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Chapel Walk in Sheffield City Centre


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This is the chapel that gave Chapel Walk its name:

The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was opened June 30th, 1780. Capable of seating 1300, with a large proportion of free sittings, a mode of accommodating the poor, of which Methodism may be justly proud. On the first opening of this chapel, and for a considerable time afterwards, the congregation exhibited an arrangement peculiar to early Methodism-the men and women seated on different sides-a regulation which has long ago given way to the comfortable adaptation of family pews. The building was demolished and replaced by the Victoria Hall. Nether Chapel was erected about 1715 for a society of Christians who, in consequence of the Arian dispute, had seperated from the Unitarian Church higher up Norfolk Street, until 1826, when it was pulled down and the present Chapel erected. 1908.

 

A7D72041-1173-4DCF-A5D1-1D4A175B0C81.jpeg

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37 minutes ago, tozzin said:

This is the chapel that gave Chapel Walk its name:

The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was opened June 30th, 1780. Capable of seating 1300, with a large proportion of free sittings, a mode of accommodating the poor, of which Methodism may be justly proud. On the first opening of this chapel, and for a considerable time afterwards, the congregation exhibited an arrangement peculiar to early Methodism-the men and women seated on different sides-a regulation which has long ago given way to the comfortable adaptation of family pews. The building was demolished and replaced by the Victoria Hall. Nether Chapel was erected about 1715 for a society of Christians who, in consequence of the Arian dispute, had seperated from the Unitarian Church higher up Norfolk Street, until 1826, when it was pulled down and the present Chapel erected. 1908.

 

A7D72041-1173-4DCF-A5D1-1D4A175B0C81.jpeg



Yeah you're right - doesn't look like the type of church to have a graveyard behind it

 

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Chapel Walk is steeped in history – in fact it goes all the way back to the middle ages, with both the Walk and adjacent Black Swan Alley being built on the remains of ancient Sheffield footways. But it wasn’t until the 19th century when Chapel Walk became the must-visit shopping destination it is today – although the shops were a little different in those days. According to the White’s Directory, during the 1800s Chapel Walk was home to a hatter, tailor, shoemaker, tobacconist, a watch and clock maker, and a day school, to name just a few.

https://sheffielder.net/2021/08/12/chapel-walk-with-hedges-of-honeysuckle-and-hawthorn-the-air-fragrant-with-the-scent-of-new-mown-hay/


 

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I was in Sheffield up to 1976 & my memories of Chapel Walk in the 1960's particularly were of great shops such as Canns & some good cafes. An enjoyable place to stroll down

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28 minutes ago, johnm said:

I was in Sheffield up to 1976 & my memories of Chapel Walk in the 1960's particularly were of great shops such as Canns & some good cafes. An enjoyable place to stroll down

I loved “Cann’s the music man” the Walk it was always busy, plenty of people and decent shops.

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On 09/01/2022 at 19:25, Sheffield History said:

And in particular people reporting ghosts reaching up and grabbing their legs

Sounds like a leg pull.

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I walked along Chapel Walk every weekday during term time for two years, as my route home from King Ted's to Gleadless Avenue entailed getting off a 55 or 60 'bus at the City Hall, walking down Fargate, then along Chapel Walk, across Norfolk Street, past a sweetshop opposite the Lyceum Theatre, and then down a very long and quite steep flight of steps which came out in or near Pond Street where I'd catch the 101 or 102 home. I used to love hurtling down those steps, I'm lucky that I never slipped and broke my neck.

   My abiding memories of the Walk during those years (1960 to 1962) are twofold: firstly Philip Cann The Music Man, with its stock of (to me) largely unaffordable vinyl treasures, and secondly the pervading and wonderful aroma of roasting coffee - there was a retailer of ground coffee, along from Cann's on the Norfolk Street side I think. I also attended services at the Methodist chapel a couple of times, on Sundays.

   I did buy at least one single from Cann's, as it's still in its custom Philip Cann cardboard sleeve. An instrumental called 'Percolator' - very appropriate considering the nearby coffee shop!

   

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40 minutes ago, Athy said:

I walked along Chapel Walk every weekday during term time for two years, as my route home from King Ted's to Gleadless Avenue entailed getting off a 55 or 60 'bus at the City Hall, walking down Fargate, then along Chapel Walk, across Norfolk Street, past a sweetshop opposite the Lyceum Theatre, and then down a very long and quite steep flight of steps which came out in or near Pond Street where I'd catch the 101 or 102 home. I used to love hurtling down those steps, I'm lucky that I never slipped and broke my neck.

   My abiding memories of the Walk during those years (1960 to 1962) are twofold: firstly Philip Cann The Music Man, with its stock of (to me) largely unaffordable vinyl treasures, and secondly the pervading and wonderful aroma of roasting coffee - there was a retailer of ground coffee, along from Cann's on the Norfolk Street side I think. I also attended services at the Methodist chapel a couple of times, on Sundays.

   I did buy at least one single from Cann's, as it's still in its custom Philip Cann cardboard sleeve. An instrumental called 'Percolator' - very appropriate considering the nearby coffee shop!

