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The Black Swan : Snig Hill, Sheffield


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Here's another map from 1851

But could it be that the opening between the Black Swan and the shop on the other corner of tozzin's picture is

just that, some sort of alleyway like on the map and not Bank street which could be a little higher up?

Just a thought as in tozzins picture it looks too far down Snig Hill almost at the bottom near Coulston street.

On rooting out my original photo, I can now see once I've magnified it that the start of West Bar just sweeping round Bridge St, so I misinterpreted the blurb that went with the photo, the lane shown may be the entry to the pubs yard, I'm sorry I went down the wrong avenue but I just got carried away.
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Now that we've finally cleared that up, allow me to paint a little word picture of the area.

The year is 1957 and a disgruntled ten year old Hilldweller is stood waiting for the number 88 Malin Bridge bus outside the Mucky Duck.

He's disgruntled because he's just found out that he can't buy anything at Redgates with the eleven pence halfpenny he has in his pocket.

As he stands looking up Snig Hill, to his immediate right and set back a little from the pavement is the projecting porch of the pub with it's soot stained stone swan atop it.

If it's opening time there will be a "jet stream" of stale tobacco smoke and even staler beer fumes gushing out onto the pavement.

If he looks right round to his right he will see the mysterious green door that blocks access to the passageway between the pub and the shops below.

The top shop in the row below, I recollect, was a gents outfitters. These shops were set further forward making the pavement quite narrow at this point.

Immediately below this shop was a larger shop belonging to the Swycher Brothers, they sold house furnishings of a "flashy" variety. All figured walnut and gold paint with table and standard lamps in brass and onyx.

Across the road at that time was an early council housing scheme comprising of several stories of apartments with shops at ground level.

A couple of these shops belonged to the private Red Circle Lending Library with a big red and green neon sign in the window.

Immediately above the library were the two shops of Haroll's & Co, house furnishings. The first one underneath the flats and the second in a single story prefab building on the bombsite leading up to the top of Water Lane which ran behind.

Stood just inside the top premises would be a Mr. Burgess, dressed in a frock coat as his calling as a floorwalker required. Mr. Burgess was an quiet elderly portly gentleman and lived with his wife and daughter next door to my parents.

Many years later when Mr. Burgess died, my father went to his funeral and was astonished to see the sparse crowd joined by an entire company of French soldiers wearing extremely smart dress uniforms. As he was lowered into the grave they fired a very loud rifle salute over his coffin.

It transpired he had been a first world war hero and was an holder of a great decoration for his service to the French.

Immediately above Harroll's shops at the top of Water Lane was the waste ground where the hot chestnut stall was set up in winter.

Anyway the 88 bus has just pulled in and when he's paid the conductor Hilldweller will have even less in his pocket.

HD

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I remember going with my mother to Harroll's furniture shop to pay weekly on the new furniture we had

just acquired, hirer purchase I think the posh word was.

The soot stained swan used to fascinate me as a kid it seemed gigantic to me, I never understood why

it was there, not knowing at the time that it was a pub with the name of Black Swan.

I'm trying to think of the name of the clothes shop after it had changed hands . . on the tip of my tongue.

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On 13/04/2014 at 18:04, Sheffield History said:

post-1-0-25278600-1397408640_thumb.jpg

For those who remember The Black Swan tell us about what it was like..

Don't remember the Black Swan but I do remember the Mucky Duck.

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On ‎14‎/‎04‎/‎2014 at 12:19, hilldweller said:

I have a dim memory of the basement part of the building being used at one time as a hairdresser's shop. Not sure if it was a ladies or gents stylist.

Never went in, a bit too "Unisex" for me. :rolleyes:

 

HD

It was Alfredo's hairdressers under the black swan in the 70's

great pubs to go in during early 70's for me was Black Swan dinner time session with topless dancers landlord was Terry Steeples most popular band/acts at the time was Bitter Suite fronted by Barry Marshall. The Disco's or aka Three mimes,,great act. O'Hara's playboys, joe cocker marty cane etc. Another great heavy music dive was The Nelson now known as The Rocking Chair..there was no pop music on that juke box only led zep Hendrix deep purple pink Floyd etc. The Albion was good too. That sood on the corner across the road from coles and city hall at the end of division street. For me tho The Black Swan...Mucky Duck Boardwal whatever name you want to call it had an atmosphere in the 70 not to be matched by any other town pub and I'm sure anyone else who went in there in their 20s in the 70's would agree.

 

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On ‎14‎/‎04‎/‎2014 at 12:19, hilldweller said:

I have a dim memory of the basement part of the building being used at one time as a hairdresser's shop. Not sure if it was a ladies or gents stylist.

Never went in, a bit too "Unisex" for me. :rolleyes:

 

HD

The Hairdressers was alfredo's  The merry england bar etc is the doorway below that.

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It doesn't matter where the pub stood what's more important is the beer was shite. it was still my favourite pub ever tho during the 70's Terry Steeples..landlord.

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Here's an article from 1939 which covers numerous streets in Sheffield.  The sketch shows Costnough Hall on the left - it also goes by the name Costnott Hall, Gosnock Hall, Gosnick Hall - and stood on the site of the Black Swan in Snig Hill.

925641970_HighStreetandPigsties.thumb.jpg.87c3806df8f15bd90dae656a4a807172.jpg

In a note in his History of the Cutlers Company, R.E.Leader wrote:

In 1749 Samuel Shore senr. granted to his son, Samuel Shore junr. certain messuages, cottages, barns &c. upon a croft whereon the younger Shore erected dwelling houses "called or known by the name of Gosnick (or Gosnock) Hall or by whatsoever name or names the same is called or distinguished, at or near a place called Snigg Hill, which said premises did consist partly of the Black Swan Inn, then or lately David Kilner, and two other messuages in the occupation of Joshua Cawton and Joseph Coulton". In 1795 Joseph Greasby was described as having succeeded David Kilner, and he is given in the Directory of 1797 as 'victualler at Snig hill' ; but but it is difficult to harminise the former of these dates with the fact that in 1796 David Kilner advertised that he had geatly enlarged and improved the Black Swan. The name of John Haugh occurs among the names of the tenants mentioned in 1749 as occupants of the cottages pulled down to build Gosnock Hall, and in 1707 he, a baker, was part owner of the Crown and Thistle, Irish Cross ; but it seems probable that this was on the other side of Snig Hill, near Water Lane, and was not a precursor of the Black Swan.

Below is a 1906 newspaper article by Leader which includes mention of  Gosnock Hall

1818134774_CapitalBurgess1906.thumb.jpg.885f82d77b6144aafca054183f8c68c1.jpg

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