Devonshire Green area demolition - 1978??

[Guest_225]

What was the name of the large Victorian factory that was demolished at the bottom of Devonshire Green, late 70's?

 

I remember it was a great old building and there was a bit of an outcry at the time.

 

A photo link would be interesting if anyone has one.

[Guest_225]

Was it Wolstenholmes? Does that ring any bells?

[Harry1000]

Or was it the old Washington Works? (before the new ones were built.)

[algy]

Try searching PictureSheffield.com for Fitzwilliam Street and Devonshire Street. If you scroll along the Keywords box with each photo it names some of the buildings you can see.

[Plain Talker]

the only one I can remember was Ernest Hills, where my motther worked.

 

they were higher up, though on the corner of Broomhall St (IIRC) and Fitzwilliam St, where the botttom corner of West One is now.

[Guest_225]

Found it - George Wostenholm and Son Ltd., Washington Works, 97 Wellington Street

 

Still can't find a decent photo of it, only this old engraving. I remember it had Wostenholm IXL in big white letters on the building.

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s09882

[Plain Talker]

Pott,

 

Knowing another address on Wellington Street, I've estimated that the address for Wostenholmes, must be where the building site is, next to the Devonshire Cat pub, before you get to the Washington. (yes, I know, another pub )

[Alastair]

I found a photo of the factory in a book called "Images of England - Sheffield Industries" by Joan Unwin and Ken Hawley.

 

I scanned the whole page which you can now see here-

 

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/Alastairw/Trouve/?action=view&current=WostenholmeIXLfactory.jpg

 

I think the engraving of the whole factory shows the Washington Pub on the corner which survived the demolition, not sure about this though. The photograph of the factory before demolition is the same building behind the pub along Wellington Street.

 

The factory was a lovely old building that dominated the Devonshire Green area at the time and should never have been demolished. I took some photos of my own when I knew it was going to be knocked down, just can't find them at the moment. I used to walk up Fitzwilliam Street every day on my way to Uni and admired that building a lot. There was some protest at the time when it was due to be demolished and it was said it was the original factory where Bowie Knives were made.

[Plain Talker]

I am almost definite, now, that this is where the new flats have just been built recently (2006/7) behind the Washington. (before you get to the dev cat)

 

thanks for that, alastair.

[Alastair]

Glad you like the photo

 

What was there before they built the new flats, I think the Wostenholme factory was demolished 1976 so there's 30 years gap there.

 

I wonder if they have a photo of the old building in the Washington pub? i haven't been in there in ages, but it would be a typical pub thing to have on the wall. Looks like it was the works pub.