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The Park Hill slums


Sheffield History

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Park Hill Sheffield.jpg

 

Pre-war Park Hill was the worst slum in Sheffield. Densely populated with up to 400 people per acre, it consisted of two story back-to-back terraced houses with communal toilets and standpipes.

The residents were working class, doing shifts in the various steel works and cutlery factories across the city. Shifts were long and the working conditions were dangerous. It was a time of hardship, death rates and infant mortality rates were high.

A report in 1936 by the city’s Planning Officer raised issues of housing density, inadequate light and air, existing services, and proposed a redevelopment.

But throughout the Park Hill area there was a real sense of neighbourliness. There was a community spirit, people would work together to help each other. Often neighbours would pull up a chair outside their front doors and engage in friendly conversation.

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I wonder how this gross over--population of 400 pople per acre compares with the numbers per acre after the Park Flats were built.

Yes, LF, when I looked at the photo my first thoughts were along the lines of "warm, homely, community" - though I would not have fancied living in a back-to-back without inside plumbing.

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On 28/02/2018 at 17:47, LeadFarmer said:

Despite being slums at the time, I bet they would look quite nice and interesting buildings by todays standards.

Totally agree. Buildings with character and charm. 

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They demolished the back to back and terraced slums and just piled them on top of each other, Park Hill.

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