   

I loved the steps you speak of down from Arundel Street, as I did the Adelphi sadly I was to young to enter the premises but I do remember the newsagent on Tudor Street, it was here that most young lads of my age always hovered looking at the window display, looking for strategically place copies of **** & Span etc, , for our younger readers **** & Span was a girlie magazine of the time, full of nudes.

image.png.a47e8434296ea8349a8853d67558f527.png

 

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2 hours ago, tozzin said:

I loved the steps you speak of down from Arundel Street, as I did the Adelphi sadly I was to young to enter the premises but I do remember the newsagent on Tudor Street, it was here that most young lads of my age always hovered looking at the window display, looking for strategically place copies of **** & Span etc, , for our younger readers **** & Span was a girlie magazine of the time, full of nudes.

 

 

Here you go tozzin  😁

sands.jpg

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14 minutes ago, SteveHB said:

Here you go tozzin  😁

sands.jpg

Never realised it had a “ K “ in the title. I remembered after one of the other titles was Health and Efficiency . 

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19 hours ago, tozzin said:

I loved the steps you speak of down from Arundel Street, as I did the Adelphi sadly I was to young to enter the premises but I do remember the newsagent on Tudor Street, it was here that most young lads of my age always hovered looking at the window display, looking for strategically place copies of **** & Span etc, , for our younger readers **** & Span was a girlie magazine of the time, full of nudes.

image.png.a47e8434296ea8349a8853d67558f527.png

 

What a superbly evocative photo - but the shop I'm talking about didn't look like that. I don't think it was a newsagent's, just a confectioner's and tobacconist's, and the entrance was on the right-hand side. But of course this was 60 years ago, either my memory may be at fault or the shop may have been altered or extended.

   I don't remember ***** & Span, I do remember H&E - but the one which my friend and I used to buy was Parade. That had lots of pictures of pleasingly-proportioned young ladies who were evidently too poor to afford many clothes, but the photography was poor, walls and bits of furniture always seemed to get in the way of parts of the lasses.

 

I once got Arthur Haynes' autograph in there. I assume he was appearing at the Lyceum and had popped in to get his sweets or fags.

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Just now, Athy said:

What a superbly evocative photo - but the shop I'm talking about didn't look like that. I don't think it was a newsagent's, just a confectioner's and tobacconist's, and the entrance was on the right-hand side. But of course this was 60 years ago, either my memory may be at fault or the shop may have been altered or extended.

 

I once got Arthur Haynes' autograph in there. I assume he was appearing at the Lyceum and had popped in to get his sweets or fags.

I think the sweet shop you’re talking about was Hibberts ? Near the Lyceum itself.

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4 minutes ago, tozzin said:

I think the sweet shop you’re talking about was Hibberts ? Near the Lyceum itself.

Across the road from it, yes, just a few yards away. Probably opposite a car park, though I can't be sure of that.

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5 minutes ago, Athy said:

Across the road from it, yes, just a few yards away. Probably opposite a car park, though I can't be sure of that.

Is this the shop ?

62C008BC-8618-4E53-8B93-F6F2D4784CF4.png

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Possibly worth pointing out that Health and Efficiency (now called H&E naturist) was a naturist mag rather than the soft-porn of Parade and others of that ilk.  However, teen-age boys probably didn't care what the target audience was or what the text said! (DAMHIK)

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1 hour ago, MartinR said:

Possibly worth pointing out that Health and Efficiency (now called H&E naturist) was a naturist mag rather than the soft-porn of Parade and others of that ilk.  However, teen-age boys probably didn't care what the target audience was or what the text said! (DAMHIK)

Spot on  and with the sap rising in young loins a glimpse of bare breasts worked wonders, something like Double Diamond did for drinkers !

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3 hours ago, tozzin said:

Spot on  and with the sap rising in young loins a glimpse of bare breasts worked wonders, something like Double Diamond did for drinkers !

 brewers droop

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7 hours ago, tozzin said:

Is this the shop ?

62C008BC-8618-4E53-8B93-F6F2D4784CF4.png

It looks not dissimilar, and I remember the name - but isn't that built into the side of the actual theatre? The one I remember was on the left as I walked towards the steps which led down to Pond Street, but the theatre was on the right.

   - Again, subject to possible memory erosion over a 60-year period!

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I don't remember ever seeing Chapel Walk so quiet! J'm guessing that you took the snaps very early in the morning, before the shops opened.

Is the shop which exuded the lovely smell of roasting coffee beans still there? It was on the right hand side near the Methodist chapel end. I never went in there because my parents didn't use ground coffee, they were strictly Nescafé (and later Maxwell House) people, but the aroma was most alluring - I must have looked like a Bisto Kid each time I walked past it.

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Chapel Walk is another example of the mismanagement and lack of investment by successive councils. Here is an ideal opportunity to create a vibrant thoroughfare of small independent shops like the Shambles in York or the Lanes in Brighton. Attract new businesses with reduced rents and incentives to come and trade.

But don't worry we'll soon have the shipping containers at the top of Fargate to admire!!

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