Grenoside Specialists Required

[saw119]

I have talking with my Grandfather again, he's 88 and has Alzheimer's disease, who used to live in Grenoside in the '30's & '40's. He can't remember where he lived but he tells me he used to walk up Cinder Hill to catch the bus into town and walked down to Ecclesfield Picture House. The most interesting thing is a natural spring that he talks about. His cottage had no running water, or gas & electricity, and the water had to be fetched from a natural water supply at the end of his road. He says people used to drive to the spring to collect water from miles around. Does anyone on here have any idea where this natural water source may be?

[Stuart0742]

If nobody can help you try the Grenoside local history group

www.grenosidelocalhistory.co.uk

But I am sure someone will be able to help

[SteveHB]

Looked on some maps from the 1900's and there is a spring shown near the top of Middleton Lane.

In the area of the well on this 1901 map.

Not shown on this 1950's OS map, but I have marked the area.

Link to 1950's OS

Link to Flash Earth

[SteveHB]

1930's

[saw119]

That's definitely something to work with. Maybe, I'll be able to gently jog his memory with this info, thanks.

[Bayleaf]

Isn't there a Well Lane in Grenoside too? Sorry this is a bit vague, but there's a book in the library that lists all the healing springs and wells around South Yorkshire. Presumably if people came from so far to collect water, it must have had a reputation for some such properties?

[saw119]

Isn't there a Well Lane in Grenoside too? Sorry this is a bit vague, but there's a book in the library that lists all the healing springs and wells around South Yorkshire. Presumably if people came from so far to collect water, it must have had a reputation for some such properties?

That's what I presume, but my Grandad can't remember much else, just that it was always ice cold even in Summer. He is adamant though that it wasn't a well, more a spring. However, since it was the only place they got their water from as they weren't plumbed in I presume that many people in Grenoside must have got water from the same place!

[Bayleaf]

Found this . I think this is from the book I mentioned. No Grenoside on the list though. Wharncliffe Crags is the nearest.

Your grandad's description is very like an old description of St Ann's well near Fulwood. It was supposed to have healing properties, and people came from a distance to collect the water. It was said never to run dry, and ran ice-cold even in the hottest weather.

[Bayleaf]

I wonder if this is any help?

It describes a walk round the village.

About half way down the text it descibes a place where there are many springs feeding troughs, including one with a stone lid to keep the water clean.

I wonder if it might spark some more memories?

There's also a link to the local history society who wrote it.

[SteveHB]

It got wondering to the meaning of 'Issues' on the 1950's OS map,

and apparently it is point where water issues from the ground, ie. a spring.

[Guest zep]

I lived in Grenoside for 30 years, a mere hundred yards away from the place mentioned. Turn off Wheel Lane and go down Middleton Lane until you get to a block of cottages on the right just before you join Cinderhill Lane. The spring is in the land belonging to the first cottage. However, there is a well actually underneath one of the cottages, it is still there, I am reliably informed and was a quite a stumbling block when it went for sale. There were originally 5 dwellings, maybe 7 at one time, my mate used to live in one of the middle ones, it was 2 up 2 down.

The overflow from the spring flowed into the fields below via a bog which we played in and was joined by drain/flood water from higher up the village via a pipe which emerged about 20 foot below the spring. We used to play in the stream and catch freshwater shrimps from beautiful green streamer weed, both which can only live in extremely clean water. The bottom was clear red shale, adjacent was a mill pond complete with sluice, sadly very overgrown now, which I think supplied a nailmakers and contained carp obviously for eating. Families I know who lived in the cottages were May's and Hootons.

Hope this helps.

[Waterside Echo]

I lived in Grenoside for 30 years, a mere hundred yards away from the place mentioned. Turn off Wheel Lane and go down Middleton Lane until you get to a block of cottages on the right just before you join Cinderhill Lane. The spring is in the land belonging to the first cottage. However, there is a well actually underneath one of the cottages, it is still there, I am reliably informed and was a quite a stumbling block when it went for sale. There were originally 5 dwellings, maybe 7 at one time, my mate used to live in one of the middle ones, it was 2 up 2 down.

The overflow from the spring flowed into the fields below via a bog which we played in and was joined by drain/flood water from higher up the village via a pipe which emerged about 20 foot below the spring. We used to play in the stream and catch freshwater shrimps from beautiful green streamer weed, both which can only live in extremely clean water. The bottom was clear red shale, adjacent was a mill pond complete with sluice, sadly very overgrown now, which I think supplied a nailmakers and contained carp obviously for eating. Families I know who lived in the cottages were May's and Hootons.

Hope this helps.

I had a distant cousin who lived in one of the middle cottages in the1950s, John Hubbard was his name. I remember many happy summer days playing in that stream. W/E.