Turnpike Route Through Graves Park?

[JohnEBoy]

Having been raised near Graves park, my grandad used to point out various old sites, oddities and gateposts etc in that beautiful Park.

The other day I was walking through, and decided to investigate the route of the old turnpike route which led from Sheffield- the border with Derbyshire then in the 1750's being at Heeley- to Chesterfield. I've tried to catalogue the route with today's map and photos (taken on my naff mobile 'phone).

• So, I have it that the old London Road turnpike route ran from Heeley Bottom (London Road), past Meersbrook House, it joined Derbyshire Lane halfway up that steep incline continuing up to what is now Graves Park.
• It then cut right behind the 'Football' Pavilion/Changing Rooms and came out where the old farm buildings (by the disused toilets) are.
• It then went across the park between the still-visible lines of trees and downhill into today's 'ditch/hedgerows and wooded region below
• Along the route of today's concrete footpath, it winded uphill towards Charles Ashmore Cul-de-Sac and car park entrance.
• It continued straight across what is now a gennel and onto Little Norton Lane at the sharp corner of the road, then continued down Dyche Lane and past today's school and College.

But there are other gateposts in Graves Park that seem to contradict the route? The bottom of the footballer's field there are two sets (pictured- one in the corner and the other 'hidden' by the stream), and also others near the boating pond? Maybe the former were older, packhorse routes and the latter being old access routes to Norton Hall?

[duckweed]

Is this other track not a farm track? I remember reading somewhere of a Widow having the main road diverted away from her farm by some landowner. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[History dude]

It was the 1756 Sheffield to Chesterfield Turnpike. The route and all those who endorsed it will be in the Local Studies filled under acts of Parliament for Sheffield. I have also seen a website with a map, but it goes into a yellow dotted line through Graves Park. I don't think the road would have run in the backs of the houses on Derbyshire Lane as shown by your RED line. It would have been on the road itself and Cobnar too.

[JohnEBoy]

Yes, my line is not spot on, but general so that the road etc names can still be seen.

I have tried to loosely determine the 18thC route of the turnpike that used the grounds of Norton Hall.

[Stuart0742]

I have an excellent book about the Sheffield to Derby Turnpike. Published in 2003 it is still available on Amazon 2nd Hand

[John Ralphs]

The route of the turnpike was very clear during my childhood (born 1946) at the southern edge of the playing field area.    At that time, the route lay in a depression which has largely been filled in over the years by park staff dumping tree roots, grass cuttings and other rubbish.    The bed of the track was clearly visible and flat until it gradually shallowed and then climbed up through what is now a wooded area.   I can recall walking this part of the turnpike with my dog when I was in my late teens and cart wheel ruts were clearly visible.   Without being certain of it at the time, I did think that it seemed likely to be an old route south out of Sheffield and I always thought it a great shame that park staff were allowed to obliterate it.   

Head park keeper at that time was Mr Barnet - to whom I have to be extremely grateful as he saved my mother's life.    She had a severe allergy to wasp stings and was stung above the eye when a wasp got trapped behind her glasses.    At the time, I heard her calling out and was in bed, recovering from measles.    Mr Barnet was passing the house in Cobnar Road as he did every day and heard her call from the back yard.   He found her on the ground but she was able to tell him where the tablets were which she always had to hand.   He went into the house, found them, and she recovered fully.   I know it's a bit late, but thank you Mr Barnet. 

[John Ralphs]

Picking up on the comment from History Dude about the route not being along Derbyshire Lane, is it possible that the route went through Bolehill Wood ?    There is an unusually wide track almost parallel with Wellcarr Road as it ascends through Bolehill Woods and emerges at the top of the hill at Bolehill Cottages.   This track curves past the cottage to the top of Cobnar Road, almost exactly opposite what I used to call The Farm - the place where boats from the boating lake used to be wintered and where the tractor and mower were stored.   The track through Bolehill Woods is very clear on Google Maps and suggests that the route of the turnpike came up through Woodseats rather than Derbyshire Lane.