What's the name of this area of Sheffield?

[Plain Talker 11]

upperthorpe lies behind the old infirmary. Netherthorpe is higher up, toward the university arts tower.

[painterman 10]

upperthorpe lies behind the old infirmary. Netherthorpe is higher up, toward the university arts tower.

 

And goes as far down as Meadow street, if you go from there to Upperthorpe you are rising all the way, so it depends which way you look at it. Buy the way only telling you what the teachers taught us.

[Longcol 594]

Does anyone know of the nearby area of Port Mahon? I've only ever seen it on one map, but never heard anyone refer to that name.

 

I've only ever seen it on a map as well. I guess the old housing all got demolished (if my memory is right it was the bottom bit of the Ponderosa) and nothing was built there again.

[littlebasher 11]

The first time i visited Sheffield, i made the mistake of walking up Upper Allen street as a shortcut from Shalesmore to West Street.

 

On the way up i was propositioned by 4 slappers even Rooney would turn down Further up, some well dodgy looking fellow tried to sell me some 'gear'.

 

Not been up there since

[theimposter 10]

It was always called "St. Georges" when I worked at the housing office

[Greybeard 10]

As a young boy I went to both Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe schools, we were taught that the word "thorpe" is an old word for village/town, Upperthorpe being the village on the hill and Netherthorpe being the lower village.

 

Well 'thorpe' originally meant an outlying settlement. Such places were little more than an islolated farm and a cottage or two. A few others that now lie within Sheffield, - Grimesthorpe, Skinnerthorpe and Osgathorpe for example were originally well outside the town.

 

On Fairbank's map of 1795 both these places, Upperthorpe and Netherthorpe are tiny - just a couple of buildings. Upperthorpe lay at the botom of Daniel hill and the original Netherthorpe was somewhere on what became Meadow street, so Netherthorpe may well have been the lower of the two in elevation.

 

But as I said earlier, David Hey, who is something of an authority on Sheffield placenames, claims that Upperthorpe was a corruption of Hooperthorpe and Netherthorpe was so named by linguistic association.

 

A similar association occurs with Upper and Nether Edge, although Upper Edge is long forgotten.

[AKADOK 10]

It was officially called St. George's, after the church, but in all the time I lived there I never heard it called that. We always called it Netherthorpe. Most of it is being turned into student accomodation now.

 

Just down from were the new flats are being built there's an old Victorian terraced street called Well Meadow Street, with the remains of some back to back houses and small industrial premises. Even has cobbles!

 

Well worth a look, while it's still standing, if only to see what the old Netherthorpe looked like. Bear in mind though, it's used by sex workers and their punters at night, so be careful.

 

Port Mahon was further down the hill, at the lower end of what is now the Ponderosa recreation ground. The area was cleared in the early sixites. There are some pictures of it on Picture Sheffield and in a couple of books, by JR Wrigley and JP Turley, if you can get them.

[Plain Talker 11]

thorpe is from the norse, "torpa" (rough pronunciation) which means Farmstead or settlement.

 

So, Jordanthorpe meant Jorda's Torpa.. Hackenthorpe was Haaken's Torpa...

[*_ash_* 88]

 

Just down from were the new flats are being built there's an old Victorian terraced street called Well Meadow Street, with the remains of some back to back houses and small industrial premises. Even has cobbles!

Well worth a look, while it's still standing, if only to see what the old Netherthorpe looked like. Bear in mind though, it's used by sex workers and their punters at night, so be careful.

 

Are you sure you mean this street?? I took this a few days ago Well Meadow St

[AKADOK 10]

Hi Ash

 

That's the street alright, but the wrong bit of it. The old houses are at the top end, but you can't get to them from there, as they've built a factory right across it.

 

If you go back up Upper Allen Street, turn left and then right, there they are.

 

If you PM me your home email I'll send you some pictures of them (I don't think I've been doing this long enough yet to post attachments).

[*_ash_* 88]

Hi Ash

(I don't think I've been doing this long enough yet to post attachments).

 

Yeah you can post pictures, it's easy.

 

(I'm sure the knitting group won't mind me borrowing their sticky post, save me some time)

 

click here for how to post

[scott281178 10]

That could well be the answer then.

 

The posters that call it Netherthorpe are probably right as far as the correct name. But I can't see developers selling expensive flats using that name.

 

St Vincents is the name given to the quarter NOT the district, area or locality name.

 

In my job I work with City Counil GPS, Mapping Systems, and Gazetteer Updates and it is definately Netherthorpe.

 

That doesn't mean that renaming an area isn't appropriate but thats for the local people to decide.

 

Incidentally I work in the City Centre. But my work is based in part of the New Retail Quarter. The post address is still City Centre and is not changing to Retail Quarter!