1855.

Someone said it had 3 names - 1865-8 = The Grove - 1883 = Holly Bank - by 1888 The Glen - 1901 number 47 EVR 'The Glen'.

Henry Stephenson (snr) Mayor 1886 - Knighted 1886/7.     ( His son Henry Kenyon Stephenson was Mayor twice )

He died 1904 -  As frequent attenders, In 1906 Lady Emma presented St Augustin's Church  their bells and Clock in his memory.

She lived on at The Glen till her death in 1921.

The earliest sale of a flat I could find at The Glen complex was 1998.

OK  Heartshome